Ancient civilizations used geothermal energy because it was the only energy they had. The sun and earth produce heat naturally, and many homes today harness that heat to reduce their reliance on fossil fuel usage. King Water Wells installs and maintains geothermal heat pumps, and this is how they work to keep your home and its water supply warm and cool without using manmade energy sources.
Geothermal Heat Pumps
Geothermal heats pumps work with the earth’s soil to cool or heat water or a special type of refrigerant. The temperature right below the topsoil is always between 50 degrees and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the geothermal heat pump uses this natural warmth to its advantage. Its purpose is to draw the heat from the earth into the home during the winter or push the heat away from the home in the summer.
How This Works
The geothermal heat pump unit is above ground. It has a series of pipes that lead from the unit deep into the ground and the cycle back into the unit. In the winter, the water or refrigerant travels down into the ground and absorbs the natural heat before returning to the geothermal heat pump. Once the hot water is in the heat pump, the heat pump uses it to warm your home. This process cycles through the piping to keep your home warm with each fresh batch of geothermal water or refrigerant.
What About in the Summer?
The geothermal heating system reverses in the summer. During the hotter months, the heating pump uses the water or refrigerant to draw heat from your home. It then pumps it into the ground and transfers the hot water into the soil using pipes. As with the heating cycle in the winter, the cooling cycle also repeats itself to keep your home cool. This saves you tremendous money on your heating and cooling bills because you aren’t reliant upon electricity and natural gas to heat and cool your home.
Saves Money and the Environment
Geothermal heat pumps are being used more and more in homes and businesses because they help customers save money while they save the environment. In fact, some places around the world are looking into or already using geothermal heating pumps to generate power from power plants. These systems are efficient and effective, making them a good natural energy source that can be utilized by homes, businesses, and municipalities.
Call King Water Wells in Rockford, MI, for more information on geothermal heating pumps.