One of the best things about a geothermal heating and cooling system is that it has almost no moving parts. There’s just that much less that can go haywire– that much less requiring maintenance. And that alone makes a significant difference in reducing the overall energy costs of Las Cruces homeowners who’ve gone geothermal.
That said, the system does have some moving parts. Most of them are found in its most important component, too: the geothermal heat pump.
This is the engine that drives the system. Its job is to transfer heat. And it transfers heat either from the ground into your house or from your house into the ground, depending on the season30. In Consequence, it’s a furnace and an air conditioner united in one discreet package.
Water – or an antifreeze solution – is the medium the heat pump uses to transfer heat. This liquid flows through pipe loops installed underground and linked to the heat pump, which is kept above ground. During heating season the liquid draws heat from the ground, the heat pump draws the warm liquid up into refrigerant coils, and the heat is then is conveyed throughout a home by way of either a forced air or a hydronic system. During cooling season the exact opposite happens: the pump draws heat from your home and transfers it to the ground by way of those same buried loops. Oh, and somewhere in all this, more than a few geothermal systems also supply domestic hot water.
The fundamental differentiator between a geothermal heat pump and a typical furnace is that a heat pump doesn’t ignite fuel to generate heat. Rather, it takes heat that’s already there and just moves it around. That naturally makes it a much more efficient heating and cooling system. Bear this in mind, too: underground temperatures most often hold at around 50º F through the year. The upshot? A geothermal heating and cooling system uses considerably less energy to cool your home than conventional air conditioners.
So … is a geothermal system what’s needed for your Las Cruces home? Turn to this area’s geothermal wizards, the cordial people at Sun City Plumbing & Heating.