A geothermal heat pump can be a great way to heat your home while saving both money and energy. But the question is, which type of heat pump should you install: water source or ground source? Both have their pros and cons. Here's a breakdown of each.
No matter how hot or cold things get, the temperature about 10 feet below the ground remains constant, at about 54 degrees. Ground source heating takes advantage of that to heat and cool your home. A loop of pipes is laid at least 10 feet underground. They're then filled with either water, which circulates through the loop. In the winter, the temperature below ground is higher than that of the surface air, so the liquid in the pipes absorbs that heat and is used to heat the air. Ground source heat pumps can save you a lot of money and energy over the years. However, they're also expensive to install. Also, depending on where you live, finding enough space to bury the pipes can be a difficult proposition.
A water source heat pump works almost exactly the same way, except the loop of pipes leads to a nearby body of water, such as a pond or lake. The pipes are laid eight feet or more beneath the water's surface, where they can avoid freezing, and the temperature remains steady. Instead of the same water looping over and over again through the pipes, water comes in from the pond or lake, circulates through your home, then goes back into the original water source. This type of system may be cheaper and more convenient to install and maintain, but only if you live near a body of water that can be used. No matter which you get, both water and ground source heat pumps can be a great investment and save you energy for years to come. To learn more about ground source and water source heating, along with other HVAC issues, contact us at Russell's Heating & Cooling. We're Hampton Roads' trusted source for quality HVAC solutions. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 757-750-1831. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “openclipart-vectors/Pixabay”