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Regardless of implementation, a heat pump is basically a reverse air conditioner: taking heat energy form outside and brining it in your house. The main compone

Regardless of implementation, a heat pump is basically a reverse air conditioner: taking heat energy form outside and brining it in your house. The main components are also the same as an AC: heat exchangers, a compressor, refrigerant fluid and piping. Where exactly outside you tap in for that heat energy and how the outdoor heat exchangers look like varies depending on implementation, but the principle is the same.

whoooooo123 4y ago
Is there any meaningful difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner, other than the direction the heat is pumped in? Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that an air conditioner is a type of heat pump?
- jasode 4y ago
  >Is there any meaningful difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner, other than the direction the heat is pumped in? In terms of basic science, they are the same principle so "air conditioner" is a type of "heat pump". But in terms of semantics that is understood by the general public for purposes of differentiating various HVAC equipment one can buy, a heat pump has an extra reversing valve to change the flow of refrigerant. A standard air conditioner doesn't have that extra feature. When folks casually say "heat pumps", they're talking about a HVAC equipment category and not general science principles.
- otikik 4y ago
  US people call them heat pumps because they have been calling the non-reversible cold-only kind “air conditioner” so they needed a new term. In Europe most units are reversible cold/heat unit so “air conditioning” means making air both colder and hotter. We would call the ACs the Americans have “air coolers”, if we needed to make the difference.
contravariant 4y ago
Although to be more exact it's a reverse engine, where an engine is a device for turning a temperature gradient into work, and a heat pump is a device for turning work into a temperature gradient. In this view air conditioners are a kind of heat pump.

whoooooo123 4y ago

Is there any meaningful difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner, other than the direction the heat is pumped in? Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that an air conditioner is a type of heat pump?

jasode 4y ago
>Is there any meaningful difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner, other than the direction the heat is pumped in? In terms of basic science, they are the same principle so "air conditioner" is a type of "heat pump". But in terms of semantics that is understood by the general public for purposes of differentiating various HVAC equipment one can buy, a heat pump has an extra reversing valve to change the flow of refrigerant. A standard air conditioner doesn't have that extra feature. When folks casually say "heat pumps", they're talking about a HVAC equipment category and not general science principles.
otikik 4y ago
US people call them heat pumps because they have been calling the non-reversible cold-only kind “air conditioner” so they needed a new term. In Europe most units are reversible cold/heat unit so “air conditioning” means making air both colder and hotter. We would call the ACs the Americans have “air coolers”, if we needed to make the difference.

contravariant 4y ago

Although to be more exact it's a reverse engine, where an engine is a device for turning a temperature gradient into work, and a heat pump is a device for turning work into a temperature gradient. In this view air conditioners are a kind of heat pump.