Geothermal Heating And Cooling
Geothermal Heating Systems
Geothermal Heating Systems
|
The Environmental Protection Agency named geothermal heating systems "the most energy-efficient and environmentally sensitive of all space conditioning systems." Geothermal heating systems use the earth as a source of heat and a heat sink. A series of pipes, form something that's called a "loop," which connects the geothermal system's heat pump to the earth. There are two basic types of loops: open loop and close loop. The open loop geothermal heating system has been used with great success for several decades now. Open loop systems work by drawning an aquifer through one well, which is then discharged to the same aquifer but through a second well that is distanced from the first one. Such Geo-Thermal Heating systems are very popular in areas where they are allowed because they the temperature of ground water is almost constant throughout the year. Closed loop system on the other side seem to be enjoying more success as they are more commonly used. When installed correctly, the closed loop system provides an efficient, economical and at the same timer reliable way of heating a given home. Such systems work by circulating water through a continuous buried pipe. Closed loops can be vertical or horizontal. The horizontal type is the most cost-effective for small installations that have sufficient land area. Up to six pipes, usually in parallel connections, are buried in trenches with minimum separations of a foot between pipes and ten to fifteen feet between trenches. Vertical geothermal heating systems are used when the soil is too shallow for trenching and the property owner doesn't want to change the current landscape. A U-tube is used in such cases, burried between 100 to 400 feet deep. Here is the principle of operation of geothermal heating systems. The system takes advantage of the fact that the temperature below ground remains the same throughout the entire year, regardless of climate or season. The ground is able to keep a higher rate of temperature consistency because it absorbs almost half of the suns heat as it hits the surface of the earth. A Ground source heat pumps is used to move heat that already exists in the earth to provide your home with central heating. WaterFurnace is a company manufacturing geothermal heating systems. WaterFurnace geothermal systems use the free, renewable energy found in your own back yard to save up to 70% on heating, cooling, and hot water costs. WaterFurnace manufactures and sells more geothermal systems for homes than anyone else in the business. During the heating cycle, a WaterFurnace geothermal system uses the earth loop to extract heat from the ground. As the system pulls heat from the loop it distributes it through a conventional duct system as warm air. It's interesting to note that WaterFurnace systems can do both heating and cooling. You can find out more information on WaterFurnace at http://www.waterfurnace.com/. |