Today, there are different geothermal options for HVAC systems that can provide your home with heating and cooling all year. These can be heat pump systems; radiant heating and cooling; or other HVAC systems. You want to choose the right design for the needs of your home. The following HVAC systems can give you the heating and cooling you need all year.
Geothermal Heat Pump Mechanical Systems
Geothermal heat pump systems are great for heating and cooling your home. They use a thermal exchange with pipes that transfer heat. The different options for a geothermal loop for your HVAC system include:
- Ground loop systems that use buried pipes
- Pond systems that use pipes sunk in water
- Well systems that use a well to provide the thermal exchange
If you want an affordable solution, well or pond loops will be your best option.
Ground-Source Heat Pump Systems
A good option to consider is a ground-source heat pump. This is the most common type of system used for geothermal mechanical system design. The features of a ground-source heat pump include:
- Buried pipes that provide the thermal exchange
- Closed-loop design less vulnerable to wear
- Options to easily integrate heating, cooling, and other mechanical systems
Ground-source heat pump systems can be used for more conventional forced-air AC systems, as well as for radiant heating systems.
Radiant Heating Systems
The benefit of a ground-source heat pump is that it can be integrated into many different HVAC systems. If you want to keep a radiant heating system during the winter months, the geothermal loop can be connected to the boiler. A few things to consider for connecting the geothermal heat pump to your radiant heating system include:
- Closed-loop systems that work the best for radiant heating
- Radiant heating systems that will need to have antifreeze
- In-floor heating design that is better for geothermal systems
Consider these factors when connecting the geothermal loop to your radiant heating system. There are also thermal storage and solar water heaters. These mechanical components can connect to the boiler to provide more thermal energy for the heating system.
Geothermal Hydro-Air Systems for Heating
Hydro-air heating systems are another option to consider for your household heating needs. These systems use fluids to heat your home, rather than a conventional furnace. The hydro-air system can use a boiler like radiant heating but will work like forced-air AC. These systems have a heat exchanger mounted inside the plenum of ductwork. It is also easy to expand hydro-air systems if you want to add heating to areas in the future.
These are geothermal HVAC systems that can give you efficient heating and cooling all year. Call an HVAC company for heating and AC services and talk to them about planning the installation of these systems for the needs of your home.
