5 Questions about Geothermal Heat Pumps Answered

cascadehvac | May 26, 2011 |

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1)What is a Geothermal heat pump?

A geothermal heat pump is a heat pump similar to an air
source heat pump except rather than absorbing heat from the air it absorbs heat
energy from the ground. It has all the
same components as a traditional system, an air handler inside used to
distribute the heat inside the house and ductwork with registers typically in
the floor. The system has a compressor and water pump used to circulate the
heat through the system.

2)How does it work?

The Geothermal heat pump works by having a ground or water
loop as its heat source. The system has a water line in the ground to absorb
heat from the ground and bring it inside. The ground is a great heat source
because of its constant temperature. The temp of the ground stays constant
below 5 feet. The air source heat pump is dependant on outside air temperature
which can fluctuate depending on the area you live in and time of year.

3)How much does it cost to install?

The cost of the system to install is based on several
factors such as size of house, ground loop or water loop such as a lake or
pond. The size of your house will affect the size of equipment needed and
price.You typically need 600’ of pipe in the ground per ton. The
equipment cost is more money than the typical heating system due to the better
quality and it lasts longer. The basic
cost for a geothermal system is 20-30 thousand.

4)Why is a Geothermal heat pump system better ?

The Geothermal system is better due to cost of operation
compared to other types of heating and cooling equipment. The geothermal system
lasts longer and cost less to operate especially in climates that have long run
times in the summer. The system gets its
heat from the ground unlike gas furnaces that have to burn gas to create that
heat energy. The heat pump sends water out through the ground loop and then the
refrigeration process in the compressor creates heat or cooling for your house.

5)Are there any rebates out there or tax advantages to installing geothermal system?

There are several rebates available for this type of system.
Your local utility will most likely have some sort of rebate for geothermal
heat pumps up to 1600 dollars sometimes. The best thing going right now is the
tax credit advantage. You can claim a tax credit of 30% off of installation
cost. That means 30% of 30,000 so a tax credit of 9,000. That is an amazing
savings on a system that will have a payback of 4 to 1 for every 1 dollar you
spend on heating or cooling you get 4 dollars worth of energy and savings.