First, how do these machines work?
There are several major types of Geothermal Heat Pump systems, but the all follow the same fundamental principal. All Geothermal Heat Pump Systems pump heat to or from the ground. So this means they need a ground connection of some sort. They all need to distribute that heat(or lack of heat for A/C) throughout the building. It is in these two areas where there are multiple solutions, and they can be mixed and matched.
Types of Geothermal Heat Pumps
- Water-to-Water systems are used in applications where radiant floor heating or baseboard heating are to be used.
- Water-to-Air these systems are typically used to replace forced air systems, including central air conditioning.
- Refrigerant-to-Water Direct ground connected system similar to Water-to-Water above.
- Refrigerant-to-Air Direct ground connected system similar to Water-to-Air above.
Types of Ground Connections
- Open Loop systems utilize ground water by circulating the ground water up into the Heat Pump and then back to the earth. There are of course several ways to do this.
- Closed loop systems use a liquid coolant that is circulated through pipes buried in the ground. There are also several varieties of this system.
- Direct Exchange(DX) systems route the refrigerant from the Heat pump through copper pipes buried directly in the ground. The layout of the system is much like that of a closed loop system but the increased heat transfer efficiency of the direct system means shorter runs of pipe. The trade off is a higher cost of installation due to the nessesary level of protection of the somewhat delicate refrigerant lines.
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