How is an ASHP different than a standard furnace with central air conditioning? Do I need to do anything different to operate a heat pump?
The ASHP is an integrated unit that provides high efficient cooling along with efficient heating in the spring and fall and is capable of interfacing with your existing heating system. Because it is a refrigeration system that provides cooling and then reverses itself to provide heating, it does have a defrost cycle. The ASHP is installed with controls that automatically provide supplemental heating during the defrost cycle and when the temperature gets below the balance point of 30–35 degrees F. The controls also prevent the backup system from coming on when it is not needed.
