Set the thermostat to HEAT mode and adjust the temperature until the thermostat triggers a heat cycle. Once the heating system is running, return to the outdoor unit; if this equipment is turned on and blows air, it is a heat pump. During the summer months, when it's hot outside and you need to cool your home, there's no functional difference between an air conditioner and a heat pump. Both blow warm air out of your home while blowing cool or conditioned air indoors.
What differentiates a heat pump from a conventional air conditioning unit is that you can invest in the colder months to blow out cool air and blow warm air into your home. While these units serve different functions, it can still be difficult to differentiate them just by looking at them. There are three relatively simple ways to check if your unit is a heat pump or just an air conditioner. First of all, you can check if the unit says heat pump somewhere.
Often, units will say somewhere if they are a heat pump. You can then check the service ports on the unit. If there are three service ports, then you have a heat pump. And finally, you can determine if you have a heat pump or an air-conditioning only unit by checking your thermostat.
Heat pumps will have a heating option on the thermostat. If you're still not sure what type of heater you have, check your thermostat. Are there any settings for auxiliary or emergency heating? Do you ever see the “Aux Heat” notification go off? If you have auxiliary or emergency heat, then you have a heat pump. Ovens don't need auxiliary heat because they work just as well when temperatures drop below freezing.
How do you know if you have a heat pump? The best way is to check the external system; there is usually a label that specifies if it is a heat pump or an air conditioner. If there is no such designation, Google the model number and brand name. You can also check for horizontal brass tubes inside condensing units, which are unique to heat pumps. Finally, the thermostat may be able to help.
If you have an emergency heat setting on your thermostat, you probably have a heat pump. Although both systems are technically considered to be a heat pump because they transfer heat from inside the house to the outside to cool indoor temperatures, the two units are markedly different. The main difference is in the heat transfer cycle. A heat pump can reverse direction and transfer heat from the outside to heat indoor temperatures, whereas a conventional air conditioning system requires a separate oven unit to produce and distribute hot air.
A heat pump can be used in both summer and winter, whereas a conventional system can only be used in summer. A heat pump can blow out cold air and blow warm air into the house. Regardless of your level of experience, make sure you have the help of an expert when servicing your heater and ask them how to properly manage routine maintenance for your particular model during the service call.
