Difference Between Heat Pump And Ac Unit

The only real difference is that a heat pump can reverse itself so it can provide heating when needed.

Difference between heat pump and ac unit.

So basically it s an air conditioner that can reverse itself. A heat pump can heat and cool but an air conditioner cannot which is the primary difference between the two hvac systems. The heat pump and the air conditioner may rely on the same basic refrigeration principle but if all of the cooling details are identical there is still one key difference. So what exactly is the difference between heat pumps and air conditioners.

An air conditioner is typically paired with a furnace to provide heat during the cold months. A heat pump can heat and cool the refrigerant used to condition your home while an air conditioner can only cool it. The performance of the heat pump and air conditioner will only be identical if all of the efficiency aspects are identical as well. The difference is in the valve.

At the end of the day it s pretty simple. Both systems are designed to transfer the heat from inside your home to the outside when in cooling mode. However a heat pump is fitted with a reversing valve that allows it to transfer the heat from outside into your home when in heating. Think of air conditioners as heat pumps that can only pump heat in one direction from the inside to the outside.

Although the difference between heat pump and a c systems is significant they work in a similar fashion.