Geothermal Heat Pumps: Low cost, highly effective systems

Geothermal heat pumps tap into the heat naturally generated just a little way below the surface of the earth. There the earth's temperature is warm and stable, so these systems can bring stable, controllable, and effective heating, cooling, and hot water to residential and commercial buildings. Best of all, geothermal heat pumps allow people to do all this without having to use expensive, and carbon-producing fossil fuels such as oil and gas that cause global warming.

There are two types of geothermal heat pump systems: ones with closed loops and ones with open loops. In closed loop systems, liquid with some sort of antifreezing/antiboiling agent mixed in circulates through pipes buried just a few meters beneath the earth's surface. During the winter the fluid absorbs heat from this patch of earth and carries back to the building. During the summer, the system draws heat out of the building so that it can be used to heat water or to deliver it back into the ground. Open looped geothermal systems do the same thing, but the water within the pipes is continually refreshed.

The work of geothermal systems is done by the pipes that are buried underground, which leaves a unit likely no bigger than your current hot water heater and furnace to be installed. Don't worry about the longevity and upkeep of this type of system - many companies have been offering 50-75 year warranties on the parts of the system that are underground.

Geothermal heat pumps are quiet and very safe. With no exposed parts such as fans that can hurt kids or pets. There is no burning so there is no risk of getting burned or starting a fire. The heating source is the earth, so there is much less to wear out. Geothermal systems are also quiet, which makes sense because the earth is doing the work!

The initial cost for geothermal heat pumps is often made up in three to six years depending on the cost of oil and gas and the temperature fluctuations in your area. You will no longer be subject to the price fluctuations and uncertainty of oil and gas, and you will also reduce your own "carbon footprint" in the process. The resale value of your home will likely rise!

Geothermal systems can either work parallel to your current system or they can completely replace it. Central air conditioning will be an added and immediate benefit of these systems. Contact an experienced geothermal heat pump installer and he or she can tell you exactly what would be involved in installing a geothermal system in (and under!) your home.