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Do you know what a geothermal heat pump is?

I'm planning to switch my heating system and would like to hear anyone's opinions on these types of systems-thanks.

Public Comments

1. Very cost-effective. Geothermal takes heat from undergroud, which is unaffected by colder winter air temperatures, and uses this heat to warm the home. Expensive one-time investment, especially if you do not have enough open land to install a horizontal system and must instead install a vertical system... but will pay for itself in no time.
2. It uses heat from under the surface of the ground which is normally at higher temperature the deeper you go.
3. A geothermal heat pump, uses water pumped out of the ground. This water is usually around the neighborhood of 50 degrees F. temperature. Depending on whether the system is heating or cooling, it will use the water to either provide a boost to the heating system, or to help cool the air. The water is then pumped out of the system, into a well, or some folks run their sprinklers off of it. While a geothermal heat pump costs more to install inititially, it more than makes up for the cost, in the long run, by saving money in the heating and cooling of the home, over the years.
4. As described, they are very efficient for heating with electricity only. In addition, they are a super-efficient replacement for your AC at the same time! Also, some models can replace your water heater, as well. Explanation (skip if you don't care:) You know how your AC pumps a coolant, and it makes the tubes on one end cooler while the other end gets hotter? That's how a heat pump works, except that the one end is in the ground (ideally reaching into the water table for maximum efficiency.) And, it can be 'reversed;' thus cooling or heating your home as needed; the heat (or cold) is absorbed into the ground, which transfers heat either direction more efficiently than the air surrounding your outside AC unit.
5. very costly to install but, very cheap to operate. expect to have your whole yard dug up though to have it installed. Takes several hundred feet of tubing in the ground to work properly. Basically it takes the energy (heat) from the house in the fluid in the pipes outside disposes of it. In the winter it takes the heat from underground and deposits it in the house during the winter. Kinda like why a cave stays the same temperature all year long.