Just because the word thermal is right in the middle of the word “geothermal” doesn’t mean that all these systems do is heat. That’s right–in addition to keeping your home warm and toasty in the winter, a geothermal system is able to keep your home cool and comfortable in the summer. Like all heat pumps, geothermal systems come equipped with a reversing valve, which allows for home heating and cooling. But how is a geothermal system different?
Many homeowners don’t really understand how geothermal systems work, so below, we’ve explained it all to you (well at the very least, what it is you should know about your geothermal system). All you’ve got to do is keep reading to find out more.
How Can a Geothermal Heat Pump Keep My House Cool?
The indoor components of a geothermal heat pump are similar to those of a standard heat pump: a refrigerant coil where the refrigerant is either condensed or evaporated and a blower fan to send the conditioned air into the ventilation system. But where an air-source heat pump uses an outdoor coil to perform heat exchange, a geothermal heat pump uses loops buried in the ground.
These loops are placed about 6–10 feet down into the earth, which gives them access to more stable temperatures. When the heat pump is in cooling mode, the refrigerant absorbs heat indoors, then transfers that heat into a water/anti-freeze mixture moving through the loops. The heat is then deposited into the ground, using it as a heat sink. The removal of heat from the house creates a nice cooling effect. In heating mode, the process reverses and heat is brought from the earth into the house.
Are There Benefits of Using a Geothermal System?
Certainly! There are plenty of benefits of using a geothermal system to cool your home during the summer. For one, these systems are super energy efficient. In fact, a geothermal heat pump works at 3 to 6 times greater energy efficiency than an air source model, saving you hundreds of dollars on your annual utility bills. Secondly, these systems are super reliable, simply because the temperature of the earth does not fluctuate much at all. You can always be sure that your home will be nice and cool, even during the hottest heatwave. Lastly, these systems are super eco-friendly because they do not generate their own heat, but rather move it from one place to another.
You Must Hire a Professional
You see, not every home is a great candidate for a geothermal system, so it is important that you hire a professional who can determine if it is the best choice for your home. Additionally, installing one of these systems requires a lot of planning and is quite a large undertaking, so you want to be absolutely sure that you’ve hired a team that’s going to get the job done right the first time around.
To schedule your air conditioning service in Gersham, OR, contact the team at the Clean Air Act today!