Once you’ve decided that a geothermal heat pump is the most suitable heating and cooling system for your home, you’ll have to consider the geothermal installation. There’s not much about installing a geothermal heat pump that’s do-it-yourself, but you do have several options when it comes to choosing the best type of system for your property layout.
Two main types of geothermal systems exist. Closed-loop systems use the thermal energy of the ground, while open-loop systems tap into a water source such as a lake or pond to gather and dispose of heat. If you live next to a body of water, you can use an open-loop system that has less of an impact on your yard. However, if you don’t have any hydrological resources, you’ll need to go with a closed-loop geothermal installation.
The pipes for a closed-loop system can be buried horizontally or vertically. If your yard is small or you don’t want to disturb any existing landscaping, a vertical system is probably your best option. Instead of laying the pipes over a larger surface area, heavy equipment will drill vertically up to 400 feet down, and that’s where the pipes will be placed.
Horizontal closed-loop systems – where the pipes are laid in shallow trenches in your yard – usually are less expensive to install than vertical systems. Both systems, however, may qualify for federal tax credits effective through 2016, which will offset the cost of geothermal installation by 30 percent. These credits also extend toward the purchase of a geothermal heat pump that meets U.S. Department of Energy’s specifications. Neither the installation nor equipment has a cap on the price that the tax credit can be applied to.
If you would like to learn more about geothermal heat pumps, contact Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We have served the Indianapolis area for over 40 years and can help you learn more about geothermal systems and their installation.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
Mowery services the Brownsburg, Indiana and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
| Geothermal image via Shutterstock |
