Ground Source Heat Pumps Can Work In Most Homes

Anyone can heat their home with energy that is absorbed from the ground. Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) are buried in your garden and can reduce your energy bills by heating your water and your radiators, they can also heat your under floor heating if you have that installed in your home also. The way that it works is that beneath the surface the ground stays at a constant temperature of around 10C to 12C, this is throughout the year so even if it is the middle of winter you can still be heating your home through the GSHP.

A GSHP circulates water and antifreeze around a loop of pipes which is buried in your garden, this loop of pipes is commonly known as a ground loop. The heat in the ground is then absorbed into the fluid and is pumped through a heat exchanger which is located in the heat pump. The lower grade heat is then passed through the heat pump compressor and is concentrated into a higher temperature which can then heat your home. Ground loop fluid which then cools, passes back into the ground where it then absorbs more energy from the ground. This process then begins again, it is continuous whilst the heating is required. You can have a small amount of ground loop or a larger amount depending on the size of your home and depending on the size of your garden.

The ground loop can either be laid flat in your garden, coiled or if you are limited in space you can install a vertical loop into the ground about 100 metres in depth. Although heat pumps do use electricity when they are running, the heat that they extract is renewed naturally. They do not use high temperatures like boilers as their temperature is much lower over longer periods. Radiators powered by GSHP are never red hot to touch like boiler powered radiators so in winter they have to be left on all the time in order to heat your house sufficiently.

What are the benefits of GSHP?
1. Reduces your carbon footprint.
2. Lower energy bills.
3. Needs little maintenance once installed, unlike conventional boilers.
4. If you previously used oil, fuel deliveries are a thing of the past.

Is it suitable for your home? Consider these below:

· Is your garden large enough? It does not have to be a particularly large garden but it needs to be accessible for machinery to fit the ground loop. The ground also needs to be suitable for digging the trench.
· Make sure that your home is well insulated because GSHP are of a lower temperature than your traditional boiler. Draughty homes will not make the system work to its best ability.
· If your house is a new build then it will be cheaper than installing it in a older house as the installation will be built into the cost of the build.
· What fuel are you replacing? Heat pumps are not recommended for homes just on gas. Electric and coal systems can be replaced with GSHP and fuel bills can be greatly reduced.

It costs about £9,000 to £17,000 to install a system and of course the running costs will vary due to the different sizes of homes. Also how well insulated your home is makes a difference.

Miss Fiona Davies is Sales Director for http://www.uklandforsale.org/
She has worked in the property and land sector for the last ten years.
All articles on the website are written uniquely by her.

Original article

Ground Source Heat Pumps And Your Homes

If you own a house or are in the market for one, then you should definitely consider ground source heat pumps. To make your house truly green, it is certainly one of your best options. Here is some crucial information about them.

What is a ground source heat pump?

This uses this source of energy to heat and cool a particular region. It accesses the geothermal energy from the ground. To implement this system, the pump is positioned within 10 feet of the surface of the Earth. The temperature range of the area is constantly between 50°-61° Fahrenheit, (or 10°-16° Celsius). As a result, the pump is able to heat your house throughout the wintertime, and cool it throughout the summertime.

How is a ground source heat pump constructed?

The process is quite basic. First, polyethylene or copper piping is positioned underneath the ground. The next step is to use a refrigerant to fill the piping. The heat pump moves the fluid throughout the piping. As that happens the ground warms or cools it, causing the temperature in your house to stabilize throughout the process of direct exchange.

What are its main types?

The two main varieties are water-to-water transfer, and water-to-air transfer. Water-to-water systems are like standard boilers, and involve the heating of water pipes that exist in a building. Meanwhile, water-to-air pumps function like standard air-conditioners. They function by using the ground source heat pump's heating and cooling parts, to change the air's temperature via ventilation.

What is its environmental impact?

That is a crucial question if you are a current or future homeowner. One of the most noteworthy benefits is that it is a fantastic method for going green. For instance, because no chemicals or fuel is needed for the heating or cooling process--the impact on the environment is almost zilch. In fact, research shows that an "average" home can save 5,500 tons of carbon emissions, by choosing ground source heat pump systems.

How expensive is this?

The answer is somewhat complicated. In fact, the initial cost of the actual ground source heat pump is somewhat pricey. However, the operational costs are much lower compared to different HVAC systems. Basically, the cost of the system's power will determine the amount of savings that you can enjoy by using it. Those costs differ throughout the world. That said the operating costs are generally low enough that they can quickly compensate for the high initial costs of the system.

Are there ways to reduce the start-up costs?

In fact, many governments throughout the world offer subsidies for homeowners who install such systems within a particular timeframe.

Can this become a DIY project?

Typically, it will not be, due to the amount of skills, and the types of tools needed to install them. So it is advisable to be on the safe side and have a trained professional handle the installation.

These questions show why a ground source heat pump is certainly worth considering for your home.

Original article