What just about everyone says they appreciate best about a geothermal heating and cooling system is that it has so few moving parts. There’s just that much less that can go bad– that much less requiring maintenance. And that alone plays a huge role in slashing the overall energy costs of Lancaster homeowners who’ve gone geothermal.
That said, there are some moving parts in the system. Most of them are found in its most vital component, too: the geothermal heat pump.
This is the engine that drives the system. Its role is to transfer heat. And it transfers heat either from the ground into your house or from your house into the ground, depending on seasonal temperatures. Consequently, it’s a furnace and an air conditioner combined in one compact package.
How the heat pump transfers heat is with water or an antifreeze solution. This liquid courses through pipe loops planted underground and connected to the heat pump, which is kept above ground. During heating season the liquid draws heat from the ground, the heat pump draws the warm liquid up into refrigerant coils, and from that point the heat is circulated throughout a home by means of either a forced air or a hydronic system. During cooling season the exact opposite happens: the pump draws heat from your home and transfers it to the ground by way of those same buried loops. Oh, and somewhere along the way, more than a few geothermal systems also supply domestic hot water.
The fundamental differentiator between a geothermal heat pump and a traditional furnace is that a heat pump doesn’t burn fuel to generate heat. Instead it takes heat that already exists and simply moves it around. That naturally makes it a much more efficient heating and cooling system. Keep this in mind, too: underground temperatures almost always hold at around 50º F through the year. And that means? A geothermal heating and cooling system uses substantially less energy to cool your home than conventional air conditioners.
So … is a geothermal system best for your Lancaster home? Look to this area’s geothermal pros, the helpful folks at Gochnauer at Home.