In HVAC cooling it moves from inside to outside which allows for cooler air to follow.
The only time I think I ever heard the term heat pump was in reference to a particular part of a motor or something. I had no idea what the HVAC equivalent of a heat pump actually was. This is because I lived in a region where there were few central air conditioning systems and the gas furnace was the focus anyway. It’s safe to say that I come from a place that puts very little value on HVAC cooling. Well, all that has changed for me now. It’s a whole new world when it comes to heating and cooling. And that world is also upside down now that HVAC cooling is the primary HVAC function. All this came with a very radical change of scenery as well. Having taken a job in the south, I no longer have to be concerned with any heating method so much. And now I also know why they call it a heat pump. The HVAC heat pump is a very versatile piece of HVAC technology. Down here, I have heating and cooling in one piece of HVAC equipment. And it is really pumping heat, sort of. A heat pump is actually able to move heat. In HVAC cooling it moves from inside to outside which allows for cooler air to follow. And the heat pump simply reverses refrigerant flow when it’s in heating mode. Since there isn’t a great need for heat during the very mild winter, the heat pump is more than enough for heating. Among other differences I’m learning to love, the heat pump is right up there at the top.