# Active vs passive cooling on heat pumps

URL: https://www.vheatc.site/active-vs-passive-cooling-heat-pumps
Canonical-URL: https://www.vheatc.site/active-vs-passive-cooling-heat-pumps
Updated: 2026-05-22
Language: en-GB

Compares active (compressor) cooling and passive (natural) cooling on heat pumps — how each works, what each needs, and which Vaillant systems support them.

Heat pumps cool in two ways. Active cooling runs the compressor (air-source,
aroTHERM); passive cooling uses a ground loop without the compressor
(ground-source, flexoTHERM).

- Active: stronger cooling, needs the cooling resistor + installer activation.
- Passive: very cheap to run, gentler, needs a suitable ground loop.

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