Frequently Asked Questions
Can a geothermal heat pump also cool my
home?
Can a heat pump provide 100% of my heating and cooling needs?
Can a geothermal heat pump heat my hot water for my home?
Where is this heat pump installed?
How efficient is a geothermal heat pump?
What does a system cost?
What about comfort?
Can I heat my pool?
I have a very
large house, can a unit heat and cool my home?
What kind of maintenance can I expect?
Is there improved indoor air quality with this system?
How do geothermal heat pumps compare to conventional systems?
Will this system add value to my home?
Do geothermal heat pump systems have the lowest
impact on the environment?
What is the life of a system?
What is the warranty?What is Geothermal Energy?
What is a Geothermal Heat Pump?
What type of Geothermal Heat Pumps are
available?
How is a heat pump sized?What is an open-loop system?
How much groundwater does an open-loop
system need?
What problems can be caused by poor water
quality?
Does an open-loop system cause environmental
damage?
Are there any laws that apply to open-loop
installation?
What is a closed-loop system?
How long will the pipe last?
How are the pipe sections of the loop joined?
What is the fluid in the loops?
We know a geothermal
heat pump can heat, but can it also cool my home? Yes, one
of the reasons a heat pump is so versatile and efficient is
its ability to heat and cool as one system. With a flick of
a switch on your indoor thermostat the geothermal heat pump
changes from heating to cooling.
What type of
Geothermal Heat Pumps are available? Taabe offers you the
most efficient, comfortable, reliable and quiet heat pump available
today. With installations for both commercial and residential
projects, we offer Forced Air, Hydronic,
Combination, dual stage, Domestic Hot Water and
Commercial Consoles. Forced air heat pump systems are commonly
used in homes today. Conventional ductwork distributes hot
or cold air and provides humidity control.
Hydronic heat pumps heat or chill water which is used in a
wide variety of distribution systems including: radiant floor,
cast iron radiators, baseboard hydronic, and fan coils. Typical
applications are residential, commercial, and industrial. Other
uses are: ice rinks, fish farms, snow melt, car washes, dairy
farms or any other application that requires heated or chilled
water.
Combination heat pumps offer the best of both forced air and
hydronic in one unit. In addition to the standard forced air
heating and cooling capabilities, combo units also offer
hydronic distribution for operations such as radiant floor,
cast iron radiators, baseboard hydronic and fan coils.
Console heat pumps are free standing units that do not require
a distributing system. They are aesthetically appealing, as
are used in applications such as: hotel rooms, class rooms,
churches, warehouses and industrial work areas. (back
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Can a heat pump provide 100%
of my heating and cooling needs? Heat pumps can provide 100%
of your heating and cooling requirements. All heat pumps will
show significantly improved energy efficiency; however some
are designed for higher heating loads while others are biased
towards higher cooling loads, still others provide a more balanced
approach. These factors combined with your geographical region
can have a large impact on the economics. (back
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Can a geothermal heat pump heat my hot water for my home?
Domestic hot water is available with the use of a heat pump
for pennies a day or even free. A hot water desuperheater is
a heat exchanger built into the heat pump and is designed to
remove high temperature heat from the refrigerant gases. A
typical hot water desuperheater will generally provide 120ƒ F
water and can supply most of the domestic water needs depending
on the amount of consumption.(back to top)
Where is this heat pump installed?
Heat pumps are located indoors. This is very appealing
for many reasons. Indoor installations free up outdoor space
allowing better architectural design and yard usage. Noise
normally associated with outdoor condensers is eliminated and
because the electrical controls and heat exchanger coils are
protected from the elements this then allows greater system
longevity. (back to top)
How efficient is a
geothermal heat pump? Depending on individual circumstances
efficiency can reach %500. On average though operating costs
with geoexchange heat pumps are about 75% less than electric
heating devices and 50% less than air source heat pumps. Cooling
costs are 25% - 50% lower when compared to conventional air
conditioners. In addition, because hot water is supplied by
the heat pump at these efficiencies and higher, your overall
savings are increased even more. (back to top)
What does a system like this
cost? How long is the payback period for your geothermal heat
pump system? This, of course will vary greatly depending on
individual circumstances, but on average a typical home of
2000 square feet will generally cost between $14,000 - $18,000.
