Heat Pumps

How Does A Heat Pump Work?

Heat pumps work by moving heat from one place to another. Depending on the type, this could mean pumping warm air from inside a building to the outside air or pulling heat from the ground and into the building.

Cooling Mode
In the summer, a heat pump works like an air conditioner by extracting heat from the air inside the home and transferring to the air outside.

Heating Mode
During the winter, there’s still some heat in the outside air even when it feels cold to us. A heat pump pulls this heat out of the air and moves it inside. In mild climates, the outside air may provide enough heat to keep a house warm all winter. In Iowa and other middle and northern U.S. states, supplemental heat may be required on extremely cold days. In these cases, an electric heater provides heat. Heat pumps are so efficient that this process generates 2 or 3 times more heat than the electricity it uses.

Types of Heat Pumps

Standard or Air Source Heat Pumps
Standard heat pumps transfer heat to and from the outside air. They use the same refrigerant as air conditioners for this process. 

Geothermal or Ground Source Heat Pumps
Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat to and from the ground, below the frost line.

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Benefits of Heat Pumps

• Use 20-60% less energy
• Federal tax credits and rebates available
• Virtually no carbon emissions
• Minimal maintenance
• Low operating cost
• Heat and cool evenly
• Use one system for both heating and air conditioning