During cooling mode, where does hot gas leave the compressor first flow to?

In cooling mode, hot gas that leaves the compressor first flows to the condenser. This is a crucial part of the heat pump cycle, where the refrigerant, now in gas form and at high pressure, needs to dissipate heat that it has absorbed from the indoor environment.

The function of the condenser is to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the outside air or water. As the hot gas passes through the condenser coils, it releases heat to the surroundings, eventually changing state from a gas to a liquid. This phase change is essential for the cooling process to occur. The refrigerant, having released its heat, now enters the expansion valve to lower its pressure and temperature before it goes back to the evaporator to absorb heat from inside the building.

Understanding this flow and the role of each component in the heat pump cycle is key to grasping how heat pumps operate efficiently in heating and cooling applications.