This represents somewhere around double the costs of a conventional
heating, cooling and hot water system. When it comes to payback,
we often see a 3 ñ 5 year payback of these additional
costs. Then itís money in the bank from that point on. (back
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What about comfort? Cost
savings aside many people say you canít beat the comfort of
a geoexchange heat pump. (back to top)
Can I heat my pool? Yes. Indoor
and outdoor pools are easily heated inexpensively with geoexchange
heat pumps. (back to top)
I have a very
large house, can your unit heat my home? Yes, systems
have been designed for homes as large as 20,000 square feet. (back
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What kind of maintenance
can I expect? A properly installed geoexchange closed-loop
heat pump requires very little maintenance aside from regularly
maintaining the air filter and air blower assembly. Water coil
maintenance is recommended on open-loop installations as water
quality can greatly affect the heat exchanger efficiency. (back
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Is there improved indoor air quality with this system? Yes.
An all-electric heat pump system produces no products of combustion
therefore no indoor air pollutants are possible. Conventional
gas and propane systems require chimneys to vent away harmful
carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases. (back
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How is a heat pump sized? We
will size your heat pump based on an accurate heating and cooling
analysis of the home or building. Factors like the type of
windows and insulation R. values are taken into account and
a BTU per hour heat loss and heat gain will result. The heat
pump is then sized and will keep you warm during the coldest
winter night and cool on the hottest summer day. (back
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How do geothermal heat
pumps compare to conventional systems? Although heat pumps
normally cost more to install over conventional systems the
increased comfort, lower energy and maintenance costs result
in customer satisfaction. Most people surveyed said they
would recommend a geoexchange heat pump to a friend or relative. (back
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Will this system add value to my home? Yes. More and more
Home Appraisers and Real-estate Agents are educated and acknowledge
a geothermal system as a renewable energy source with greater
value. (back to top)
Is it true that geothermal heat pump systems have the lowest
impact on the environment? Yes. ECONAR heat pumps only move
the heat from one place to another. Because only a fraction
of the energy generated is consumed by the heat pump, it therefore
has a very low impact on the environment. (back
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What is the life of a system? Experts believe 18-23 years
of serviceable life is expected from ground source heat pumps.
This is nearly double that of conventional systems. (back
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What is the warranty?
Residential Installations:
ï 2 years parts
ï 5 years refrigeration components
ï Lifetime heat exchanger
Commercial Installations:
ï 1 year parts
ï 5 years refrigeration components (back
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What
is Geothermal Energy? There are two types: 1. High grade 2.
Low grade High-grade geothermal energy is the heat of the earth’s
pressure that turns water into stream. Old Faithful at Yellowstone
National Park is an excellent example. Low-grade geothermal
energy is the heat within the earth’s crust. This heat
is actually stored solar energy. A geoexchange heat pump taps
into this low grade geothermal energy and delivers big energy
savings when heating, cooling and making hot water. (back
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What is a Geothermal
Heat Pump? A heat pump is a mechanical device used for heating
and cooling which operates on the principle that heat can be
moved from a warmer temperature to a cooler temperature. A
geothermal heat pump uses the earth to warm us in the winter
and cool us in the summer. You already have a heat pump in
your home – your refrigerator. If you put your hand behind
it you’ll feel the heat that has been removed from the
food inside the refrigerator. This is the same principle that
a geoexchange heat pump uses to move heat to and from the home
and earth. Remember that the heat pump moves heat from a low
temperature source to a high temperature source. The process
of elevating low temperature heat to over 100°F and transferring
it indoors involves a cycle of evaporation, compression, condensation
and expansion. A refrigerant is used as the heat transfer medium
which circulates within the heat pump. The cycle starts as
the cold liquid refrigerant passes through a heat exchanger
(evaporator) and absorbs heat from the low temperature source
(liquid from the ground loop). The refrigerant evaporates into
a gas as heat is absorbed. The gaseous refrigerant then passes
through a compressor where the refrigerant is pressurized,
raising its temperature to over 160º F. The hot gas then
circulates through a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger where
heat is removed and pumped into the home at about 100º F.
When it loses the heat, the refrigerant changes back to a liquid.
The liquid is cooled as it passes through an expansion valve
and begins the process again. To air condition, the flow is
reversed. (back to top)
What is an open-loop
system? An open-loop system is used less frequently, but may
be employed cost-effectively if ground water is plentiful.
Open-loop systems in fact, are the simplest to install and
have been used successfully for decades in areas where local
codes permit. This type of system uses ground water from an
aquifer and is piped directly from the well to the building,
where it transfers its heat to a heat pump. After it leaves
the building, the water is disposed of by one of three methods.
