Geothermal Heat Pumps
How Does a Geothermal Heat Pump Work?
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Ground source heat pumps can be used efficiently to heat a house by drawing heat from the ground, condensing it and delivering it to the building. Systems use a pump and compressor to remove heat from one side of the circuit and eject heat to the other side.
A geothermal heat pump moves heat into or out of the
earth using either water wells or a network of high-density polyethylene
pipes buried in horizontal trenches or vertical boreholes.
The pipes carry a water and antifreeze solution, which is pumped through the pipes buried in the ground. The heat transfer fluid extracts heat (heating mode) from the earth surrounding the ground loop system.
The geothermal heat pump increases the heat, which is then distributed throughout the building by the chosen heating system. The heat pump also has the capacity to work in reverse and provide a cooling system.
For a geothermal heat pump system to work effectively it requires three components to provide heating and cooling for your building: a ground loop (buried piping system), the heat pump furnace units (inside the building), and a heating and cooling distribution system.
The earth heat exchanger is most often a network of high-density polyethylene piping buried in vertical boreholes 150 to 300 feet deep. Each of the heat pumps in the building is connected to the circulating water loop. The temperature is controlled independently at the individual heat pumps located in rooms throughout the building.
The constant temperature of the earth heats or cools the circulating water loop as needed to balance the building’s year-round heating-and-cooling requirements. If your room needs heat, you turn up the thermostat and heat is pumped from the water loop into the room. If your room needs air conditioning, you turn down the thermostat and excess heat is pumped out of the room into the water loop.
A Geothermal Heat Pump's Main Components
The Evaporator - (e.g. the squiggly thing in the cold part of your fridge) takes the heat from the water in the ground loop;
The Compressor - (this is what makes the noise in a fridge) moves the refrigerant round the heat pump and compresses the gaseous refrigerant to the temperature needed for the heat distribution circuit;
The Condenser - (the hot part at the back of your fridge) gives up heat to a hot water tank that feeds the distribution system.
What advantages do geothermal heat pump systems offer?
- A 25 to 40 percent reduction in heating and cooling costs
- Standard, simple controls
- No need for a highly specialized chiller technician or boiler operator
- Highly durable piping (the life expectancy is between 30 and 50 years)
- No high-maintenance, freezing-prone cooling tower
- No boiler to clean or maintain
- No air conditioning equipment on roof to cause leaks
- No harmful chemicals
- No danger of fire, asphyxiation, or explosion from coal, gas, or oil
- Nothing outside to vandalize or steal
- No central system to fail or shut down the entire building.
Boreholes and Ground Source Heating Principles
Underneath the frost line, the ground stays at a constant temperature of about 57 degrees Fahrenheit. That happens to be an extremely efficient operating temperature for heat pumps. Geothermal heat pump systems circulate water between an underground water loop, called an earth heat exchanger, and water-to-air heat pumps located throughout a large building.
There are little or no disadvantages with Geothermal Heat Pump Systems. Contact us for more information now.