In this video, we can see a brief overview of the various types of heat pump equipment and how they function.
1. Air-to-air heat pumps
The most popular type is the air-to-air heat pump, which works similarly to a standard split air conditioning unit.
By adjusting the reversing valves, it can provide both heating and cooling. In heating mode, the refrigerant removes thermal energy from the outdoor unit and provides heating to the indoor space.
2. Air-to-water heat pumps
These units work similarly to air-to-air heat pump equipment but do not have a reversing valve. They transfer heat from refrigerant to water and circulate it to provide hot water.
3. Ground source heat pumps
Another type of heat pump equipment can use ground source heat to heat air or water. There are two main types of ground source heat pumps: horizontal and vertical. Both types work similarly, but they access the heat in the ground differently. In both cases, the outdoor heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger with the refrigerant passing on one side and a mixture of water and antifreeze cycling on the other side. This allows the system to absorb heat from the ground and transfer it to the building for heating.
4. Water source heat pump
Water source heat pumps come in two main variations: closed loop and open loop. Closed-loop systems use a mixture of water and antifreeze to collect thermal energy from a pond or river, while open-loop systems pull in fresh water from an aquifer or river to collect heat. The collected heat is then used to heat or cool a building.
