Air source heat pumps have long had a reputation for being an excellent alternative to expensive heating options like oil or electric baseboards, but many brands fall short when it comes to performing well in colder temperatures. That has changed with the introduction of cold weather heat pumps, which are heat pumps that are specifically designed for cold weather, like our air to water heat pump.
But what makes a heat pump suitable for cold weather? And what does that term mean anyway? Unfortunately, while many heat pumps are advertised as cold climate heat pumps, few are equipped with features to make them perform better than conventional heat pumps when the temperatures drop, and few manufacturers list the heat pump’s effective temperature range.
We’re going to change that today by walking you through the unique features that make our air source heat pumps perform better in cold weather, and show you the actual efficiencies our heat pumps achieve at different outdoor temperatures.
Inspired Design
When it comes to the overall layout of the machine, we drew on our experience and knowledge in the geothermal heat pump field to inform the design of the air source heat pumps. Geothermal heat pumps are the ultimate cold weather heat pumps (which we’ll explain further below), partially because the heat pump is located inside the home in a dry, conditioned space. Putting the heat pump indoors reduces the wear and tear on the main components of the heat pump and boosts the longevity of the machine.
That’s why Nordic air source heat pumps have the majority of their components located inside, where they are out of the weather and safe from mother nature. The only parts of the heat pump that are located outdoors are:
the heat exchanger
the fan to move air across the heat exchanger
the electronic expansion valve
Intelligent Defrost Logic
When a heat pump is operating in heating mode, frost accumulates on the outdoor heat exchanger. This is a naturally occurring phenomenon, but the frost acts as an insulator and reduces the heat pump’s efficiency by reducing the heat transfer from the outdoor air to the coil. To eliminate the frost, the heat pump will go through a defrost cycle where it switches into cooling mode. In cooling mode, it is moving heat from the home into the outdoor air. The heat pump melts the frost, switches back into heating mode and continues heating the home. Most air source heat pumps will defrost on a timer, which can lead to partial defrosts (where part of the coil doesn’t fully defrost) or too many unnecessary defrosts, which is inefficient.
All Nordic air source heat pumps are equipped with intelligent defrost logic. Intelligent defrost logic is a program run by the heat pump’s control board that uses several inputs to determine exactly when the heat pump needs to run a defrost cycle on the outside air coil. Because the intelligent defrost logic ensures the heat pump only defrosts when necessary, this program automatically maximizes the heat pump’s efficiency and minimizes operating costs.
Smart Fan Operation
One issue frequently mentioned by homeowners with heat pumps that aren’t designed for cold weather is that snow will often clog up the outdoor unit, preventing it from operating. With a Nordic air source heat pump, when the outdoor temperature drops to the point where snow is possible, an outdoor temperature sensor sends a signal to the control board to turn the outdoor fan on at a low speed, even if the heat pump isn’t running. This low-speed fan operation keeps snow from building up inside the unit.
We Added a Leg Kit and Remove a Drain Pan
The outdoor portion of the heat pump has two other features that make it uniquely designed for cold weather operation. First, there is no drain pan on the bottom of the heat pump, in fact, there is no bottom at all. This is so condensation doesn’t drip off the heat exchanger and freeze, possibly building up in the pan and/or breaking the coil. Instead, moisture will drip off directly onto the ground. The outdoor part of the heat pump also comes with an optional leg kit to lift it up and away from the snow so that it won’t get buried in a snow drift if mother nature decides to come calling.
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