Geothermal Systems - A Detailed Look

Geothermal Systems – A Detailed Look

Geothermal Systems Are Twice As Efficient As Any Other Method Of Heating & Cooling Your Home Than Any Regular Heat Pump Or Air Conditioner.

A geothermal system uses a series of underground pipes called a “loop.” This “loop,” notably, eliminates the need to use fossil fuels. It’s also important to understand how geothermal heating & cooling works to appreciate the loop entirely.

It’s impossible to cover everything you could ever want to know about geothermal systems in one blog, but we’ll touch on a couple of key points today!

Geothermal Units & Tonnage

One of the fewer discussed concepts about geothermal units is tonnage. Every system is designed specifically for your home. The tonnage essentially measures how much heat your unit produces.

It’s important to realize your unit’s size is going to change based on two things:

The size of your home
The amount of temperature fluctuation in your area

Generally speaking, the larger your home and/or the more fluctuation, the more tonnage will be required for your system. Usually, this varies between 3-6 tons. However, because they are all custom to your exact situation, your home may be different.

Ground Loop Trade-Off

The ground loop is the most expensive part of any system. It’s also why it’s crucial to have people with the right equipment and experience to do your installation. Otherwise, all the investment in the piping will go to waste.

One often overlooked aspect is thermally-enhanced grout. By using this substance, the loop becomes more thermally conductive. As a result, it becomes more efficient requiring less piping.

However, thermally-enhanced grout is also expensive. So, depending on your particular situation, it may or may not be the right choice for you. That’s what geothermal contractors like us are here to help you figure out!