Geothermal heating and cooling systems are ground source heat pumps that transfer heat to or from the ground, which remains at a constant temperature. Geothermal systems are reliable and highly efficient, allowing you to harness the power of the earth to cool your home. They use the naturally renewable temperature of the earth’s crust as a heat source in the winter, but as a heat sink in the summer. How does this all work though?
Geothermal Cooling
Geothermal systems typically consist of an indoor handling unit and a buried system of pipes, or an underground loop. This underground loop either buried horizontally or vertically, depending on what your home’s layout allows. In the summer geothermal systems pull heat from the building and carry it through the system’s underground loop, where it deposits the heat into the cooler earth.
In the winter, this is reversed and fluid circulating through the underground loop absorbs stored heat from the ground, and carries it indoors. The indoor unit compresses the heat to a higher temperature and distributes it throughout your home. Rather than burning fossil fuels, this method simply transfers heat to and from the earth. It operates on electric power, in order to run the unit’s fan, compressor, and pump.
What Are the Benefits?
In addition to being good for the environment, geothermal cooling provides plenty of benefits, mentioned below.
Lower Utility Bills: Geothermal systems can result in a 25-50% energy savings over traditional gas-powered or heat pump systems.
Longer Cooling System Lifespan: While geothermal systems do require routine maintenance, when properly installed it needs little more than these periodic checks, and can last 20+ years.
Improved Comfort: Geothermal systems cool homes evenly, eliminating hot and cold blasts of air that are commonly found with conventional cooling systems.
For more information about geothermal cooling systems in West Hartford, CT, contact Dynamic Mechanical Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning today.