Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Reverse Cycle Chiller Question

jb9
jb9 Member Posts: 104
Hello,

I am confused about the difference between an air-to-air source heat pump and a reverse cycle chiller. Why is a reverse cycle chiller used in radiant applications while the air-to-air source is used mostly in ductless mini-splits? I sense this is a dumb question but I am going to ask it anyway.

Thanks.

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 15,452
    An air-air heat pump uses finned refrigerant coils to heat or cool the air directly by heat transfer from the refrigerant.

    A chiller heats or cools water and transfers heat between the refrigerant from the refrigerant to the water through a shell & tube or plate & frame heat exchanger.

    Chillers use water for a heating medium the same as a radiant system does.

    air-air heat pumps use air the same as a ductless split does.

    There's no stupid questions were all learning

  • jb9
    jb9 Member Posts: 104
    Got it. So is the reason that a reverse cycle chiller unit is more expensive is because it is a more complex piece of equipment due to the extra heat exchanger piece? Also, are there fewer of them produced and installed than air-to-air source heat pumps?
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    jb9 said:

    So is the reason that a reverse cycle chiller unit is more expensive is because
    ...
    there fewer of them produced and installed than air-to-air source heat pumps?

    This ^^
  • jb9
    jb9 Member Posts: 104
    Thanks K. I thought that might be it.
  • hvacfreak2
    hvacfreak2 Member Posts: 500
    When I read the title I was thinking of a Trane CVHE running backwards or something .

    Reverse cycle chiller , a few years ago we called them water to water heat pumps. But " Reverse Cycle Chiller " sounds important . Heck , you would think that it sounds more technical than Trane CVHF or even " Centravac " . So a water source heat pump is a reverse cycle chiller when viewed from the condenser loop side. More coffee maybe , till then it's bunk.
    hvacfreak

    Mechanical Enthusiast

    Burnham MST 396 , 60 oz gauge , Tigerloop , Firomatic Check Valve , Mcdonnell Miller 67 lwco , Danfoss RA2k TRV's

    Easyio FG20 Controller

  • bulldoglax
    bulldoglax Member Posts: 38
    Wouldn't you call it an air to water heat pump?
  • hvacfreak2
    hvacfreak2 Member Posts: 500
    Or a reverse cycle air conditioner.

    I guess the terminology issue is mine , I'm just used to a chiller being a larger machine. A small machine that cools water is in fact a " chiller ". Terminal equipment none the less.
    hvacfreak

    Mechanical Enthusiast

    Burnham MST 396 , 60 oz gauge , Tigerloop , Firomatic Check Valve , Mcdonnell Miller 67 lwco , Danfoss RA2k TRV's

    Easyio FG20 Controller

  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356

    Wouldn't you call it an air to water heat pump?

    That's what we call them.
    Rich_49
  • AnthraciteEnergetics
    AnthraciteEnergetics Member Posts: 77
    Air to water, that's what I'm familiar with. Heat pump with water on the condenser instead of air.