What is a Heat Pump?

A heat pump is a device that transfers heat from one place to another, from inside to outside or from outside to inside. In the winter, a heat pump works like a heater, extracting heat energy from outside and transferring it inside. In the summer, the process reverses and it will remove heat from your home and transfer it outside like an air conditioner. There are many different names of heat pumps, but they can all be categorized as one of three different types: air source, water source or geothermal.

Air Source

An air source heat pump transfers energy in the air from one place to another. It uses an outdoor heat exchanger coil to extract heat from the air, and an indoor heat exchanger coil to transfer the heat into air ducts, radiators, or a hot water tank. This process can also be reversed so that it may be used as an air conditioner as well.

Water Source

A water source heat pump operates similarly to the air source pump, but uses water instead of air to transfer heat. These types of pumps are not available to everyone because of the resources needed, but if you live near a well, lake or other natural resource this can be a viable option. A water source pump cycles water through a series of pipes that are laid out in water. As the water cycles, it collects the heat and transfers that energy into your home. Again this process reverses in the summer and carries heat out of your house, also by way of the water in the pipes.

Geothermal

A geothermal heat pump is also called a ground source pump. In this system, the pump uses the earth as its heat source. The geography and climate around your house are important when deciding which kind of heat pump is right for you. If you have more questions about what kind of pump is best for your home, call us at 208-414-1302 or request service online.