Home » Heating System Guides » 7 Reasons to Buy a Geothermal Heat Pump System

7 Reasons to Buy a Geothermal Heat Pump System

Geothermal heat pumps have many advantages over conventional HVAC systems. That’s why more homeowners are considering having one installed.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy,

The benefit of ground source heat pumps is that they concentrate naturally existing heat, rather than by producing heat through the combustion of fossil fuels.

Since geothermal heat pumps take advantage of of the heat beneath the surface of the earth, it works much like a cave in that it will stay fairly constant in temperature all year round. This works by keeping the air above it warmer in the winter and cooler during the summer. This can be a huge advantage to most homeowners, especially those that have problems heating or cooling specific areas of their home.

In this Geothermal Guides article, we will outline the top seven reasons you should consider installing a geothermal heat pump in your home or business today.

Higher Efficiency: Geothermal, also called ground source, heat pumps are far more efficient than air source heat pumps. They use 25% to 50% less electricity. Since the HVAC system is the largest user of electricity in most homes, homeowners notice a significant difference in their utility bills after switching to a geothermal system.

Renewable Energy: Rather than relying primarily on fossil fuels, geothermal heat pump systems use a small amount of electricity to run pumps. The heat used by the system comes from the earth; it’s not created by electricity or gas. Heat from the ground is considered a renewable energy because it is naturally occurring like wind or solar energy.

Environmental Responsibility: Because geothermal heat pumps rely very little on fossil fuels, they create less than 25% of the greenhouse gases that conventional systems do. Enthusiasts of green technology are big proponents of geothermal systems.

Greater Longevity: The components of a ground source heat pump are housed indoors so are not susceptible to the ravages of weather. Therefore, their lifespan is 25+ years compared to the average 15-year lifespan of an air source condensing unit. In some cases, they last longer because they are not as susceptible to theft as air source condensing units. The ground loops used in a geothermal system are rated for 50-100 years.

Quieter Operation: Geothermal systems don’t use a standard compressor so they run much more quietly than air source heat pumps or gas furnaces. In addition, the components are typically installed in a basement. There’s no noisy compressor running right outside your home.

Design Flexibility: The design of the system is very versatile and can be retrofitted to existing construction as easily as it can be designed for new construction. In addition, regardless of the size of the parcel of land, a geothermal heat pump system can be designed to fit it.

Added Home Value: Some homeowners are reluctant to have a contractor install a ground source system because of the initial expense. But when they are looking for a home, those with geothermal heating units already installed are very attractive because of the much lower utility bills they produce. Studies show that they increase the value of homes considerably.

With so many advantages, it’s not surprising that more homeowners are choosing a geothermal heat pump system. If you consider buying one for your home, make sure you do lots of research and search out geothermal product reviews, and also the cost and installation prices that you might incur.