Geothermal heating and cooling is a wonderful concept. Geothermal heating systems work in a very unique way to naturally provide a heat or cooling source to your home. Geothermal or ground source heat pump is an electrically powered device that uses the natural heat storage ability of the earth and/or the earth’s groundwater to heat and cool your home.

Geothermal heating involves a larger start up cost than most home heating remedies; however based on its environmental friendliness as well as its lack of use of fossil fuels it ends up being more efficient compared to the air source heat pump in the long run.

GHP use the Earth as a heat sink in the summer and a heat source in the winter, and therefore rely on the relative warmth of the earth for their heating and cooling production. Through a system of underground pipes, they transfer heat from the warmer earth or water source to your home in the winter, and take the heat from your home in the summer and discharge it into the cooler ground. Therefore, GHP’s don’t create heat, they move it form one area to another.

If you would like more information about a geothermal system for your home – contact us and we will help you get started!

The ground source heat pump system is made up of a closed loop or open loop pipe system. It works on a simple premise: the earth below the “frost line” (usually about four feet down) is a constant temperature of about 50 degrees year round. Heat can be taken from the ground and transferred through a heat pump to the air in your home during the winter. Heat can also be transferred back into the ground during summer to cool your home.

Installation options

Closed Loop Systems:  The loops of plastic piping can be installed either vertically or horizontally, depending on the size and shape of your yard, the amount of existing landscaping and soil conditions. The amount of piping needed depends on the size of your home and the loop configuration.

Horizontal: - This type of installation is generally most cost-effective for residential installation, particularly for new construction where sufficient land is available. This system requires trenches at least four to six feet deep. There are a variety of techniques for placing the piping in the ground. One method is to utilize “slinky-style” techniques by tying the coils together. An alternative option might loop the pipe back over itself, covering each length with soil.

Vertical: - This type of installation is more common with commercial buildings and schools due to limited amount of land that is available. Vertical loops are also used where the soil is too shallow for trenching. If you have limited space or soil issues, this may not be a solution for you. Installation of a vertical loop system requires a bore hole about 4” – 10” in diameter, which is drilled near your home. The depth of the hole is between 50 and 400 feet, depending on what is encountered during the drill. Depending on the size of system you require will determine how many holes will need to be drilled. All holes must be about 8’ – 20’ apart. Two pipes are then inserted which are connected at the bottom with a U-bend to form the loop, then connected with a horizontal pipe, connecting to the heat pump in your home. The hole is filled with a special grout or sealing material and capped.


Pond/Lake systems are available also, if the home has an adequate body of water. This system maybe the one system with the lowest cost of all the options. A water supply line is run underground from the house to the water and coiled into circles at least eight feet under the surface to prevent freezing. The coils should only be placed in a water source that meets minimum volume, depth and quality criteria. The water resource must be a relatively clean water supply.

Open Loop System: This system uses well(s) or surface body water as the heat exchange fluid that circulates directly through the GHP system. Once it has circulated through the system, the water returns to the ground through the well, a recharge well, or surface discharge. This option is obviously practical only where there is adequate supply of relatively clean water, AND all local codes and regulations regarding groundwater discharge are met.

BENEFITS OF GEOTHERMAL            Green Technology – Reduces pollution- Today there are more than 1,000,000 geothermal heat pump installations in the United States. The impact of the current use of Ground Source Heat Pumps is equivalent to: Taking close to 1,295,000 cars off the road, planting more than 385 million trees & reducing U.S. reliance on imported fuels by 21.5 million barrels of crude oil. Back to Top

           Safe - No flames or gases- Ground Source Heat Pump systems are safe and protected. With no exposed equipment outdoors, children or pets cannot injure themselves or damage exterior units. Ground Heat Pumps have no open flame, flammable fuel or potentially dangerous fuel storage tanks. Because Ground Heat Pumps don't burn gases dangerous carbon monoxide in your home is no longer a worry.

           More Efficient – The biggest benefit of GHPs is that they use 25%–50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems.

           Low Operating and Maintenance Costs – Geothermal systems have one of the lowest relative operating and maintenance costs of any HVAC system available. Annual operating costs are often lower than conventional systems such as built-up air handlers, rooftop units or VAV applications. Maintenance and service are easy and do not require specialized training, giving the owner more options for maintaining and servicing their equipment.

           Environmentally Responsible – The Department of Energy (DOE) applauds geothermal systems as being among the most environmentally responsible heating/cooling systems available today. The ground loop is completely sealed to eliminate the risk of soil and aquifer contamination. In addition, units are available using HFC-410A or HFC-407C refrigerants with no ozone depletion potential in support of the Montreal Protocol and the elimination of ozone depleting substances. The high efficiency of geothermal systems helps reduce the requirement for utilities to burn fossil fuels, which in turn decreases CO2 emissions to the environment. Rebate programs, available through many utilities and government agencies, are a testament to the outstanding efficiency of geothermal systems.

           Residential Installation – A GSHP (ground source heat pump) system can be installed in a residential structure of any size, anywhere, whether it is single-family or multi-family. GSHPs can be installed on almost any size lot — under lawns, landscaped areas, driveways or under the house itself, whether new construction or retrofitting an existing home.

Geothermal Heat Pump Glossary

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