Ground-Source Heat Pumps Work Well In Cold Climates

Heat pumps have been an alternative for people who are looking to heat and cool their house and save some money. The way that the heat pump works is that it takes heat from one area and pumps it into another areas. In the winter, the pump absorbs whatever heat it can from the outside and pumps it into the house to heat it. In the summer, it does the reverse, cooling down the house. One problem that heat pumps have had is that they weren't very practical as a primary heat source in very cold climates since there was very little heat in the air for them to absorb and pass along to the house. However, there have been improvements and new advances made for heat pumps, and there are now heat pumps that will work well in colder climates. One is the ground-source heat pump.

Ground-Source Heat Pump

The most common heat pump is the air-source, that means that it gets the heat from the air. However, that's not where the heat for a GSHP comes from. A ground-source heat pump is a kind of geothermal system. That means that it gets the heat used to heat the house from underground or from an underground water source. In the summer, it sheds the heat from the house back into that same source. 

Benefits of a Ground-Source Heat Pump

One of the benefits of this kind heat pump is that it works well no matter how cold the ambient air gets. Once a person digs under the earth far enough, there is a constant temperature. It doesn't necessarily have to be all that far. Depending on location, the system may only have to go down a few feet. Another benefit is that there is no need to have a backup heat system for days when it is too cold for an air-source heat pump to effectively heat the house. 

Drawback of a Ground-Source Heat Pump

The biggest drawback of using one of these heat pumps is that it takes a larger initial outlay of cash to install it. That's because the installation cost has to include the excavation for the system of pipes that will transport heat to and from the house. 

Heat pumps can end up saving a lot of money on heating and cooling costs. They can even be used in cold climates, as long as the right kind of heat pump is used. Talk to a heating and air conditioning company for more details.

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