A heat pump is an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners, using electricity to move heat into a warm space during winter or out of a cool space during summer.

It works by extracting heat from the air or ground outside your home and transferring it inside; reversing the process cools your home by moving heat outside.

Components of a heat pump

A heat pump consists of two main components: an indoor air handler and an outdoor unit similar to a central air conditioner, but referred to as a heat pump. The outdoor unit contains a compressor that circulates refrigerant that absorbs and releases heat as it travels between the indoor and outdoor units.

Heat pumps and air conditioners use the same technology to cool your home. They share the same energy-efficient features. Minus a few small technical differences, heat pumps and air conditioners cool your home in the same way, with no real difference in comfort quality, energy efficiency or energy costs.

The main difference between heat pumps and air conditioners is that a heat pump can also heat your home while an air conditioner can’t. An air conditioner needs to be paired with a furnace for a home to have full central heating and cooling.

The main difference between the two is how they create heat. A heat pump uses electricity to move heat from one place to another. A furnace burns fuel to create heat. Because of this, a heat pump will be more energy efficient. 

Another difference between heat pumps and furnaces is energy efficiency and environmental impact. Because it runs on electricity, heat pumps emit zero of the harmful emissions that have been proven to contribute to climate change.

Plus, a heat pump will also cool your home in the summer, eliminating the need to purchase a separate air conditioner.