Hydronic heat pump
A hydronic system refers to the most common type of heating systems that uses heated water, which is then circulated through pipes to warm a building via a network of radiators, baseboard heaters, radiant floor systems etc. Hydronic heat pumps are effectively the correct name for what is commonly referred to as a standard heat pump system, although in reality there are a number of of different possible heat pump typologies such as air to air, air to water, ground to water etc..
Hydronic heat pump system use the heat pump to pulls thermal energy from the outside air (or the ground, for example in ground-source systems) using a refrigerant to transfer and move that heat. The heat extracted in that refrigerant is then transferred to a heat exchanger, where the heat is transferred to the water (the hydronic element). The heated water can then be stored in a buffer tank for use directly as hot water or indirectly for a heating system, where it may be transferred to water that circulates through the pipes to radiators to warm different parts of a building. Such systems may also be used during summer months to cool a home, where by the process is reversed, and pulls heat from the inside and released it outdoors via the hyrdonic system.
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