Patent ID: 9534818
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: F24D,F25B,Y02B

Claim:
1. A method of operating a heat pump system in a heating mode of operation, the heat pump system comprising: one or more indoor heat exchangers; one or more compressors; one or more refrigerant superheat controllers; one or more reversing valves; one or more outdoor heat exchangers, each paired with an auxiliary heat exchanger that is located outdoors so as to be exposed to an outdoor environment, each auxiliary heat exchanger located adjacent a corresponding one of said one or more outdoor heat exchangers; one or more auxiliary energy sources, the one or more auxiliary energy sources comprising a water heater including a water loop for supplying heated water along a water flow path to at least one of the one or more auxiliary heat exchangers; and first and second flow diverting valves, or four flow valves, operable to selectively define a refrigerant flow path through either a corresponding outdoor heat exchanger or a corresponding auxiliary heat exchanger, such that when the refrigerant flow path is defined through the corresponding outdoor heat exchanger the corresponding auxiliary heat exchanger is isolated, and when the refrigerant flow path is defined through the corresponding auxiliary heat exchanger the corresponding outdoor heat exchanger is isolated, the method comprising: