If you’ve already decided on a geothermal system, or are interested in learning more, the following information will help you understand the process of installing a geothermal heat pump system in your home.
Geothermal systems take advantage of the fact that the earth stores up energy from the sun, maintaining a year-round underground temperature of 45-75 degrees, depending on latitude. By routing a water/antifreeze solution through buried pipes, heat from your house is “rejected” into the ground during the summer, and stored solar energy is extracted from the earth to heat your home in the winter.
Geothermal systems have relatively high up-front costs, but offer much higher energy efficiency than nearly all other heating and cooling options. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the cost of geothermal installations is easily returned in energy savings. As an added incentive, a federal tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of a geothermal system is available for qualified residential systems.
Here’s what will happen once you’ve made the decision to buy:
- A contractor will visit your house to determine your energy requirements and available space. The size of your yard, presence or absence of terrain features such as ponds, and size of your house will help determine the size of the ground loops, but you may also consider the quality of insulation in your home, whether windows and doors suffer drafts, and other factors.
- The contractor will begin by installing the outside loops, either horizontally or vertically in a ground system. This will involve a significant amount of drilling, depending on the layout of ground loops that best fits your property, but the process should take only a few days.
- After the outside loops are laid, the contractor will connect them to your house and install the indoor component of the geothermal system. These run about as quietly as a refrigerator.
- Once your system is installed, you’re ready to enjoy the benefits of a geothermal heating and cooling system. Our installations are guaranteed, and we’re ready to service these reliable systems through their long operating lives.
For more expert advice on installing geothermal systems, or to start the process of upgrading your home, please contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We’re proud to have served 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 Systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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