HEat pumps

What is a Heat pump?

A heat pump is a fairly versatile and energy-efficient heating system that serves the need for both heating and cooling in your home. Unlike traditional HVAC systems that rely on separate units for heating (like furnaces or boilers) and cooling (like air conditioners), a heat pump system can perform both functions by transferring heat between the inside and outside of your home. Having This dual capability is what makes heat pump systems an excellent choice for year-round comfort and energy savings.

How Do Heat Pumps Work?

Heat pumps operate on the idea of heat transfer, which is the process of moving heat from one place to another. For example, when set to run in A/C mode, a heat pump will extract the heat from inside your home using the blower and evaporator coils, then release it outside via the condenser coils and condenser fan. This is similar to how a standard air conditioner system works. However In heating mode, the process is reversed: the heat pump extracts heat from the outdoor air (even in very cold weather) and transfers it inside to warm your home. Heat pumps are able to do this through a process called heat transfer and actually use their refrigerant to heat & cool with!

DIFFERENT types of heat pump systems

There are three main types of heat pumps that are common to find in the Fayetteville NC area.

  1. Air source HEAT PUMPS - These are the most common types of heat pumps in our area and can be on average the most cost effective heat pump to purchase. These heat pumps acquire their heat from the ambient outdoor air in the heating mode in order to supply warm air to the inside of the residence. However, during harsh winter weather, these systems may require a backup source of electric heating to keep your home nice and cozy.

  2. Geothermal or Ground source heat pumps- These systems use the power of the earth itself to obtain heat to provide your home. Because the temperature of the earth is consistent and stable, this system is a fine choice for high efficiency heating solutions for your home.

  3. Water sourced heat pumps- This type of heat pump system exchanges heat with a nearby water source such as ponds or lakes. This type of system is the least common but can be an extremely effective means of heating or cooling a waterfront property.