| Most homes use an air conditioner or furnace to | | | | valve, which are outside of a home and a |
| cool or heat the air. However, few people give | | | | separate unit inside, containing a fan, indoor coil, |
| any thought to how this process occurs. One of | | | | and another heating unit. The two parts are joined |
| the main ways to keep a home warm is a heat | | | | by a refrigerant. On days which are especially |
| pump, which can work with an air conditioning unit | | | | cold, an additional heat source must be used to |
| to keep a house comfortable year round. | | | | maintain a comfortable temperature inside the |
| A heat pump keeps the temperature in a home | | | | home. |
| warm or cool. It works by pulling the heat from | | | | Whereas with a two speed unit, the heat pump is |
| the air or ground and circulating it throughout the | | | | only used to generate the amount of energy |
| house. During the summer, the process is | | | | needed at that point in time to heat or cool a |
| reversed, pulling the hot air out of the home, | | | | house. This type of system uses less energy and |
| cooling the temperature inside. Heat pumps can | | | | the heat pump tends to last longer. A two speed |
| work as both a heater and an air conditioning | | | | unit also can work with a zone control system. |
| system, meaning that a home can be kept | | | | This allows the homeowner to maintain rooms at |
| comfortable using only one unit. | | | | different temperatures. |
| Heat pumps can be more efficient because they | | | | There are two main types of heat pumps, |
| do not require an additional source of energy to | | | | air-source and geothermal, depending on where a |
| move hot air either in or outside of a home. Also, | | | | home is located in the country. The air-source |
| because hot air tends to move downhill, they can | | | | variety uses the hot air in a home to heat or cool |
| pull hot air from a cooler area and send it to a | | | | the inside temperature. This type of heat pump is |
| warmer one. They tend to perform best in | | | | usually not seen as efficient in all climates because |
| moderate climates and can have problems in | | | | as the temperature in the home changes, the |
| colder areas of the country. In places where | | | | pump may be required to work harder in order to |
| temperatures tend to drop to freezing or below | | | | keep the air warm or cool. Also, in colder areas of |
| for long periods of time, heat pumps are not | | | | the country, another heat source may also be |
| considered to be an energy saving feature. | | | | required. |
| This is due to the pump having to draw energy | | | | By comparison, a geothermal heat pump can be |
| from a supplemental source, such as electrical | | | | used in almost any climate because it uses heat |
| heater, oil burner, or an adapted gas furnace, in | | | | from the ground to keep a home comfortable. |
| order to keep the air inside comfortable. Colder | | | | Since in most areas, ground temperatures tend to |
| climates may also require a heat pump to work | | | | be moderate, a geothermal heat pump can be |
| non-stop, thus using more energy. Further, many | | | | utilized in more parts of the country than an |
| people find that the hot air they generate is not | | | | air-source pump. Also, geothermal heat pumps |
| as strong as that created by a furnace. However, | | | | can be adjusted to either use the heat from the |
| unlike a furnace, heat pumps send hot air | | | | ground or a hot water source and this process |
| throughout an entire home, eliminating cold spots. | | | | can be reversed in the summer. Heat pumps can |
| Some of the different types of systems that can | | | | be an energy-saving device when used to heat or |
| be installed in homes include a split system and a | | | | cool a home which certainly appeals to |
| two speed unit. Split systems have a compressor, | | | | environmentally-minded people. |
| consisting of an outdoor coil, fan, and reversing | | | | |