Geothermal heating provides homeowners with many benefits, including high-quality heating at a relatively low price. With geothermal heating and cooling increasing in popularity, you can use the following checklist to determine if a geothermal heating system is right for your home.
Geothermal heating is extremely efficient: Geothermal systems contain a heat pump that captures and moves heat from place to place. Heat transfer is accomplished via a series of pipes, called the loop, buried in the ground outside at a depth where the temperature stays about the same all year long.
This provides a consistent and reliable source of heat capture and release. The efficiency of a geothermal system can be extremely high, often 300 to 400 percent. This means that it takes one unit of electricity to move three or four units of heat.
Geothermal heating is cost effective: The exceptional efficiency of geothermal heating means that it’s very economical. Geothermal heating can typically slash home comfort expenses by 50 percent or more.
Geothermal heating is quiet, clean and environmentally friendly: Geothermal heating doesn’t require fossil fuels, which means it produces no local greenhouse gases or harmful exhaust fumes. Furthermore, the equipment runs quietly and cleanly.
Geothermal equipment requires a substantial up-front investment: A geothermal heating system can be a costly investment. However, the system’s efficiency and cost-effectiveness will typically allow a homeowner to recover the full cost of the installation through monthly savings on heating bills within about 10 years.
Geothermal installations require available land space: Geothermal systems require outdoor land space for installing loop pipes, either horizontally or vertically. This installation will require a bit of digging and trenching, which might disrupt landscaping and other outdoor features. Depending on local conditions, a water-source system that features a pond or lake for heat transfer might be a better solution.
Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal serves customers in communities throughout Northwest Arkansas. Contact us today for more information on the benefits of geothermal heating systems, and what you should know before investing in geothermal equipment.
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 heating and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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