Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Geothermal Heating’

Why Consider Geothermal Heating?

Monday, January 7th, 2013

As energy costs continue to rise and the green movement continues to pick up momentum, many homeowners are looking for more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly home heating options. Before you make any decisions about a new heating system for your home, call Tucker’s Air Conditioning & Heating. We have some information about geothermal heating and cooling systems that you may want to consider. There are a lot of benefits that come with this type of heating system, and we can help you decide if a geothermal heating system installation is right for your home and personal heating habits.

A geothermal system, like other heat pumps, does not consume energy in order to heat your home. Rather, it will use just a small amount of electricity in order to transfer existing heat, allowing it to heat your home in a sustainable way as well as cooling it with a simple reversal of the operation. The elimination of the need for fuel consumption greatly reduces the amount of energy your system will use, in turn greatly reducing the amount of money it takes to keep your home comfortable throughout the heating season.

Geothermal heating systems are also very durable and boast long, efficient lifespans. A geothermal loop system is buried beneath the ground surrounding your home or submerged under water on your property. It is from here that heat is gathered as an antifreeze solution or, in some cases, water itself circulates throughout the loop system. The underground loop system will last you decades, and the heat pump itself has fewer moving parts than many other heaters, cutting down on wear and tear.

The fact that geothermal heating and cooling systems rely on heat beneath the ground or under water also makes them more predictable and dependable than other heat pumps, such as those drawing heat from the air. This is because the temperature beneath the ground or water is much less susceptible to fluctuations than the air is. This makes the geothermal heating option more versatile and reliable in harsher climates.

For more information about why you may want to consider a geothermal heating system on your property, contact Tucker’s Air Conditioning & Heating today at 301-670-0034. We have all the information you need. Call us to discover if a geothermal heating system is right for your home.

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Can Geothermal Systems Reduce Humidity?

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Geothermal heating systems are a great way to heat and cool your home dependably in a very ecofriendly way. In addition to transferring ambient heat from the ground or water on your property for use in your house, geothermal systems are also effective at reducing humidity levels in your home. At Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating we know that great temperature control is only part of the recipe to keep your home as comfortable as possible. The quality of the air in your home is just as important, and high levels of humidity create uncomfortable living conditions and reduce indoor air quality. If you are thinking about the installation of a new heating and cooling system and are also concerned about humidity levels in your home call the experts at Tuckers. We’ll help you decide if a geothermal heating and cooling system is right for you.

Problems Caused by High Humidity Levels

A little extra moisture in the air inside your home may not sound like that big a deal, but in fact excess humidity can cause some problems. In addition to uncomfortable, clammy air, high humidity levels can promote the growth of bacteria that thrive in damp environments. Too much moisture in the air can damage moldings and any wooden furniture or floors. You may also notice that the paint or wallpaper in your home is peeling away from the walls. Too much moisture can cause affect the adhesion of the paint and wallpaper to the walls, causing the separation. Even conditions that seem like minor annoyances, such as condensation on your windows, can cause damage as the water pools at the bottom of the window.

How Geothermal Heat Pump Systems Help

Geothermal systems keep humidity levels in the comfortable zone between 30-50%. High levels of moisture are removed from the air in your home, and it is condensed into a liquid and drained by the geothermal heat pump. This lowers the relative humidity level inside and helps prevents the problems that humidity can lead to discussed above. In fact, geothermal heat pumps generally do a better job at lowering indoor humidity levels than traditional air conditioning systems. They accomplish this by providing your home with very constant air conditioning performance and maintaining more level temperatures throughout the day.

If you have any other questions about the installation or operation of geothermal heating and cooling systems call the experts at Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating at 301-670-0034. We’d be happy to answer any questions that you may have. We serve Gaithersburg, Rockville, Bethesda, Germantown, and the surrounding areas.

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A Geothermal Question: How Does Geothermal Heating and Cooling Work?

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Geothermal heating and cooling is a very energy-efficient way to keep your indoor space warm in winter and cool during summer.  As a geothermal company in Gaithersburg, Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating can help you understand exactly how geothermal heating and cooling works.

Geothermal systems are made up of a geothermal heat pump and a series of pipes called a geothermal loop system that is placed underground.  The geothermal heat pump moves the liquid through the loop system and into or out of the building.

During the heating process, heat is absorbed from the ground via the loop system and the heat pump transfers that heat to the air circulating in your ductwork.  In this instance, the liquid circulating through the loops is colder than the ground that surrounds it, which allows the liquid to absorb energy in the form of heat from the earth.  The liquid is then pumped through the heat pump and it is used to heat the air.

During the cooling process, the reverse happens.  In the summer, the liquid circulating in the loop is warmer than the ground which surrounds it, allowing the liquid to absorb the cooler temperatures found just underground.  The heat pump then uses the cooled liquid to cool the air and circulate it in your home.

Let the geothermal experts at Tuckers Air Conditioning & Heating walk you through the geothermal process, and help you determine if a geothermal heating and cooling system is the right option for you.

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Geothermal Myths: Some Info You May Like to Read

Monday, November 14th, 2011

As with any misunderstood technology, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions concerning geothermal heat pumps and how well they work. While these types of systems certainly have their limitations, the same is true of just about any type of heating and cooling system you could have installed in your Kentlands home. But if you are really trying to evaluate whether or not a geothermal heating system is right for your home, you need to know exactly what is true about these systems and what is just not true.

For instance, there is a widely held belief that geothermal energy is not a viable heating option in areas with harsh winters. The fact is, though, that even when the air temperature outside is below freezing, the temperature several feet below ground can be as high as 55°F.

With a ground temperature like that, a geothermal heat pump will have no trouble extracting enough heat to keep your home comfortable even when it is well below freezing outside. And even when the ground freezes, the frost usually only extends three or four feet below the surface. Since the pipes for your geothermal heat pump will be at least four feet down, the frost should not affect them at all.

Also, it is common for people to assume that geothermal heat pumps will always need to have a regular heating system in place to serve as a backup. In fact, a geothermal heat pump is quite capable of providing consistent and adequate heating for your entire house as long as it is properly sized and installed. Make sure you are dealing with an experienced and qualified contractor and you will have no problems along these lines.

There are also plenty of myths floating around out there that geothermal heat pumps are just too expensive to make sense as a home heating solution. The truth is that geothermal heating costs almost nothing to operate.

While it is true the geothermal systems are quite a bit more expensive to install than many of the other options, alternative heating systems will still cost a significant amount to install and you will also have to pay much more to operate them on a regular basis. With a geothermal heating system, you pay quite a bit up front, but it is a one-time cost and there will be minimal monthly heating bills after that.

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