The GeoThermal System’s Indoor Portion: What It Involves
A geothermal heating and cooling system consists of an indoor and an outdoor portion, both of which are vital to the system’s function. The basic structure of a water-source geothermal system requires an outdoor system of pipes, often referred to as the water loop, placed in a well, aquifer, lake or other water source at a depth where the water retains a consistent year-round temperature. Ground-source heat pumps use a similar loop system buried at a distance beneath the surface where the temperature stays about 50 degrees all year long.
Water or refrigerant flowing through these outdoor loop system captures heat from the ground or water, taking best advantage of the constant temperatures of the source. The refrigerant then flows indoors to the geothermal system’s indoor portion.
The indoor portion is actually the heat pump element of the system. The unit, about the size of a small refrigerator, in installed inside your home. It uses a relatively small amount of electricity during both heating and cooling functions, but in general is much more energy efficient than traditional fuel-based or electric furnaces and air conditioners. It’s also extremely quiet during operation.
The indoor unit is connected directly to the outdoor loop system. For home heating in the winter, the heat pump extracts heat from the water or refrigerant flowing through the water-loop or ground-loop pipes. It then distributes that heat via powerful blowers and fans that send heated air through the ductwork and to areas around your home.
In the summer, the process is reversed as the heat pump captures heat from your home’s indoor air and sends it out through the outdoor loop, where the heat is dispersed in the ground or water. Cool air is left behind, which is distributed by the unit’s fans.
With more than 30 years of experience in HVAC and geothermal systems, Symbiont Service Corp. is a major provider of geothermal heating and cooling systems for customers along Florida’s Suncoast. Contact us today for more information on your geothermal system’s indoor portion and how geothermal works to bring you highly efficient heating and cooling at the most economical price.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Englewood, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about GeoThermal systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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