Air-to-Water Heat Pumps: Basic Terminology & How They Work John Siegenthaler This is the tenth in a series of Heat Pump 101 videos from instructor and author, John Siegenthaler, P.E.. “Water-to-Water Heat Pumps” was the previous lesson in the series. You can enroll in John’s Heat Pump 101 course for free to learn the very basics of heat pumps in less than an hour. Air-to-Water heat pumps are the favored solution among many sustainable building experts. They are: Available in “monobloc” (self-contained) or “split” system configurations Monobloc AWHPs are mounted outdoors, typically close to the building Monobloc AWHPs are re-charged with refrigerant at factory Most monobloc AWHPs operate with an antifreeze solution There is no water in outside portion of a split system AWHP Single unit common in average residential application Multiple units common in commercial applications Available for single phase or 3-phase power Some models configured for cold climate operation using EVI Only split system configurations can be equipped with “desuperheater” to heat domestic water whenever compressor is running The next video in this series lays out a map of heat pump products and applications. If you want to see that video now or jump ahead to the others, you can find them all in John Siegenthaler’s free Heat Pump 101 course. Heat Pumps Hydronic Heating Refrigerants Originally posted on July 18, 2023 Written by John Siegenthaler John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a mechanical engineer and graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a licensed professional engineer, and Professor Emeritus of Engineering Technology at Mohawk Valley Community College. “Siggy” has over 35 years of experience in designing modern hydronic heating systems. He is a hall-of-fame member of the Radiant Professionals Alliance and a presenter at national and international conference on hydronic and radiant heating. John is principal of Appropriate Designs – a consulting engineering firm in Holland Patent, NY. The 3rd edition of his textbook – Modern Hydronic Heating – was released in January 2011. John currently writes about hydronic heating and solar thermal system design for several trade publications. More posts by John