Three Reasons to Consider a Geothermal Heat Pump

Geothermal heat pumps have been in use since the 1940s, heating and cooling homes in the Boise area efficiently and thoroughly. They use the constant temperature of the earth for their heat transfer medium instead of the outside air temperature as air-source systems utilize. Speak to one for our Quality Heating & Cooling heating and cooling professionals about the different geothermal heat pump options available.

It’s Very Down to Earth

Temperatures above the earth’s surface can fluctuate from sweltering hot to frigid cold, but just below ground the temperature is pretty much constant, ranging in degrees by latitude. This means ground temperature is cooler compared to the air above it during the summer, and warmer than the air in winter. Utilizing a ground heat exchanger, the geothermal heat pump takes full advantage of this opportunity.

Why You Should Seriously Consider a Geothermal Heat Pump

If you are considering investing in a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and you have never looked into a geothermal heat pump, you need to throw the geothermal heat option into your proverbial arena.

Here are some important reasons to take a second—or first—look at geothermal heat pumps:

1. Lower utility and maintenance bills

     The savings on both your utility and HVAC maintenance bills are considerable with a geothermal system. Though the geothermal heat pump with its buried-loop system can cost more for installation than an air-source system, the energy and maintenance savings may compensate you in the long run.

     Typically our professionals see customers recoup their costs with energy savings in five to 10 years. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), a geothermal heat pump will immediately save you 30 to 60 percent on your heating costs and 20 to 50 percent on your cooling over conventional heating systems.

     The majority of this savings is due to the clean, renewable energy it uses as well as the small amount of electricity used transferring the heat to your house from the ground. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates a typical 2000-square-foot home can be heated and cooled for as little as one dollar per day.

     As far as costs for maintaining this system, these too are very reduced. A geothermal heat pump’s life is much longer than those of conventional systems due to the buried outside components. Because the components are not exposed to the elements and have few moving parts, they are much less likely to break.

2. Longer system life span

     The life span of a geothermal heat pump well outdistances that of more conventional heating and cooling systems. The heat pump’s indoor components typically last about 20 to 25 years, compared with 10 to 15 years or less for a furnace or air conditioning unit. The outside ground loop can last more than 50 years.

     If you purchase a new system, chances of you having to replace your geothermal heat pump while you are living in your home are slim. Research actually shows the ground loops can last as long as 100 years. Ask one of our Quality Heating & Cooling heating and cooling experts which one of the closed-loop systems would work best for your Idaho home.

3. Greater environmental considerations

     A geothermal heat pump uses the sun as its clean, renewable energy. This translates to no onsite combustion resulting in no emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, or other greenhouse gases—meaning no combustion-related safety or air quality issues inside your Boise home. The heat pump unit itself does use electricity, which may be generated using fossil fuels, but this is a small amount when comparing it to more traditional fossil-fuel-burning systems.

     Without combustion in these systems, they curb the discharge of conservatory gasses, making them environmentally friendly. According to the Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, putting a geoexchange—or geothermal—system in a typical home is the equivalent in greenhouse gas reduction to planting one acre of trees. Now that’s bragging rights.

Contact Quality Heating & Cooling for All Your Geothermal Heat Pump Needs

These are just three of the many reasons to consider a geothermal heat pump for your next heating and cooling system. Call Quality Heating & Cooling at 208-377-3555 or request service online to discuss this system in more depth and how it will work wonders for your Boise, ID, home.