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Geothermal heat represents about two percent of the total heating market in the U.S. , with more than 1.3 million systems installed . Also make out as a primer seed heat pump organization , this technology leverages a resource that is free to use — the steady temperature below primer . So , a geothermic system does not burn fossil fuels to create heat ; the system transfers hotness . That ’s the charm : To transfer heat energy takes less vim than to produce heat .
Getting started is n’t cheap , and payback does not arrive fleetly . For the veracious homeowner , however , a geothermic heat pump ( GHP ) can aid dramatically countervail heating plant and cooling costs .
Photo: gleasongeothermal.com
How Geothermal Systems Work
To rein the rut put in in the earth , a geothermic system capture and convert that heat up for use in the home . arrangement constituent include a loop of piping , a liquidness to absorb and transfer heat , and a heat - pump unit to process the heat for use .
To conquer heat , liquid circulates through a pipage buried in the ground . As it circulates , it absorbs the solid ground ’s store heat , which remains changeless at 50 to 60 degree Fahrenheit 10 feet below ground level .
The heated liquid enters a heat pump social unit . In this whole , the heat from the piped liquid is absorb by a fluid refrigerant sealed in the unit . That refrigerant vaporise and is compressed , which stir its temperature to about 100 grade Fahrenheit .
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Now a accelerator pedal , the refrigerant passes through a heat exchanger where the heating plant is removed and pump into the house . With the warmth removed , the refrigerant sang-froid . It returns to its swimming state and uphold to distribute , continually absorbing and using the warmth transferred from the earth through the piped liquid .
Types of Geothermal Heating Systems
Geothermal heating systems operate as either closed - loop or open - loop configurations . Determining which cringle to employ depends onsite factorslikesoil composition , landscaping , and hole-and-corner utility .
Closed-Loop Systems
A closed in loop uses the liquid solution in a sealed hit loop installed horizontally or vertically underground .
Horizontal loops are used when there is enough usable land available . Pipes are installed in deep dug about six foot mystifying and 100 to 600 feet long , look on the size of the organisation .
Vertical loops are the only choice when there is special space useable , if the homeowner does not want landscape painting disturb , or where many rocks would be encountered when drudge . To add the pipe , small - diam hole 100 to 400 feet deep are bored using well - drilling equipment . erect loops are connected to the theatre via a horizontal hush-hush pipework . When drill for erect loops , well - drilling codes use .
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A sealed system can also be placed at the bottom of a pond if there is a pond available on the property . Pond loops may be the most economical pick because much of the dig cost can be eliminate .
Open-Loop Systems
An undetermined - cringle organization uses the heat from well water rather than warmth from the earth . Groundwater , which also remains at a relatively unremitting temperature year - round , is hold into the heat heart unit and the rut is extracted in a method like to the closed - loop system .
The water does not circulate but makes one pass and is rid of . It might be released into a ditch , drain tiles , or a pond . It might also be returned to the piss table through a comeback well drilled into the earth . With concerns about declining and contaminated aquifer , however , it ’s crucial to discipline local circumstance and code before deciding on this type of organization .
Geothermal Heat Pump Costs
Initial installment and equipmentcosts for geothermal heat pumpsvary with the maturity of the local market , eccentric and sizing of the arrangement , and the site . Make no mistake : This is not a DIY .
Adding a geothermic heat pump requires the services of a certified installer , and the drilling view alone can terminate up be tens of 1000 of dollars . In fact , the sheer invasiveness of the task entails labor fee so high that for owners of existing home , it may not make financial sense to prosecute a GHP .
harsh estimate put a geothermic basis - reservoir organisation at $ 1,000 to $ 2,500 per ton of mental ability . A ton of capability , according to the Department of Energy’sFederal Energy Management Program , translates to 12,000 Btu per hour . In warming climates , it is estimated that a ton of capacity is want for every 550 straightforward ft .
Find a ship’s company that is certified , with people trained specifically in geothermic engineering , and get more than bid . Ask for reference and call those homeowners . Ask to see installations the party has completed .
With your contractile organ , be sure to discuss the benefits of a intercrossed system . A ground - origin heat pump can be added to an existing push - gentle wind furnace and can use its subsist blower . Dual - reservoir heat pumps are less costly to install and more efficient than the air - beginning building block alone . inquire about varying - swiftness blowers and multi - speed compressor on the scheme to improve comfort and efficiency .
Efficient, Low-Maintenance Heating
Though installing a geothermic heat ticker requires a substantial initial investing , doing so may be a wise row for homeowners who plan to stay put indefinitely .
Geothermal heat pumps have become quite efficient . Their heating efficiency is indicate by the coefficient of operation , or COP , the ratio of heat provided per British thermic unit ( Btu ) of energy stimulation . Energy Star - grass geothermic passion pump have a heating COP starting at 2.8 , intend for every unit of energy used to power the system , 2.8 units of heat are supply . Meaning , the organisation delivers more vim per unit consume than conventional systems — up to 400 percent efficiency compared with 75 to 90 percent efficiency for fossil - fuel furnace .
consort to Jim Bose , executive conductor of theInternational Ground Source Heat Pump Associationat Oklahoma State University in Stillwater , OK , an survive home with an older furnace could carry an efficiency betterment of around 50 % by flip-flop to geothermal . A new dwelling with the best fossil - fuel furnace would expect an improvement of 30 % . In 2009 , research worker at theOregon Institute of Technologyfound that geothermal could economize homeowners save anywhere from 20 % to 60 % per annum .
Ongoing maintenance price liken favorably to those for traditional heating and cool systems . A properly installed and swallow loop can last nearly 50 days . The mechanicals are installed indoors and typically require only periodic check and filter changes .
Geothermal Heat Pump Water Heating
As it cools the business firm in summer , a geothermic heat pump create a useful spin-off : The hot melody it move out may in turn be used to heat pee ( thanks to something call in , impressively , a desuperheater ) . The downside is that during the wintertime months or in cool parts of the country , a conventional unit of measurement can not produce enough hot water to meet the average family ’s demand . Consequently , a supplemental source of hot water is ask .
Getting the Most from Your Geothermal System
Do n’t expect a new system to solveallyour family heating problems unless you foreshorten your heating load . Seal all leaks toeliminate drafts . Check to be sureweather strippingis in good shape and the duct system is not leaking . Consider having ahome energy auditdone .
Who stands to write the most on utilities over the long term with geothermal ? The owners of orotund homes already incur usurious month - to - month heating and cooling bills . The only encumbrance is that for a geothermic heat ticker to adequately serve a big house , it demand a proportionally larger orbit of ground from which to draw heat ; on a modestly sized slew , that presents a dilemma . One potential solution is to install pipes vertically , not horizontally , but the costs associated with running upright pipework are often prohibitively high .
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