The geothermal heat pump benefits outweigh the cost
Interested in a geothermal heat pump, but think it’s too expensive? The article below explains why investing in geothermal energy for heating and cooling might make good sense for your home. Although initially more expensive to install, a geothermal system will pay for itself within five to ten years. It can also add value to your home when the time comes to sell.
Perhaps you’ve heard of geothermal heating and cooling but you’re not quite sure precisely what it is, how it works or if it makes sense for you. Here’s a fast rundown on geothermal heating and cooling to help you determine if it’s a smart move for you.
Geothermal heat pumps (also called Geo-Exchange, earth-coupled, ground-source, or water-source heat pumps) use the earth’s normal temperature to heat and cool your home. Depending on where you live, just six feet under the ground temperatures can range from 45°F to 75°F. This ground temperature is warmer than the surface air throughout the winter and cooler than the air during the summer. The geothermal heat pump exchanges heat with the earth via a ground heat exchanger.
Rather than your furnace and air conditioner producing all the heat and cold (and competing against much more extreme temperatures above ground), a geothermal system employs the heat from below the earth in the winter. In the summer time, it pulls the heat from your residence and discharges it into the ground. It can also be connected to your plumbing system to supply hot water for your home. By employing the earth’s natural energy to keep your home comfortable, it’s much more effective and you’ll save money on energy bills.
Is it really worth the investment? Geothermal systems are more expensive to install than traditional furnaces and air conditioners. There are dual source heat pumps which combine an air-source heat pump with a geothermal heat pump. These systems are less efficient than geothermal only, but more efficient than air-source only systems. The principal benefit is that they are less costly to install than a single geothermal unit and work virtually as well. Either way you go, a geothermal system will cost more. However, if you plan to remain in your home for a while, you’ll get that money back again in energy savings in 5-10 years.
What is the life expectancy of a geothermal system vs. a standard furnace/AC system? A standard furnace or air conditioner will last 10-15 years with appropriate repairs and replacements when parts wear out. Geothermal heat pumps require very little maintenance. They have fewer mechanical components than other systems, and most of those parts are under the ground, where they are sheltered from the elements. The approximate life of a geothermal system is 25 years for the internal parts and 50 or more years for the buried loop system. So again, you must weigh this information against how long you plan to stay in your home.
Do I require a big yard to install a geothermal system? No, the tubes can be dug and buried vertically instead of horizontally to take up less surface area above ground. This is the most common because most homes don’t have large tracts of land to use. Vertical wells usually measure 100 to 400 feet deep. So the only constraints are your spending budget and whether or not you plan to stay in your house for 5-10 years or more. Now that you know a little bit more about geothermal heating, you can decide if it’s worth digging into further.
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