When you want the best, most reliable HVAC equipment for your home, consider geothermal heating and cooling systems. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that a typical homeowner spends half his or her energy budget heating and cooling the home and that a geothermal system can cut those costs up to 70 percent.
A geothermal heat pump (GHP) extracts the stored solar energy underground to heat your home in the winter, and then extracts the heat from your home for summertime cooling. In most systems, an underground loop system carries a water/anti-freeze mixture that transfers heat between the home and underground. A heat pump air handler/evaporator coil inside the house uses the refrigeration process to convert the transferred heat energy into heat for your home, or extract it from the home for cooling.
Besides the substantial energy savings, the benefits of using geothermal heating and cooling systems include:
- Durability. The underground loop field can last up to 50 years or more, and the indoor air handler up to 25 years if it’s maintained according to manufacturer’s recommendations. All the parts of the GHP are either underground or under roof, which increases their durability because they’re not exposed to the elements.
- Space-saving. A GHP doesn’t use an outdoor condenser/compressor, which saves space in your yard and eliminates the noise commonly made by a standard heat pump or A/C’s outside component. The indoor air handler runs more quietly as well, increasing comfort year-round.
- Water heating. A GHP can heat your home’s water in the summer if it has a desuperheater, lowering your energy bills even more.
- Satisfaction. The DOE cites consumer studies showing that 90 percent of GHP owners report high levels of satisfaction with their systems.
- Financial incentives. A federal tax credit is available to offset the cost of the geothermal heat pump and its installation. Homeowners can get the credit for qualifying GHPs for primary or secondary homes, whether new or existing, through the end of 2016. The credit covers 30 percent of the cost, and there’s no limit on the amount of the credit.
If you would like more information about geothermal heating and cooling systems, please contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’ve provided excellent HVAC services for northwest Arkansas for more than 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Northwest Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about geothermal heating and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
479.900.0784
