Geothermal heat pumps are among the most efficient and environmentally-friendly comfort systems to heat and cool your home. Further, they are quiet, long lasting, very durable and may be used for water heating, too. Read on to learn if a ground source or water source geothermal heat pump is ideal for you.
How Geothermal Energy Works
Geothermal heat pumps harness the constant temperature of the earth to collect or release heat energy for home heating and cooling respectively. A loop system is either buried in the ground or submerged in a water source, such as a nearby pond or a well.
In heat mode, an antifreeze solution circulating through the loop system collects heat from the earth, and then transfers the heat energy to the air in your home. In cool mode, heat is extracted from the air in your home and released to the earth. Since the ground or water temperature is very consistent and moderate, geothermal heat pumps are exceptionally more energy efficient than conventional air-source heat pumps and furnaces.
Water Source
A water source geothermal heat pump is the easiest, fastest and least expensive type of geothermal system to install. However, in the case of a loop system being submerged in a pond, the water’s temperature won’t be as stable as the ground’s temperature unless the water is very deep. The loop should be submerged at a depth of at least 8 feet.
Further, you may want to consider if there is a remote possibility that your source of water could dry up or become substantially reduced some time in the future.
Ground Source
Ground source geothermal heat pumps may be installed in a horizontal or vertical configuration. A horizontal configuration costs less but requires more land area. Though a ground loop system generally costs more to install than a loop system submerged in water, you usually don’t have to worry about environmental codes and regulations regarding groundwater discharge.
To find out if a water source or ground source heat pump is ideal for your Indianapolis area home, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing today!
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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