Maintaining Comfort in Air to Air Heat Pump Systems
How are auxiliary heaters utilized in an air to air heat pump system?
Technician A says that the auxiliary heaters found on an air to air heat pump system are used to increase the system's pressure during the defrost cycle. Technician B says that the auxiliary strip heaters found on an air to air heat pump system are used to increase supply air temperature for comfort during the defrost cycle. Which technician is correct?
Answer:
Technician B is correct; auxiliary strip heaters in an air to air heat pump are for maintaining comfortable supply air temperatures during the defrost cycle, not for increasing system pressure as Technician A suggests.
When it comes to auxiliary heaters in an air to air heat pump system, their primary purpose is to ensure comfort by maintaining adequate supply air temperatures, especially during the defrost cycle. This cycle is crucial for removing any accumulated frost from the outdoor coil, which can temporarily affect the system's heating performance.
Technician B's explanation aligns with the actual function of auxiliary strip heaters. These heaters work to provide additional heat to the supply air, ensuring that occupants remain comfortable even when the outdoor coil is being defrosted. This additional heat helps offset any potential decrease in heating performance during this process.
On the other hand, Technician A's assertion about increasing the system's pressure during the defrost cycle is inaccurate. The defrost cycle is specifically designed to remove frost from the coils and does not require a pressure increase from the auxiliary heaters to achieve this goal.
Therefore, in the context of maintaining comfort in air to air heat pump systems, Technician B's explanation regarding the use of auxiliary strip heaters is the correct one.