A single-split heat pump consists of a single internal “fan” unit matched to a single external “condenser” unit, designed to heat the room it is sized for and installed into. Although some heat may flow into other areas, It is unlikely to effectively heat your whole house. If you want to heat other areas of the house you may be better to consider a multi-split system, where a single outdoor unit powers up to four indoor units. This kind of setup can save space and power and cuts down on potential noise, but requires careful selection and installation.

An Inverter is a piece of technology that makes newer heat pumps more efficient. Older style heat pumps operate a fixed speed compressor motor. These motors are either on or off, so they stop and start repetitively to keep the temperature at the level you set it - similar to a fan heater set on a thermostat. Newer, inverter style heat pumps use a variable-speed compressor motor that slows down and speeds up as required to maintain a more consistent temperature. This makes them more energy efficient. In fact, Inverter Heat Pumps are extremely efficient, meeting or exceeding the most stringent Energy Efficiency Ratings. Heat pumps are Air Conditioners that literally “pump heat”. That means they can pump heat from outside into your home to warm you in winter; and vice-versa - pumping heat out of your home in summer. As soon as an inverter air conditioner is switched on, it provides the exact amount of power needed to rapidly cool or heat of the room. This enables it to reach the set temperature in about a quarter the time required by non-inverter models. So you’re comfortable soon after you arrive home on a hot summer day, or after entering a room on a cold winter morning.

Heat pumps are Air Conditioners that literally "pump heat". That means they can pump heat from outside into your home to warm you in winter; and vice-versa - pumping heat out of your home in summer.

Heat pumps (or "reverse cycle air-conditioners") heat your home using the same technology as a refrigerator - but in reverse. They take heat from the air outside the house and transfer that heat inside using the vapour compression refrigeration cycle. An important distinction between traditional home heating options and a heat pump is this: Because they extract existing heat from the outside air, heat pumps don't actually use electricity to generate heat - which means they can be radically cheaper to operate than a battery of traditional heaters.