Different Types of Heat Pumps Explained

Our heating and cooling systems are an integral part of our homes these days, creating pleasant environments in which to live and work.

In terms of energy efficiency, one of the best methods to heat and cool a home is a heat pump. In comparison to electric furnaces and baseboard heaters, today's versions may cut heat source expenditures.

With the wide variety of alternatives now available, understanding the differences and choosing the best one may be difficult. Let's examine the types of heat pump, how they function, and how to select the best one for your needs.

Before we get into the different types, it's important to first know what heat pumps are and what they do.

A heat pump unit doesn’t actually produce heat per se but instead transfers it from one place to another using energy and a refrigerant. It uses the sources already present in and around your home such as those from the ground, air, and water.

Although the word "heat" is in their name, heat pumps also have the ability to cool. They heat your home by bringing heat from outside your home in, or by contrast, can cool by expelling the heat from the inside to the outside of your home.

Heat pumps are energy efficient and much less expensive than other traditional heating and cooling systems, because they require a lot less energy. Because of this, heat pumps are regarded as one of the most effective ways to heat and cool your house throughout the year. They work for most indoor and outdoor temperatures and can replace expensive air conditioners, or at least supplement the majority of them.

Heat pumps come in three primary categories: those that come from a water source, those from an air source, and finally, those which originate from a ground source. Despite the fact that each of these use a distinct source of heat, they all function according to the same general concepts as those described above.

The air source heat pump source transfers heat from between the house and the air outside is one of the most popular used today. This air source, often called an air-to-air pump, brings heated outdoor air into your house.

They are one of the cheapest heat pump systems to install up-front. As with water and ground sources, you can use them for either heating or cooling.

Since they tend to become less efficient in extreme heat or cold because they rely on outside air temperatures, they are best used in moderate climates. In the summer months, however, they’re extremely helpful in removing humidity from the air. The air source heat pump is one of the most high-efficiency pump on the market.

Water source heat pumps get their energy from, as you probably guessed, water! This obviously can only work if you have a body of water nearby, like a pond, well, or lake.

This is accomplished by placing a number of coils or loops beneath the body of water, where it or a refrigerant is pumped through and produces heat. It can also work the opposite way to cool the home by removing the heat and delivering it to the body of water.

It may be more expensive initially to install this type of heat pump, but after it’s established and set up it’s cheaper to keep running than a pump associated with a ground or air source.

Also, underwater temperatures are constant year-round, so water source heat pumps may be used effectively in extreme weather locations without suffering performance losses, as is likely with other heat pump sources.

A ground source or geothermal heat pump takes the thermal energy from the ground surrounding your home. They’re very effective because like water sources, the ground has relatively stable temperatures, which keeps your home efficiently heated or cooled. This is a benefit over air source pumps especially in the winter, as the air is typically much colder than the ground temperature.

Ground source heat pumps are less popular, though, due to their cost of installation being much more expensive and difficult. This is because excavation and underground piping insertion are required.

Due to ground temperatures being stable, however, less energy is required. This means that following initial installation, operational costs to run ground source pumps tend to be rather low.