Geothermal heat pumps have been called the Cadillacs of cooling and heating systems because of their efficiency, durability, long life expectancy, and ability to provide high-quality indoor air comfort unequaled by other HVAC systems. If you’re thinking about putting a geothermal heating and cooling system into your northwest Arkansas home, you’re certainly not alone, as many area homeowners are switching over to this state-of-the-art setup.
Geothermal heating and cooling system installations consist of two main parts:
- An outside loop system that’s either buried in the ground or submerged in a water source; a water/anti-freeze mixture (or refrigerant) runs through the loops, accomplishing the heat exchange between the relatively stable underground temperatures and your indoor air.
- An indoor heat pump unit that’s connected to the outside loop and also attached to your home’s air duct system removes heat from the liquid/anti-freeze for indoor heating; and for efficient indoor cooling, transfers heat energy to the fluid, for deposit outside into the earth or underwater.
The heat pump used in geothermal heating and cooling systems is similar to those used in a conventional air source heat pump except that it’s located wholly inside the house rather than part of it being placed outdoors. This explains why the life expectancy of this component is much greater and requires less maintenance. A typical geothermal heat pump is about the size of a small refrigerator and produces about the same noise level.
Geothermal heat pumps provide efficient and economical heating and cooling, burning no fuel and consuming just a small amount of electricity to operate. As with other heat pumps, these units come with options to make them even more efficient and functional, such as dual-speed compressors and variable-speed air blowers. They can also tie into your existing water-heating system for additional energy savings during the cooling season. Although upfront costs for going geothermal is more than for conventional systems, the money saved through super- efficiency will more than make up the difference in about 5-10 years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal has been proudly serving our customers in northwest Arkansas for close to 50 years with top quality products, service and a no-nonsense, complete satisfaction guarantee. Contact us if you’d like more information on geothermal heating/cooling or regarding any other indoor air comfort topics.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Springdale, Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about geothermal and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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