Heat Pumps - the basics
Heat pumps are energy-efficient heating and cooling appliances, mainly the geothermal ones. And also a tested technology: the least known type of heat pumps - the geothermal - reach the millions installed units worldwide (more than 600,000, just in the United States).
Heating and cooling
Heat pumps aren't just heating appliances. Split heat pumps are mainly used for cooling and recent models also provide water heating (in mild and warm climates). Heat pumps are an interesting alternative to central air conditioning.
See Heat Pumps vs Central Air Conditioning.
Heat pumps recent technological advances
Early heat pumps were noisy and failed to provide the required warmth to our homes on very cold days. But recent technological advances have created a new generation of reliable and energy-efficient heat pumps.
For more information, see: New heat pumps
What are heat pumps? How do they work?
Heat pumps technology is very similar to that of refrigerators and air conditioners. In summer they pull the heat out of our homes, releasing it outside. In cold weather, they simply reverse the process, pumping heat into our homes.
Heat pumps use electricity, with one huge advantage relatively to other cooling and heating technologies; they use much less electricity than other more common technologies: one fifth, in some cases.
Types of heat pumps
There are two main types of heat pumps:
- air-source heat pumps: they extract heat from the outdoor air, even when that air is close to negative temperatures;
- geothermal or ground-heat pumps, which use the natural heat storage capacity of the ground, rock, or ground water; water and rock heat pumps are variants of geothermal.
New (and rather untested) systems include:
Absorption heat pumps (gas-fired)
Heat Pumps Water Heaters
See, for more information: Heat Pumps Types and Parts
Suitability
To know if a heat pump is the right solution to your home, you must take into account several elements: your home's needs and consumption, your climate or economic elements like the natural gas costs...
See, for details: Is a heat pump a suitable solution for your home?
Air-source heat pumps
Air source heat pumps are the commonest type of heat pumps, but they are rather unsuitable for climates with an high number of days with temperatures below 30ºF/0ºF. Ground (geothermal) source heat pumps allows to overcome that limitation.
See:
Heat Pumps vs. Furnaces and Air-Conditioning
New heat pumps features
Mini split heat pumps
If your home doesn’t have ducts, there is a good solution involving a ductless version of air-source heat pumps: the mini-split heat pump system.
See: Mini split heat pumps systems
Efficiency & heat pumps
Heat pumps can be much more efficient than furnaces and air conditioners (see Heat Pumps vs. Other Heating Systems and Heat Pumps vs. Air Conditioning). But heat pumps performance may vary significantly. Eco-labeling (in Europe) and Energy Star accreditation, associated with the SEER and HSPF ratings are key elements when shopping.
See:
Heat Pumps Efficiency and Heat Pumps Rating
New heat pumps features
Heat pump prices
Geothermal heat pumps may cost you nearly twice the price of an air-source heat pump.
See: Heat pump prices and Heat Pump State Incentives
Which are the technologies available?
See: New heat pumps features, Heat Pumps and water heating and Heat Pumps vs Furnaces and Air-Conditioning
Lifetime and guarantees
Heat pumps components have different lifetimes and guarantees. See, for tips: Heat Pumps Problems and Troubleshooting
Heat Pumps Manufacturers
The major air source heat pumps manufacturers are the same of refrigerators or air conditioning.
See, for more details: Heat Pumps Manufacturers and Associations
Heat pump maintenance, problems and troubleshooting
See: Heat pumps problems and troubleshooting
Heat Pumps Payback
The payback for ground-source heat pumps averages 7-8 years, while that for air-heat pumps may around 4 to 5 years. But these are just references, very dependent on the energy source costs.
See, for details: Costs and Payback of Heat Pumps Systems