1. Surface drainage – to a low area such as a pond, river,
lake or stream, etc. 2. Sub surface – to a dedicated
drainfield sized to the required volume of water of the heat
pump. 3. Re-injection or discharge well - water is pumped back
into the same aquifer through a separate discharge well. Local
environmental officials should be consulted whenever an open-loop
system is being considered. (back to top)
How much groundwater
does an open-loop system need? Geothermal heat pumps used in
open-loop systems need differing amounts of water depending
on the size of the unit and the manufacturer’s specifications.
The water requirement of a specific model is usually expressed
in gallons per minute (g.p.m.) and is listed in the specifications
for that unit. Your water well and heat pump combination should
be large enough to supply the water needed by the heat pump
in addition to your domestic water requirements. (back
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What problems can be
caused by poor water quality? Poor water quality will cause
serious problems in open-loop applications. Your water should
be tested for hardness, acidity and iron content before the
heat pump is installed. Poor water quality can cause mineral
deposits to build up inside the heat pump heat exchanger and
periodic cleaning will be required. Water from flowing springs,
ponds, lakes or river sources are not recommended for heat
pump use, unless proven to be free of excessive particulate
and organic matter. These sediments will contaminate the heat
exchanger heat pump system and make it inoperable. (back
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Does an open-loop system
cause environmental damage? No, the heat pump only moves heat
from one source to another, therefore no pollution is generated.
The only change in the water after it's used by the heat pump
is a slight increase or decrease in temperature. (back
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Are there any laws that apply
to open-loop installation? In some localities, all or parts
of the installation may be subject to local ordinances, codes,
covenants or licensing requirements. Check with local authorities
to determine if any restrictions apply in your area. (back
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What is a closed-loop system?
Closed-loop systems are becoming most common. There are 5 types
of closed loop systems. All types use a continuous loop where
the heat transfer fluid is circulated. A horizontal loop is
usually the most cost effective when adequate yard space is
available and trenches are easy to dig. Using trenchers or
backhoes digging trenches three to six feet below the ground,
you then lay a series of parallel plastic pipes. The trench
is then back filled, taking care not to allow sharp rocks or
debris to damage the pipe. A typical horizontal loop will have
400-600 feet of pipe per ton of heating and cooling capacity.
Vertical loops are preferred in many installations where yard
space is insufficient and where preservation of existing landscaping
is desirable. Contractors bore vertical holes in the ground
150-450 feet deep. Each hole contains a single loop of pipe
with a U-bend at the bottom. The hole is then backfilled or
grouted to improve the thermal conductivity. Each vertical
pipe is then connected to a horizontal pipe underground to
and from the heat pump. Vertical loops are generally more expensive
to install, but require less piping than horizontal loops.
Slinky loops are used to reduce the heat exchanger per foot
trench requirements but require more pipe per ton of capacity.
This pipe is coiled like a slinky, overlapped and laid in a
trench. Two-pipe systems may require 200-300 feet of more pipe
per ton of nominal heat exchange capacity. The trench length
decreases as the number of pipes in the trench increases or
as slinky overlap increases. Pond loops are a special kind
of closed loop system. Where there is a pond or stream that
is deep enough and with enough flow, closed loop coils can
be placed on the bottom. Geothermal transfer fluid is pumped
just as a closed loop ground system. First cost economics are
very attractive and there is no aquatic environmental impact.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems can be connected to
the earth in a variety of ways. High system performance is
dependent upon good installation practices. (back
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How long will the pipe
last? A high-density polyethylene pipe is used in a closed
loop system and has a 50-year warranty. Independent tests show
a useful life span of over 200 years. (back
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How are the pipe sections
of the loop joined? Thermal fusion and stab fittings are the
only acceptable method used to connect pipe sections. Thermal
fusion connections are either socket or butt fused together
to form a joint stronger than the original pipe. Stab fittings
are fairly new but are proving themselves to be reliable. Using
barbed fittings, clamps and glued joints are unacceptable and
will eventually cause the loop to leak and fail. (back
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What is the fluid in the loops?
There are two types of antifreeze solutions that are used:
propylene glycol and methyl alcohol. These heat transferring
solutions are mixed with water to form a solution for your
specific climate and ground conditions. We use a GTF (geothermal
heat transfer solution) that is a mixture of methyl alcohol
and water. (back
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