As oil prices continue to rise, resulting in the increase in cost of electricity, and as people are more concerned with the environment, people continue to look into the practical and economic benefits ofgeothermal home heating. This follows what is called the geothermal heat pump system. The keyword here is ?transferring the heat? as against the usual method of ?producing heat? by conventional furnaces or boilers.



Geothermal heat pump system

This is a heating or an air conditioning system or a combination of both, that makes use of the ability of the earth to keep heat in the ground and water thermal masses. They are dependent on the stability of the temperatures underground, which normally are stable within a few feet below the surface the whole year. It functions two ways, as a heat pump--the heat available during the winter is used by geothermal pumps, and as a heat sink?putting heat back into the ground, thus in a cooling mode during summertime.

Another name for geothermal heat pumps is "GeoExchange" systems and "ground-source heat pumps." Geothermal heat pumps may be used in almost all regions and should be distinguished from ?geothermal heating? or ?air source heating?, which is used where ground temperatures are exceptionally high. Examples are those areas with hot springs and steam vents where heat pumps are not necessary to heat homes and other indoor spaces.

How a geothermal heat pump works

A heat pump, as used ingeothermal home heating, has an indoor unit called an evaporator coil and an outdoor unit called a condenser. Heat is carried from one place to another using a substance called a refrigerant. A high temperature, high-pressure liquid results when heat is compressed. When allowed to expand, this liquid turns into a low temperature, low pressure gas, which absorbs the heat.

During winter the heat pump gets heat from the air outdoors and transfers it inside where it is circulated by a fan through the home's ductwork. Amazingly, the cold air contains a lot of heat. The air that does not carry any heat at all is that below a temperature of -200 degrees Farenheit. This is one of the reasons for the efficiency of geothermal heat pumps.

On the other hand, the heat pump is dependent on the stable heat of the earth in providing heating, air conditioning and, in most cases, hot water.

No matter what the temperature is in a region, from the lowest to the highest temperatures ever recorded in the U.S. and the seasonal extremes in temperature experiences in many parts of the country, the temperature a few feet below the surface of the surface of the ground remains at relatively constant, Temperatures range from 45 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit at six feet below the ground.

The result ofgeothermal home heating is similar to how it feels in caves. The air under the ground is similar to how it feels in caves during the summer. The air under the ground is cooler and a constant temperature than the outside air. Similarly in winter, that same constant temperature in the cave is warmer than of the air outside.

To know more about geothermal home heating and its benefits, visit www.homeheatingsystemhelp.com/geothermal-heat.html.