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.
Difference between heat pump and ac unit.
So basically it s an air conditioner that can reverse itself.
An air conditioner is typically paired with a furnace to provide heat during the cold months.
The difference is in the valve.
Think of air conditioners as heat pumps that can only pump heat in one direction from the inside to the outside.
So what exactly is the difference between heat pumps and air conditioners.
The performance of the heat pump and air conditioner will only be identical if all of the efficiency aspects are identical as well.
A heat pump s outdoor unit is also more expensive to install upfront than the outdoor unit of an ac system.
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.
Together an air conditioner and furnace are a complete heating and cooling system.
Both systems are designed to transfer the heat from inside your home to the outside when in cooling mode.
At the end of the day it s pretty simple.
Although the difference between heat pump and a c systems is significant they work in a similar fashion.
A heat pump can heat and cool but an air conditioner cannot which is the primary difference between the two hvac systems.