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Serving as both furnace and air conditioner, heat pumps provide a unique heating system. At present, there are only two types of air pumps in general use for the home, air source and ground source.

F.H.Furr Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning are the number one Northern Virginia plumbers offering Reston plumbing and service in Fairfax and McLean. Call 703-491-6604.

All heat pumps operate on the same laws of heat transfer. The natural flow of heat is from high to low, or down hill. The heat pump exploits this natural process by using a small amount of energy to pull heat from one source and pumping it to another area.

Air-Source Heat Pumps – At its most simple, the air-source heat pump system consists of two fans, refrigerator coils, and a compressor. Domestic systems have both an indoor and an outdoor unit which connect through the wall.

In order to create heat on the inside the outside air to source unit contains a refrigerant which absorbs heat from the outside air. The heated refrigerant passes in a compressed form into the indoor coil where it condenses and releases heat.

In essence, the pressure changes caused by the compression and expansion of the refrigerant allow the refrigerant to evaporate at a low temperature outside and condense with higher heat content (temperature) indoors.

An important feature of the heat pump is that this action can be reversed. When the thermostat is lowered to a certain level the refrigerant flow is reversed and the net result on the inside is cooling.

Ground-Source Heat Pumps – In a ground-source system you have the same kind of heat exchange taking place. But in this type of system the heat transfer coil is replaced by a run of underground pipes filled with refrigerant.

The refrigerant in the pipes pulls heat from the ground which is then pumped to the indoor unit. These systems can be reversed just like the air-source units. When reversed the system becomes an air conditioner.

Cost and heating/cooling capacity are the biggest differences between these two types of systems. Ground-source systems can cost as much as three times as much because of the expense involved in running the pipes.

Air-source systems will not work in extreme climates since it takes too much energy to run the condenser. However temperatures just two or three feet in the ground remain quite constant almost anywhere in the U.S. so ground-source heat pumps can be effectively used almost anywhere.

A heat pump will not mean the elimination of your heating bill. A reduction of 30 to 40 percent is typical. In some cases the higher cost of installation can be offset by government incentive grants. Higher SEER and HSFP ratings indicate a more efficient unit.

For Northern Virginia advice on heat pumps and other heating or air conditioning systems contact F.H.Furr Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning – the number one Northern Virginia plumbers offering Fairfax plumber and service in Reston and McLean.