The Different Kinds of Heat Pumps

The most common type of heat pump used is an “air source heat pump,” which moves or transfers heat from inside your house to the air outside of it. For those homes without ducts for channeling air, there are also ductless air source heat pumps available. These are called “a mini-split heat pumps.” There is also a special kind of air source heat pump called a “reverse cycle chiller.” The reverse chiller uses hot and cold water as opposed to hot and cold air. This allows the unit to use radiant floor heating systems while being used as a central heater. 

A new type of heat pump for homes and residences is called an “absorption heat pump” (it’s also sometimes called a “gas fired heat pump”). Absorption heat pumps take advantage of heat as their primary source of energy, which allows them to be driven by a wide variety of power sources. 

“Geothermal heat pumps” use naturally occurring heat from either a ground- or water-based source within the earth. Although the installation costs are much higher, geothermal heat pumps have low operating costs by comparison. This is because they make use of constant ground or water temperatures to power the unit, as opposed to electricity or other power source. A geothermal pump is therefore highly efficient as it transfers heat between your house and the ground or a nearby water source. Whether a geothermal heat pump is appropriate for your home will depend on the size of your lot and its surrounding area, as well as the landscape and soil your foundation sits on. Customer satisfaction with geothermal systems is generally pretty high, as these units can be used in more extreme conditions than normal air source heat pumps.