Heat Pump Comparison

Heat pumps are a great way for simultaneously meeting your heating and cooling needs. With a good heat pump, you can keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer at minimal cost. However, you will need to pick a heat pump that is right for you. To help you out, here is an overview of how heat pumps work in general, along with a few details about specific types of heat pumps:

How do heat pumps work?

In general, heat pumps exchange heat between the inside and outside of your home. During summer, they work like air conditioners and extract heat from the air in your home. This heat is then dumped outside, which results in a net decrease in the temperature inside your home.

When in heating mode, a heat pump does the opposite and leeches heat from outside your home. Some heat pumps extract heat from the air, whereas others take it from the ground. Either way, the heat ends up being deposited in your home, where it increases the temperature.

What is an air-source heat pump?

The most common and basic type of heat pump works with the air inside and outside your home. Such a heat pump generally looks like a regular air conditioner, with a larger unit on the outside of your home. These units are where the magic happens, preparing hot or cool air as necessary. This air is then moved through your ventilation system, where it is deposited in each of your rooms.

What is a ductless heat pump?

To contrast, a ductless heat pump does not rely on a ventilation system. Instead, it works with a specialized series of nodes throughout your home. During the installation process, you will put a node in each room that you wish to heat/cool, all of which are connected to a central controlling unit. The controlling unit performs the same functions as a central air-source heat pump, exchanging heat between the inside and outside of your home. Instead of travelling through a ventilation system, the hot/cold air is then pushed directly into each of the nodes, which then modify the temperature in the room that they are in.

When is an air-source heat pump better?

If you have a good ventilation system in place, then a basic air-source heat pump will be simpler and cheaper to install. You won't need to worry about a separate and possibly complicated setup, which can save you quite a bit of stress.

When is a ductless heat pump better?

On the other hand, if you think that your ventilation system is lacking, then a ductless unit could end up being a lot simpler. The price of installing a ventilation system can be pretty high, so if you don't have a ventilation system at all, then ductless is probably going to be the cheapest option by a long shot.

For more information, contact Thermotech Inc or a similar company.