Planning For Geothermal Requires That You First Consider These 3 Factors

Planning For Geothermal Requires That You First Consider These 3 Factors

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Geothermal systems use the ground temperature instead of the air temperature as an exchange medium. What this means is the pump relies on the consistently warm thermal energy a few feet underground to bring heat into your home in the winter and release it from the home in the summer. Since a geothermal heat pump doesn’t rely on fossil fuels, and unlike more common air-source heat pumps, isn’t held hostage to widely varying outside air temperatures, it’s incredibly energy efficient. This helps both your pocketbook and the environment. When planning for geothermal energy, however, keep in mind a few factors:

Initial Investment

Saving money in the long run is often a fancy way of acknowledging that something has expensive up-front costs. That is true with geothermal energy, as well. The initial investment to install a geothermal heat pump tends to be higher than other heating and cooling systems. Ultimately, however, you will see big savings in the monthly cost to heat your home. Many geothermal pumps come with an attachment that provides hot water, as well. Adding a geothermal system also will increase the value of your property. As if that weren’t enough, they last longer and run quieter than other systems.

Availability

These systems won’t work on every property layout, though you’d be surprised at the adaptability of geothermal technology. A technician will come out and assess your property to determine the type of heat pump that’s right for your yard and home. The technician will need to consider the temperature of the earth, ground water sources and the layout of the land. When planning for geothermal, and before purchasing a system, it’s mandatory that you have an installer come out and survey the property to help you make the right choices.

Installation

Installing a geothermal heat pump is a professional job. This is not something you can to do one weekend. The job will require different types of installation depending on the type of system that’s chosen for your home. A closed-loop horizontal geothermal system is quite different from one that uses vertical loops, and both of those differ from one that uses heat energy from a body of water on your property.

If you have any question about changing to geothermal energy, or any aspect of your home’s HVAC system, Climate Control Company is here to help. We have been serving residents of Western Colorado for more than 50 years, and will be happy to install a geothermal heat pump system at your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about geothermal energy and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.     

Climate Control Company services Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado. 

Geothermal image via Shutterstock