Air-to-Air Heat Pumps

An "air-to-air" heat pump has two units: 1) an indoor unit with a coil and a blower that pushes the warm or cool air through your house (like a standard furnace), 2) an outdoor unit with another coil, fan and a compressor or pump (like a standard air conditioner). Unlike the standard system, in which the furnace operates only in winter and the air conditioner operates only in summer (using the furnace blower to move cool air), the heat pump uses both indoor and outdoor units year-round.

In summer, the refrigerant removes heat from the air inside your home and exhausts it outside, while cooled air is forced through the duct system to cool your home.