Heat pumps transfer heat from one place to another -- providing both heating and cooling. They work on the fundamental principle that heat exists in air even at extremely low temperatures. In the winter, a heat pump extracts heat from outside air and delivers it indoors. To cool a house on hot summer days, it works in reverse, extracting heat from room air and pumping it outdoors.
Heat pumps give off less heat at one time than a conventional gas furnace. This means they offer a mellower type of heat, stay on longer and circulate more air throughout the house. They're controlled by the same type of thermostat used for forced-air systems. On really cold days a heat pump must work especially hard to collect heat -- that's when the supplemental heater switches on to boost warmth. Some heat pumps can heat your water, too. New thermal storage units even store heat and cold, collecting it during non-peak hours for peak-hour use.
© 2005, Don Vandervort,
HomeTips.com
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