A heat pump runs totally on electricity and provides heating in the winter and cooling in the summer by pumping or transferring heat rather than producing heat which results in potentially significant energy efficiency/savings. In the summer, it operates like a standard air conditioner, with refrigerant (a special liquid) absorbing heat from the air inside your home and the compressor pumping it outside. In the winter, the process is reversed. The heat pump absorbs heat from the air outdoors and the compressor pumps it inside. Absorbing heat from winter air may sound a little strange, but even on the coldest days of winter, heat is always present in the outside air.

And unlike fossil fuel systems-such as natural gas, oil or propane furnaces heat pumps use no combustion process in their operation. They create no polluting by-products and, therefore, leave your home cleaner and fresher. In addition, electric heat pumps do not create any potential for carbon monoxide poisoning.

To provide the greatest degree of efficiency and comfort, a heat pump must be the correct size. Undersizing the unit can decrease the level of comfort provided, and oversizing wastes energy and can cause poor indoor humidity control. The heat provided by a properly sized and installed heat pump is a warm, steady, consistent heat without the hot and cold spots and temperature extremes that you can experience with other types of heating systems.

Choose a heat pump with a higher SEER rating for lower operation cost

Some advantages of the heat pump include:

• It is considered the most energy efficient electric HVAC system.
• Maintains a more consistent comfort level because the heat temperature is lower than in conventional heating systems.
• It provides a better humidity level in the winter.
• It provides a more even temperature.
• There is no pilot light or vent to worry about.
• No seasonal change over between systems.
• Only one fuel bill.

Some disadvantages to heat pumps include:

• When the outside temperature falls below 32 degrees, a heat pump might not be able to keep up with heating the house and it becomes less efficient. However, typically, heat pumps come with electrical backup heaters to assist during such cold temperatures.
• Some people find the air provided by the heat pump "cold" in the winter months although this air is actually as warm as 105 degrees F.

Heat Pump Definition: Consists of two parts: an air handler (indoor unit) and the outdoor unit called a heat pump condenser.