Triathlon (heat pump)
The York Triathlon was a heat pump system for residential and small business heating and air conditioning introduced circa 1997. Unlike a conventional heat pump or air conditioner where the compressor is driven by an electric motor, the Triathlon was driven by a natural gas fueled 5 horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine. Maintenance requirements included annual changes of the oil and spark plugs on the engine. This equipment is no longer offered.
Although it burned natural gas, it should not be confused with absorption cycle cooling which is a heat-driven technology. The Triathlon units utilized the conventional vapor-compression refrigeration cycle and was unique in its use of an internal combustion engine to drive the compressor.
York is now a unit of Johnson Controls.