Here is the great secret of geothermal power: if dig down a mere 10 feet beneath the frost line, the Earth’s temperature remains at a steady 55° F. That’s either a “cool” temperature (if you have a blazing hot summer day above) or a “warm” one (if there’s a deep freeze happening above). Either way, it’s a reliable temperature for whatever your home needs to keep it comfortable throughout the year, and you can access this power using a geothermal heat pump.
We think that using a geothermal system in Hamilton, OH is an excellent idea for year-round comfort. At Bartels Heating & Cooling, we’ve installed many geothermal systems that have helped people achieve reliable comfort as well as energy savings. If you think that geothermal may be the best comfort system for your home, give us a call and set up an appointment with us today.
How Geothermal Systems Heat and Cool Your Home
Home geothermal systems are heat pumps, which means they circulate refrigerant between indoor and outdoor elements to move heat from one location to another. To supply a home with heat, the heat pump moves heat from the outside element and releases it to the inside. To cool down a home, the heat pump absorbs heat from inside and releases it outside. Standard heat pumps are “air-source,” which means they absorb and release heat using the air. But geothermal heat pumps are “ground-source”: for half the exchange, they use the steady energy levels of the Earth.
The indoor sections of a geothermal heat pump are similar to those of an air-source one. A coil with refrigerant either absorbs or releases heat, depending on the mode, and a blower circulates the conditioned air thorough the home. However, there is no outdoor “unit.” Instead, the refrigerant (water with anti-freeze in it) circulates through plastic loops buried in the ground deep enough to access the steady 55°F. In heating mode, the loops absorb heat from the ground to take it indoors, and in cooling mode they deposit heat from indoors into the ground.
Because geothermal heat pumps don’t have to combat scorching hot or icy cold air temperatures, they work far more efficiently than other heat pumps. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that a geothermal system can operate 3 to 6 times more efficiently than standard heat pumps. The ground loops have astonishing longevity as well, lasting longer than 50 years.
However, all these advantages won’t mean much if your home isn’t suited to geothermal power. A house requires sufficient space for the coils, and the soil must be the right condition. Before making a choice about heat pumps, call Bartels Heating & Cooling and talk to our specialists in geothermal in Hamilton, OH. We will find the best comfort solution for your home.