Heat pumps are the most efficient electric heating and cooling systems available today. They are two to three times more efficient than a resistance-type heating system that uses electric coils to provide heat. Due to their high efficiency, they are also usually more cost effective than heating systems that use gas or heating oil to create heat.
There are different types of heat pumps and choosing the right heat pump for your home involves consideration of many different factors. Heat pumps can be divided into two main categories: air source and ground source heat pumps.
An air source heat pump is similar to a traditional central air conditioning unit. It operates just like an air conditioner in the summer by moving warm air from inside your home to outside your home. In the winter, the cycle is reversed and the heat pump extracts warmth from the outside air and moves it into your home.
The heating efficiency of an air source heat pump decreases as the outdoor air temperature gets colder so they are most suitable for areas where temperatures do not stay below freezing for an extended period of time.
A ground source heat pump uses the relatively stable temperature of the ground to extract heat in the winter and to dump heat in the summer. Instead of an above ground outdoor unit with a fan and an evaporator/condenser found on air source heat pumps, a ground source heat pump uses a series of pipes buried below ground to transfer heat. Since low outdoor air temperatures have minimal effect on ground source heat pumps, they can be used in colder climates than air source heat pumps.
