<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=591165851039736&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
blog-icon

COMFORT BLOG

Oct 19, 2020 9:43:21 AM by Joe Berardi

Heat Pump? What the $#%@ is That?!

What is a heat pump

If you are an HVAC novice, you may wonder what a heat pump is...In this article, we are here to let you know!
 
Mitsubishi ductless heat pump

What is a Heat Pump?

A heat pump, such as this one from Mitsubishi, is an excellent way to experience whole home comfort and energy efficiency.
 
Heat pumps gained popularity in the early 1970s, but they were really only useful for homes in milder climates. Modern heat pumps, especially variable-speed mini-split (ductless) heat pumps, can provide high-performance heating and air conditioning to homes anywhere, even in extremely cold climates. 
 
A heat pump system consists of an indoor air handler, which can be ducted or ductless, and an outdoor condenser unit. Contrary to its name, a heat pump's main responsibility is to provide cooling. Heat pumps work just like your refrigerator in that they use electricity to move heat from a cool space to a warm space. They suck the hot air out of the home/room and remove it outside, resulting in a comfortable indoor temperature in those steamy months.
 
But unlike a standard air conditioner where the sole function is cooling, a heat pump can provide heat, too!

Types of heat pumps

There are three types of heat pumps, all of which run on electricity: air-source, water-source, and geothermal. In heating mode, they collect heat from the air, water, or ground outside your home and concentrate it for use inside.
 
The most common type of heat pump is the air-source heat pump, which transfers heat between your house and the outside air. Air-source heat pumps can be either air-to-air or air-to-water. According to the Department of Energy, modern heat pumps can reduce your electricity use for heating by approximately 50 percent compared to electric resistance heating such as furnaces and baseboard heaters.

So, heat pumps provide cooling and heating?

YES! A heat pump can reverse its function! In the colder months, it absorbs heat energy from the outside air, which it then distributes throughout the home. Again, the biggest difference between a standard air conditioning unit and a heat pump is that a standard air conditioning unit cannot reverse its cycle. Due to this, standard air conditioners are often paired with furnaces to provide heat, creating a complete heating and cooling system.
 
However, heat pumps can only efficiently work for so long. When temperatures drop below freezing, a heat pump loses some of its efficiency, requiring more work to extract the heat energy and pump hot air into your home. To combat this, heat pump systems can also be paired with a furnace, using the heat pump as more of a supplemental source. This creates a hybrid system, which allows you to use the heat pump until it is more efficient to use your furnace, limiting the amount of oil or gas you need. 
 
Mitsubishi also offers its Hyper-Heat heat pump, which maintains its efficiency down to negative thirteen degrees! These heat pumps can function as your one-and-only cooling and heating system, even if there are sub-zero temperatures outside.
Hyper-Heat Versus Standard Heat Pumps

Is a heat pump system right for me?

There is no simple answer here -- it's really whatever works best for you and your home. Choosing between the many different types of home heating systems depends on your budget, what kind of efficiency you're looking for, what type of home you live in, and more.
 
Experienced contractors like ECI Comfort can work with you, your family, and your home to design a system specific to your needs. Heat pumps provide excellent flexibility, creating a solution for any heating and cooling problems you may have. Give us a call today for a free consultation! ECI Comfort, heat pump installation in Delaware Valley

ECI Comfort specializes in installing heat pump systems in the Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia area. Learn more about these opportunities by clicking the button below, or giving us a call at 215-245-3200.

Schedule a Free Consultation

This entry was posted in Heating, Heat Pump, Air Conditioning

Contact Us

Popular Posts

Posts by Topic

see all