Phillip Jack Brooks, HVAC Professional, BSc. in Mechanical Engineering, Dallas, Texas
Answered Jan 17, 2021
A heat pump is used to produce heat, whereas an air conditioner is used to produce cool air.
But heat pumps can be used for both summer and winter. Some heat pumps do produce both hot and cold air, and they are quite efficient.
From the names of these machines, you can already guess what these machines are for. The heat pump is obviously meant to produce heat. It can provide the heat that people need whenever it is needed. The air conditioner is meant to provide cool air.
There are some heat pumps that will have the ability to provide heat in both directions meaning inside and outside. What should be remembered about the two is that heat pumps can also be very effective in providing cool air during the summer months. They can be as efficient as air conditioners. The main difference between the two is how they would provide the heating and cooling that you would expect to get.