Let’s talk about the heat pump. If you aren’t familiar with the heat pump as an HVAC option, here’s the lowdown:
A heat pump is similar to an air conditioner. It uses electricity to power a compressor that places refrigerant under pressure. The refrigerant circulates between two sets of coils, indoors and outdoors. Hot refrigerant moving from the compressor first releases heat by condensing in one set of coils, then the cold refrigerant absorbs heat by evaporating in the other set of coils. What’s different with a heat pump is that it can reverse the way it circulates refrigerant. An AC can only move refrigerant so it absorbs heat from the indoor coils and releases heat through the outdoor coils. A heat pump can switch this process, bringing heat from the outside indoors. This means it’s a heating and cooling system in one.