What?
The ground source heat pumps extract heat from the ground by using the pipes. The heat pumps help in increasing the temperature and then this heat is utilized to heat radiators, hot water or heating systems.
Electricity is required to run the ground source heat pump but uses lesser electrical energy than the heat it produces. The role of heat pump is similar to that of a boiler in a central heating system, but it utilizes the underground heat rather than burning fuel.
How?
Essentially, a ground source heat pump works by circulating a mixture of water and antifreezes it around a loop of pipe which is called the ground loop and it is usually buried in the garden. The heat pump contains an evaporator, compressor and a condenser which draw heat from the water mixture which the fluid has absorbed from the ground and transfers it to your domestic heating system.
The ground remains at quite a constant temperature under the surface enabling the heat pump to be used throughout the year. Ground source pump increase the temperature from the ground between one and half and total four times. For example, if the ground is at 12C, the generated heat would be between 18 and 48C.
Length of the ground loop determines on the size of your home and your required amount of heat. Longer loops can extract more heat from the ground but they need more space to be buried in. Usually the loop is laid flat or coiled in trenches to about two meters deep in the ground, but if sufficient space isn’t available, vertical borehole can be drilled instead into the ground up to the depth of 100 meters for normal domestic need.
Heat pumps tend to have an impact on the surrounding environment as electricity is required to run them, but the heat extracted from the ground, air or water is continuously being renewed naturally.
Why?
Why you need ground source heat pumps will be justified by the following benefits:
- Ground source heat pumps can reduce your fuel bills especially if they are replaced by the conventional electrical heating systems.
- Ground source heat pumps do not require much maintenance.
- Ground source heat pump creates much less CO2 then conventional heating systems.
- You could generate income because of ground source heat pump through the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme which offers payments to those homeowners who have heat pump installed. The estimated amount is calculated to be between £2,610 and £3,940 a year for an average four-bedroom home.
- For every unit of electricity used to power the pump, you get two to four unit of heat which is an efficient way of heating a building.
- You cannot only use the heat for domestic purposes wherever you may need warm water for, but also for heating your home.
Ground heat pumps tend to deliver heat at lower temperatures for much longer time periods and during winters they need to be powered on at all times to heat your home efficiently. Your radiators wouldn’t be hot to touch either if you use ground source heat pump.
A cost effective and efficient solution to your heating needs!