What Every Owner Should Know

Don’t be afraid to ask for references from dealers. A reputable dealer or loop installer won’t hesitate to give you names and numbers to call to confirm his capabilities.

Split systems easily can be added to existing furnaces for those wishing to have a dual-fuel heating system. Dual-fuel systems use the heat pump as the main heating source and a fossil fuel furnace as a supplement in extremely cold weather if additional heat is needed.

Most units are easy to install, particularly when they replace another forced-air system. They can be installed in areas unsuitable for fossil fuel furnaces because there is no combustion, thus no need to vent exhaust gases. Ductwork must be installed in homes that don’t have an existing air distribution system. The difficulty of installing ductwork will vary and should be assessed by a contractor. Another popular way to use geothermal technology is with in-floor radiant heating, in which hot water circulating through pipes under the floor heats the room.

In all probability, yes. Your installing contractor should be able to determine ductwork requirements and any minor modifications if needed.

Not always. It may be desirable to install geothermal heat pump room units. For some small homes, a one-room unit would handle the heating and cooling needs. Ceiling cable or baseboard units could be used for supplemental heat if desired.

Geothermal heat pumps don’t use large amounts of resistance heat so your existing service may be adequate. Generally, a 200-amp service will have enough capacity and smaller amp services may be large enough in some cases. Your electric utility or contractor can determine your service needs.

Furnaces are designed to provide specific amounts of heat energy per hour. The term “BTUH” refers to how much heat can be produced by the unit in an hour. Before you can determine what size furnace you’ll need, you must have a heat loss/heat gain calculation done on the structure. From that, an accurate determination can be made of the size of the system you’ll need. Most fossil fuel furnaces are substantially oversized for heating requirements, resulting in increased operating cost and unpleasant temperature swings.

To figure this accurately, you must know how much you’ll save each year in energy costs with a geothermal system as well as the price difference between it and an ordinary heating system and central air conditioner.
As an example: If you’ll save $700 per year with a geothermal system and the price difference is $2,000, your payback will be less than three years. If you install a geothermal system in a new home, the monthly savings in operating costs generally will offset the additional monthly cost in the mortgage, resulting in an immediate positive cash flow.

You can call us at 866-831-4729. Most electric utilities have information about geothermal systems. Get in touch with the experts and start saving on your utility bills right away!

The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. Btu is used to signify the heating and cooling capacity of a system and the heat losses and gains of buildings and homes.

The number of BTUs produced in one hour.

A heat pump system that uses a loop of buried plastic pipe as a heat exchanger. Loops can be horizontal or vertical.

The ratio of heating or cooling provided by a heat pump (or other refrigeration machine) to the energy consumed by the system under designated operating conditions. The higher the COP, the more efficient the system.

The central part of a heat pump system. The compressor increases the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant and simultaneously reduces its volume while causing the refrigerant to move through the system.

A heat exchanger in which hot, pressurized (gaseous) refrigerant is condensed by transferring heat to cooler surrounding air, water or earth.

The efficiency of a heating or cooling system is reduced due to start−up and shut−down losses. Oversizing a heating or cooling system increases cycling losses.

A device for recovering superheat from the compressor discharge gas of a heat pump or central air conditioner for use in heating or preheating water.

A heat exchanger in which cold, liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the low−temperature source (fluid from the ground loop).

Combustible fuels formed from the decomposition of organic matter. Examples are natural gas, propane, fuel oil, oil, and coal.

A heat pump that uses the earth as a heat source and heat sink.

A device designed to transfer heat between two physically separated fluids or mediums of different temperatures.

A mechanical device used for heating and cooling which operates by pumping heat from a cooler to a warmer location. Heat pumps can extract heat from air, water, or the earth. They are classified as either air−source or geothermal units.

The medium − air, water or earth − which receives heat rejected from a heat pump.

The medium − air, water or earth − from which heat is extracted by a heat pump.

A heat pump system that uses groundwater from a well or surface water from a lake, pond, or river as a heat source. The water is returned to the environment.

A method of calculating how long it will take to recover the difference in costs between two different heating and cooling systems by using the energy and operating cost savings from the more efficient system.