What is a ground source heat pump? Many people are using heat pumps these days to heat and cool their homes.
However, there are still a lot of people that do not know what these devices actually do.
What we hope to do is educate people on the functionality of these machines.
  A ground source heat pump uses ground water or the earth or both as its source of heat in the winter.
The earth or ground water is the destination for heat removed from the home in the summer.
Heat is taken from the earth through a liquid.
This liquid is either ground water or antifreeze like solution.
The pump then upgrades the liquid and transfers it to indoor air.
It is quite a unique process.
This is the process for the winter.
  During the summer, the process works in reverse fashion.
Heat is removed from the home and transferred to the earth through the ground water or antifreeze solution.
A different type of ground source heat pump uses refrigerant instead of an antifreeze solution.
This type of pump is referred to as the direct expansion earth energy system.
  Some ground source heat pumps are designed differently from others.
For example, a self-contained unit combines the compressor, heat exchanger, blower and the condenser coil in one single cabinet.
A split unit allows the coil to be added to a forced-air furnace and it uses an existing furnace and blower as well.
  When searching for the right ground source heat pump for your home, consult the energy efficiency ratings of the units you are looking at.
Pumps are available with a wide variety of efficiency ratings.
  Typically, it is not a good idea to use a ground source heat pump to provide all the heat you require.
It is recommended that you size the unit to meet around sixty to seventy percent of your total demand for heat during the winter.
If there is a need for extra heat due to a severe weather condition then a supplementary heating system can meet those occasional demands.
  Most heating and cooling stores will carry different styles of the ground source heat pump.
Online you will find many reviews on these devices.
Reviews range from people who are very happy with their unit to people who are extremely disappointed with their particular heat pump.
It pays to do your research before making a purchase of this magnitude.