As one of the top geothermal heat pump manufacturers in the country, we pride ourselves in packing our heat pumps full of useful features that make them uniquely suited to operating in harsh Canadian weather. This is standard operating procedure for our geothermal heat pumps, but we’ve applied the same design principles to the air to water heat pump. Here are five features we’ve added to the air to water heat pump to make it perform exceptionally well – even in Canadian winters.
High Efficiency in Cold Weather
With cold weather approaching, you may be wondering how efficient your air to water heat pump will be when the mercury drops. Fortunately, we’ve tested our ATW Series in winter conditions, and we can answer that question. Below is a table that shows the coefficient of performance of the air to water heat pump at 17°F (-8.3°C).
| Air to Water by Size | COP at 17°F (-8.3°C) |
|---|---|
| 45 | 2.35 |
| 55 | 2.32 |
| 65 | 2.33 |
| 75 | 2.30 |
As you can see in the table, the air to water heat pump maintains COPs of between 2.30 and 2.35 depending on what size unit you choose. So even when the cold fall weather sets in, you’ll continue to save money on your heating bills.
Domestic Hot Water Heating
When your air to water heat pump is in heating mode, its built in desuperheater operates to preheat your domestic hot water. This isn’t a dedicated domestic hot water heater, but instead only operates when the heat pump is already running. Because of this, the desuperheater won’t provide 100% of your hot water making needs, but will still manage to save you about 50% on your domestic hot water costs. Since domestic hot water heating accounts for 17.7% of your total electricity consumption according to the U.S. Residential Energy Administration, this will result in significant cost savings over the life of the machine.
Outdoor Reset Functionality for Increased Efficiency
With our outdoor reset functionality, the control board in the air to water heat pump will reduce the temperature of the indoor buffer tank when outdoor temperatures are warmer. This means the heat pump doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain the temperature of the buffer tank, which increases efficiency. When temperatures drop and you need more heat for your radiant in-floor system, the control board raises the buffer tank temperature, and you stay nice and comfortable. This process is automatically initiated by the control board so you don’t have to lift a finger.
Intelligent Defrost Logic for Increased Efficiency
In cold weather, when the outdoor temperature falls below freezing your heat pump will operate in heating mode. When it’s in heating mode, moisture in the air passing over the coil in the outdoor unit will condense and freeze on the coil. This causes frost, which can decrease the system’s efficiency by inhibiting heat transfer from the outdoor air to your home. To keep your heat pump operating at peak performance, defrost cycles are required.
Most air source heat pumps operated on a timed defrost cycle, cycling on and off on a timer regardless of whether there is any frost build-up on the coil. In contrast, the Nordic ATW Series operates on an intelligent defrost cycle where our control board monitors refrigerant pressure and outdoor temperature to determine when a defrost cycle is needed. It also uses these measurements to alter the length of the defrost cycle to ensure the coil is completely defrosted every time, and that the unit isn’t needlessly defrosting.
The intelligent defrost logic improves the air to water heat pump’s efficiency and reduces damage to the coil caused by ice build-up.
Continuously Running Outdoor Fan
When temperatures reach below -4°F (-20°C) the air to water heat pump shuts down and heating is provided by the backup heat in the form of electric elements in your buffer tank. But even when the heat pump isn’t running, the outdoor fan continues to operate at very low speeds. This makes sure that snow and ice don’t build up inside the outdoor unit so that when temperatures rise, your unit will start up correctly with no issues.
Find out more about the air to water heat pump, visit the product page or download our Ebook:
