The most common type of heat pump is basically an air conditioner that can go in reverse, and it looks pretty much like an air conditioner. The heat pump Samsung showed off in Las Vegas ahead of CES 2025 didn’t look like most we’re used to seeing — because it’s not your basic dual-purpose air conditioner.
The EHS Mono R32 HT Quiet exterior unit is a hulking black box. It’s bigger than your typical heat pump condenser unit because it’s an air-to-water heat pump, built to concentrate the thermal energy outside of your home to warm water that flows directly into a water tank inside and into your shower or your kitchen faucet. But Samsung is also working to have the device get water hot enough to flow into radiators and replace a fossil fuel-powered boiler.
Samsung expects the heat pump to be available in North America around the end of 2025.
A different kind of heat pump
Most of the time, when we talk about heat pumps, we’re talking about either air-source heat pumps — basically reversible air conditioners — or ground-source heat pumps, which pump a refrigerant through underground lines to tap into geothermal warmth. But an air-to-water heat pump does different things. More popular in Europe than in the US, these types of heat pumps are built, as the name implies, to warm up water.
This type of device can also power a radiator system — offering heating in a home that may not have ducts.
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The Samsung unit I saw at CES isn’t quite ready for that kind of setup on its own just yet, a company rep told me. Samsung is working to get the temperature high enough to fully replace a traditional boiler.
One key difference between this and an air-source heat pump is that this one can only heat. You’ll need a separate air conditioner unit for cooling.
A new spin on the hot water tank
This heat pump can warm up portable water just like any other hot water heater, but more efficiently. It works in conjunction with the Samsun EHS ClimateHub, a hot water tank that looks wildly different from what you’re used to seeing. This is a sleek, flat design that can fit in with your other home appliances and doesn’t take up too much space. There’s no need for an entire closet or room dedicated to a hot water tank.
Heat pump water heaters are growing in popularity because they offer greater efficiency than traditional electric resistance water heaters. But many come with their own potential headaches, including the risk of creating too much cool air nearby, or needing too much space to operate. An air-to-water heat pump like this Samsung model can mitigate some of those concerns.
Also unlike the boring white cylinder tucked away in a closet that is likely your current water heater, the EHS ClimateHub has a 7-inch touchscreen that can show your current energy usage, help you control temperatures or connect with other smart devices in your home.
For more from CES 2025, check out the most innovative products from the show that you can actually buy now.