Understanding How Geothermal HVAC Works in Sebring, FL

With the environment taking center stage, geothermal HVAC systems are becoming a popular choice in Sebring, FL. Having such a system in your home comes with a lot of benefits. Here’s all you need to know about how geothermal HVAC systems work.

What’s Geothermal HVAC?

Geothermal HVAC systems rely on the Earth’s temperature for heat exchange. They’re ideal for providing cooling and heating to homes and buildings because underground temperatures remain constant.

Other forms of geothermal systems include direct use and deep and enhanced geothermal. Direct use systems are popular in regions with tectonic or volcanic activities that give rise to naturally heated groundwater. These systems use hot water to condition the air in your home. On the other hand, deep and enhanced geothermal systems rely on steam to create electricity for large industrial, agricultural and commercial applications.

Components of a Geothermal System

Before you get into how you can use geothermal HVAC to maintain desired temperatures in your home, it’s wise to know the different parts of these systems. These components include:

• Geothermal heat pump.
• Geothermal loop.
• Distribution system.

The geothermal heat pump houses key system components such as the heat exchanger and compressor. It transports fluid via the ground loop for heat exchange between your indoor air and the water or ground source.

Also known as the ground or earth loop, the geothermal loop is a piping network buried in the ground. HVAC technicians can install it either horizontally or vertically on your property and configure them as open or closed.

Open loops use a nearby well or water body as a heat source. They rely on water for heat transfer. However, a closed loop has its fluid, normally water and antifreeze mixture, inside the pipes to conduct heat transfer.

For your geothermal system to distribute air throughout your home, you can use a water-to-water or a forced-air configuration. A forced-air system depends on ductwork and an air handler to circulate air in your home.

As for the water-to-water system, the pipes run through the floors and walls in your home. You can also install baseboard units. Fluids move via this equipment to transfer heat.

How Geothermal HVAC Works

Geothermal HVAC systems function much differently from traditional HVAC systems. For instance, a furnace burns fuel to produce heat while a geothermal system exchanges heat between a water source or the ground to heat your home.

The fluid that moves inside the ground loop absorbs underground heat before cycling it to the heat pump. Here, the heat exchanger plays a vital role in transferring the heat from the water or refrigerant to your living space. The cycle then continues with the system pumping the fluid back into the ground and returning it to your house for heating.

The geothermal cooling process is somewhat similar to how an air-source or air conditioner works. These systems absorb heat from the air inside your home and move it away.

While air-source heat pumps and AC units release heat into the outside air, geothermal heat pumps use the ground as their heat sink. Depending on the loop configuration, they can disperse heat into a water body or underground. The process works to continually remove heat in your house, cooling it.

Benefits of Geothermal HVAC Systems

Now that you know how geothermal HVAC works, let’s see why you should choose them over other HVAC options. For starters, they’re environmentally friendly.

This is because they don’t consume fossil fuels. Using geothermal systems is a surefire way of improving your indoor air quality.

What’s more, the system is affordable to run since it’s more energy-efficient than a traditional HVAC system. But that’s not all. You also get to enjoy a much longer equipment life. Although the system itself can last for up to 15 years, with proper care, the ground loop parts can serve you for over 50 years.

When you entrust us with your HVAC system, rest assured that we’ll go the extra mile to make you comfortable. Our NATE-certified senior service technicians perform HVAC services with honesty, reliability and integrity. Contact Miller’s Central Air, Inc. today for top-class geothermal HVAC system services.

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