Heat Pumps / Comfort and Electrification w/ Copeland

HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

Bryan Orr

Training, Careers, Airconditioning, Self-improvement, Hvac, Business, Education, Refrigeration, Heating, Ac, Apprenticeship

4.8 • 985 Ratings

🗓️ 14 February 2025

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this informative episode, Josh Souders from Copeland joins Bryan to dive deep into heat pump technology, discussing everything from basic operations to advanced features in cold climate applications. The conversation begins with a fundamental explanation of how heat pumps work, describing them as essentially air conditioners with a reversing valve that allows them to provide both heating and cooling. Josh explains the thermodynamic principles that enable heat pumps to extract heat from cold outdoor air and transfer it indoors, achieving coefficients of performance (COP) ranging from 1.5 to 3, making them significantly more efficient than traditional electric resistance heating.

The discussion moves into the broader context of electrification and decarbonization, explaining how heat pumps fit into these environmental initiatives. Josh details how modern cold climate heat pumps have evolved significantly from earlier generations, particularly through the Department of Energy's Cold Climate Heat Pump Challenge program. This program pushed manufacturers to develop systems capable of maintaining full heating capacity at very low temperatures, addressing historical concerns about heat pump performance in cold regions.

Variable speed technology emerges as a key topic, with Josh explaining how modern inverter-driven compressors can operate across a wide range of speeds - from 900 to 7,000 RPM in their newest A2L products. This capability allows systems to maintain heating capacity in cold weather by increasing compressor speed when needed. The conversation also covers practical considerations for installation and troubleshooting, including the importance of proper defrost cycles, installation location, and the use of riser kits in snowy regions.

Key Topics Covered:

Basic heat pump operation and refrigeration cycle
Electrification and decarbonization initiatives
Cold climate heat pump capabilities and DOE challenge program
Variable speed compressor technology
Different types of heat pumps (air source, ground source, water source)
Defrost cycles and their importance
Installation considerations for cold climates
Vapor injection technology and its benefits
Available incentives and rebates for heat pump installation
Troubleshooting tips for heat pump systems
Low-GWP refrigerant considerations
Resource links for contractors and homeowners
Modern heat pump efficiency and performance improvements

Resources mentioned:

DSIRE USA website for state incentives (dsireusa.org)
DOE rebate portal (energy.gov/save/rebates)
Copeland heat pump information (hvacrschool.com/copeland-heat-pumps)
Copeland Mobile app and White Rogers family of apps
Copeland Training Hub for education resources

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This episode of the HVAC School podcast is brought to you by our trusted sponsors,
0:10.6	Copeland and the Copeland mobile app.
0:12.6	Get full access to Copeland's online product information database with over 30 years of product data on any device.
0:19.8	Easy troubleshooting and diagnostics, as well as inventory
0:23.3	lookup at local supply houses. The real game changer is the quality product support with Copeland
0:29.2	Mobile's new AI chatbot. Ask the chatbot to compare compressors within the Copeland product line
0:34.9	and stack up Copeland's compressors against competitors.
0:38.3	Once you know which parts are right for your client's application, you can save them to your wish list in the app,
0:43.3	and the Copeland mobile app can show you regional availability and inventory.
0:48.3	Find out more at HVACR school.com slash copeland-mobile.
0:53.3	That's HVACR school.com slash Copeland-Mobile. That's HVACR school.com slash copeland dash mobile.
1:02.7	Up into the attic, you can see him climb with the agility of an overweight panda.
1:09.5	His fur on his head is beginning to become patchy, which makes
1:13.9	the nail in the roof decking that much more painful when it makes contact. His squeals of pain
1:20.6	may sound like replacement curse words, but this is just the natural cry of a Brian Orr in pain.
1:29.0	Hey, hey, hey, this is the HVAC school podcast, the podcast that helps you remember some
1:32.7	things you might have forgotten along the way as well as helps you remember some things.
1:35.4	You forgot to know in the first place.
1:36.9	And today we're doing a podcast about heat pumps.
1:40.2	Heat pumps, electrification and the role of comfort with my friend Josh Souters from Copeland.
1:45.1	Josh is a great guy, super smart, and he knows a lot about heat pumps.
1:49.5	Copeland knows a lot about heat pumps and compressors and a lot of other things.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Bryan Orr, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Bryan Orr and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.