A compact
heat pump system and a
heat pump operation method, which can avoid the occurrence of surging in a compressor at startup of a
heat pump and can directly supply vapor of a working medium produced by the compressor to an external heat-utilizing facility. The heat pump
system comprises an
evaporator for recovering heat of an external heat source to a working medium supplied as
liquid water from the exterior via a water feed channel, thereby evaporating the working medium, a compressor for compressing the working medium evaporated in the
evaporator and increasing temperature of the evaporated working medium, and a driving unit for giving
motive power to drive the compressor. The heat pump
system further comprises a supply channel for supplying, as a heat source, vapor of the working medium having temperature increased by the compressor to an external heat-utilizing facility, and a
return channel branched from the supply channel and introducing the working medium discharged from the compressor to the
evaporator.