Fall is the time of year when people start to get their home heating situations in order, including installing new systems if necessary. If you\u2019re in the market for a new home heating system, you should consider geothermal heating. Let\u2019s take a look at what geothermal heating is, and some of the advantages that it offers.<\/p>\n
Geothermal heating systems are heat pumps, and like all heat pumps they do not burn fuel to create heat. Instead, they evaporate refrigerant to move preexisting heat from one place to the other. Unlike other heat pumps, though, geothermal heat pumps don\u2019t siphon thermal energy from the air. Instead, they rely on subterranean thermal energy. A geothermal heat pump siphons thermal energy by using an underground loop filled with water. This loop is buried about 30 feet underground, and is linked to the unit. At that depth, the temperature remains almost constant at 55\u201360\u00b0F. This gives the system access to a near-infinite amount of renewable thermal energy. Like all heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps can also reverse their refrigerant flow direction to provide air conditioning as well as heating functions.<\/p>\n
Geothermal heating systems bring all the advantages that one normally gets with heat pumps. They\u2019re energy efficient and versatile, saving thousands of dollars over their lifespans in heating and air conditioning costs. Unlike other heat pumps, however, geothermal heat pumps are not affected by the weather. No matter how cold it gets outside, geothermal heat pumps never suffer a decrease in efficiency. They can also use the excess heat that they gather from inside the home to heat water while in air conditioning mode.<\/p>\n