Geothermal heating is a type of heating system that works with an indoor handling unit, a buried system of pipes, and a pump to reinjection well.
Here’s basically how it works:
The underground system takes the stored heat from the ground and carries it indoors. Once indoors, the unit inside the house compresses the heat to a higher temperature and distributes throughout the house or building.
One of the biggest advantages with geothermal heating is:
It doesn’t require fossil burning to work, most systems use only electric power to operate the unit’s fan, compressor, and pump.
Plus, this system requires little maintenance, needing only:
- Period checks
- Filter changes
- Annual coil cleaning
When properly installed, the buried pipes will last for generations to come!
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain
Pros
Lower Operating Costs
Despite having a higher installation cost, the geothermal heating pump will save you something around 30 to 60 percent on monthly operation costs.
Clean, Renewable Energy
As we previously mentioned, there’s the unit’s fan, compressor, and pump which will require the use of electric energy.
Other than that,
There’s no emission of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and no air quality issues that could occur with other energy sources - that’s because geothermal heating uses energy from the sun.
Quieter Than Other Systems
You’d think that with a system like this, with all the pipes and underground work, it’d come with a lot of noise.
However, that’s not true.
The outdoor unit makes no noise and the indoor unit will make as much noise as a refrigerator would.
Installation costs will vary according to your location, for example, it’s cheaper to install geothermal heating in Orem, UT than in Bridgeport, CT.
Call a local professional for a more accurate estimate in your area.
Low Maintenance + Long Lived
As also mentioned earlier, the geothermal heating system is very low maintenance and that happens because the whole outdoor part of the system is protected underground, and the indoor part is protected from outdoor elements. It’ll rarely require attention.
Also,
The indoor components have a lifespan of about 25 years, while the underground mechanics are expected to last up to 50 years.
Even more than that,
Geothermal heating has one more advantage:
It can be installed both in new constructions and retrofit situations. Of course, retrofits will require a bit more work to modify the already existing ducts, but it’s still possible!
Cons
Installation Costs Are Higher
Installation costs will depend on several factors, such as:
- Soil conditions
- Plot size
- System configuration
- Accessibility
- Required digging and drilling
Prices will also be higher if the installation requires ductwork modifications. If you’re interested in installing a geothermal heating system, call a professional service as soon as possible to start getting a financial sense of your situation.
Plus,
Types of loops also interfere with the cost of the installation, so you’ll want to talk to the company you’re hiring to see which option will be best for you:
- Horizontal system
- Vertical system
- Pond (or lake) system
Not DIY-able
Maybe this isn’t such a disadvantage if you already prefer to call a pro to get things done around the house, but for all the DIYers out there, you need to understand this is not a DIY, in any circumstances. The geothermal heating system requires pro expertise and a proper installation!
Installation Can Affect Landscape
Now, if you’re a garden and landscape fan, you’ll need to be prepared to start everything from zero once you have the geothermal heating installed. All the digging and drilling will cost you your existing landscape. But of course, you can also hire a professional landscaping service to take care of that for you!
Are you ready to start your geothermal heating installation? Get a free quote from a local professional!
