Have you ever heard of geothermal heating? I suspect you have, just by a different name: the heat pump. Technically speaking, a heat pump represents just one way to implement geothermal heating. The principle itself is based on extracting heat from the earth rather than using electricity or a gas-powered burner to generate heat.
Geothermal heat has been around for a while. It’s probably not as common as advocates would like, but it is making inroads in many parts of the country. The question so many consumers ask is whether it is suitable for their needs.
That depends, according to the experts at Salt Lake City’s SameDay, an HVAC, electrical, and plumbing contractor serving northern Utah. They say geothermal is quite efficient and effective. However, certain conditions can limit its effectiveness.
The Basic Principle of Geothermal
Geothermal heating’s basic principle lies in extracting heat from the earth. Just below the surface, the earth maintains a pretty constant temperature of about 55°F. It stays that warm regardless of how cold it gets at the surface. Geothermal taps into that heat. The heat is extracted from the earth and transferred into a home.
At first glance, you might think geothermal is ineffective. After all, a typical Utah resident will not be content with an indoor temperature of 55°F in the middle of winter. Raising the temperature to 68°F would be the bare minimum. So how can a geothermal system keep a home sufficiently warm?
SameDay explains that it is in the mechanics. Geothermal heat pumps rely on heat exchangers and compressors to do the heavy lifting. Visit SameDay for more info about heating pumps.
How It All Works
A geothermal heat pump system is a closed-loop system consisting of a heat exchanger, compressor, and a lot of tubing. A liquid is circulated through the system and underground, where a heat exchanger transfers heat from the earth into the liquid.
The liquid then flows into a compressor. Compressing it amplifies the low-grade heat by raising its temperature significantly. The now much warmer liquid circulates into the house where the heat is extracted and distributed by way of a heat exchanger and blower, a radiant floor system, or baseboard radiators.
The system’s design is very similar to an air conditioner except in reverse. How you compress and expand the liquid in the system determines how heat is transferred. Here is the best part: implementing a reverse flow valve allows the same system to both heat and cool a home. It brings heat into the home during the winter and removes it during the summer.
A Stable Source of Heat
Summer cooling aside, geothermal is exceptionally efficient for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the fact that it doesn’t generate heat on its own. It extracts existing heat from a stable source. Furthermore, extraction requires almost no energy. On the other hand, a furnace powered by electricity or fossil fuels consumes tremendous amounts of energy.
Geothermal is also efficient because there is relatively little energy loss. The majority of the heat extracted from the earth goes directly toward heating the home. And when the distribution system is radiant floor or baseboard radiators, there is no loss of heat like that normally associated with forced air systems.
The bottom line is that geothermal heating works quite well. It’s more than suitable for residential applications except in extremely cold environments. But even at that, geothermal can be combined with other HVAC technologies to create a system that is more efficient than traditional forced-air furnaces.
And now you know. Would you be willing to invest in geothermal if given the choice?
