Alternative Heating and Cooling System – Heat Pump

Heat pumps are most simply described as air conditioning units with reversing valves to take heat out of the outside air during the winter and transfer it inside to provide warmth to the home or business. In choosing a heat pump, use the same selection criteria of efficiency, noise, refrigerant type, and staging that you would use to select an air conditioner. Heat pumps make the most sense in areas where natural gas is not available. In many structures, the heat pump does not provide all of the heat required on colder days and nights, so a back up source of heat is required – usually electric resistance heat that is expensive to run and often requires an upgrade in service. Heat pumps are available as air to air, water source, or ground source.