Patent ID: 8037709

Claim:
A heat pump for cooling and heating a building having an interior and an exterior environment by circulating a refrigerant comprising: a. a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; b. an interior coil exchanging heat with said interior of said building, said interior coil having an inlet and an outlet; c. an exterior coil exchanging with said outside said interior of said building, said exterior coil having an inlet and an outlet; d. a reversing valve fluidly connected with said compressor, said reversing valve positionable in a cooling position and a heating position, wherein when said reversing valve is positioned in said cooling position, said reversing valve directs said refrigerant from said compressor to said exterior coil, and wherein when in said reversing valve is positioned in said heating position, said reversing valve directs said refrigerant from said compressor to said interior coil; e. a first thermal expansion valve positioned downstream of said outlet of said exterior coil and upstream of said inlet of said interior coil when said reversing valve is positioned in said cooling position; and f. a heat exchanger positioned downstream of said outlet of said exterior coil and upstream of said first thermal expansion valve when said reversing valve is positioned in said cooling position, said heat exchanger transferring heat between said refrigerant flowing between said exterior coil and said thermal expansion valve and said refrigerant flowing between said outlet of said interior coil and said compressor.