touch lamps and heat pumps
I am mystified by how heat pumps work. I figured out the septic system to my satisfaction, but heat pumps have defied my understanding for some months now. A cursory review only confused me more – “the heat pump extracts heat from air – even cold air – and pumps it throughout the house; the process is reversed when it is warm outside and you want the house cool” – or something to that effect. Ok – I get that but how exactly, at a molecular level, does that happen? I understand ion channels and NaK pumps, or at least I did and still basically get it (concentration gradients) so can I apply that knowledge to heat pumps? Is there a wizard in the pump with a wand? Dave tried to explain the thermoelectric principles behind it – that you can create an artificial thermal gradient – and the Peltier-Seebeck effect which has something to do with different metals in proximity creating a thermal gradient (and even a magnetic gradient). Anyway – can someone explain it in plain English to me? Oh – the touch lamp is another mystery. Thermostatic effect there Dave says…
The inaugural hubby with boys picture at the Seattle Aquarium. If we take one every January we'll see how much the boys have grown each year!
Oh my gosh, Alli. You have way too much time to be thinking all that stuff! I was confused just reading it. Haha You are just too smart for me and my little mind. Keep us the good work. Someone has to be out there thinking all the time. Love, Marilou
Sam looks not too happy but Ben always does. Is that a real bird at their feet?
Ha ha! But the sad thing is I certainly DON’T have way too much time! It just seemed like MAGIC to me extracting heat from cold! Like only God could do that. If we could extract fat from legs…oil from sand…with equal facility, what kind of miracle that would be! So surely the heat pump could be demystified, I thought…but I still don’t quite have it. I love meeting interesting people with my strange questions.
Re the bird – that is Ben’s “GROWNUP EAGLE”! It’s a beloved stuffed eagle who travels everywhere and talks to us 🙂