Heating season is here, and that means it is time to get your home ready for winter. Part of those preparations may include installing a new heating system, if your current one isn’t up to the important task of keeping your home warm through the cold months. If you are in the market for a new heating system, consider installing a ground source heat pump. Let’s go over what a ground source heat pump is, and the advantages it can provide.
How It Works
A ground source heat pump, also called a geothermal heat pump, is a heat pump that relies on subterranean thermal energy rather than siphoning heat from the air. It does this by using a wide pipe loop, filled with water, which is buried up to 30 feet below ground. That far underground, the temperature remains at around 55 degrees Fahrenheit, regardless of the weather above ground. The heat pump cycles the water from the pipe loop through the system to absorb that thermal energy, granting it access to a practically inexhaustible supply.
Advantages
One of the biggest problems with air source heat pumps is that their effectiveness changes with the weather. As the temperature drops below freezing, the air source heat pump becomes less and less effective. Ground source heat pumps don’t have to worry about this loss of effectiveness. Because they are heat pumps, geothermal systems are also able to act as air conditioning systems by reversing their refrigerant flows. By installing a ground source heat pump, you can save a great deal of money on climate control operating costs without sacrificing comfort.
