Which device is an electric component that extracts heat from one place and transfers it to a building?

Which device is an electric component that extracts heat from one place and transfers it to a building?

• A. Heat pump
• B. Generator
• C. Boiler
• D. Thermoelectric cooler

Answer: (A)

A heat pump is a device that uses electricity to move heat from one place to another, instead of generating heat by burning fuel. In heating mode, it takes heat from outside air, ground, or water and transfers it into the building. The refrigerant evaporates in the outdoor coil, absorbing outdoor heat; it’s compressed to raise its temperature, then releases that heat indoors through the indoor coil. Because it’s moving heat rather than producing it, it can deliver more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes, making it an efficient option for heating. The other devices don’t fit this role. A generator converts mechanical energy into electricity, not into transfer of heat to a space. A boiler creates heat by burning fuel inside, which is generation of heat rather than moving heat from outside. A thermoelectric cooler uses electricity to move heat for cooling purposes, and while some thermoelectric devices can generate a small amount of heat, they’re not used to heat buildings efficiently in the way a heat pump is.

A heat pump is a device that uses electricity to move heat from one place to another, instead of generating heat by burning fuel. In heating mode, it takes heat from outside air, ground, or water and transfers it into the building. The refrigerant evaporates in the outdoor coil, absorbing outdoor heat; it’s compressed to raise its temperature, then releases that heat indoors through the indoor coil. Because it’s moving heat rather than producing it, it can deliver more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes, making it an efficient option for heating.

The other devices don’t fit this role. A generator converts mechanical energy into electricity, not into transfer of heat to a space. A boiler creates heat by burning fuel inside, which is generation of heat rather than moving heat from outside. A thermoelectric cooler uses electricity to move heat for cooling purposes, and while some thermoelectric devices can generate a small amount of heat, they’re not used to heat buildings efficiently in the way a heat pump is.