Geothermal Heating & Cooling

How a geothermal heating and cooling system works
WaterFurnace Geothermal Sytems provide years of comfort

WaterFurnace Geothermal Heating and Cooling Systems come in three basic configurations, designed to meet the needs of your home and provide the highest efficiency and the greatest energy savings.

HOW YOU BENEFIT:

WaterFurnace geothermal heating and cooling products are among the most efficient, energy-saving, environmental heat pumps you can purchase. They are a natural heat pump that will give you years of reliable, safe home comfort at a low cost.

Lower Operating Cost
A WaterFurnace geothermal heat pump system operates more efficiently than ordinary heating and air conditioning systems because it can deliver an astounding five units of energy for every one unit of electrical energy used. By combining stored earth energy with safe electric power, many WaterFurnace owners realize savings up to 70% for heating, cooling, and hot water.

Enhanced Comfort
Our geothermal systems provide precise distribution of comfortable air all year long, eliminating hot spots and cold spots. During heating, you'll experience warm air without the hot blasts associated with ordinary gas furnaces, or the cooler air of an air source heat pump. Additionally, when cooling, our geothermal units deliver cool, dehumidified air.

Quiet
Unlike ordinary air conditioners or heat pumps, there is no noisy outdoor unit to disturb your outdoor environment or your neighbors. WaterFurnace units are designed and constructed for "whisper quiet" operation, similar to your refrigerator.

Reliable
Unlike air conditioners and heat pumps, geothermal units are installed indoors (like your refrigerator), so they are not subject to wear and tear caused by rain, snow, ice, debris, extreme temperatures or vandalism. Geothermal units have proven to be very reliable and require less maintenance.

Environmentally Friendly
According to the Department of Energy and the EPA, geothermal systems are the most environmentally friendly way to heat and cool your home. Our systems emit no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide or other greenhouse gasses, which are considered to be major contributors to environmental air pollution. They are truly a natural, green heat pump.

HOW IT WORKS:

Click to enlarge. WaterFurnace highest-efficiency heat pumpNo matter what climate you live in, the temperature throughout the year varies. For some climates that means blazing summers that cool to frigid winters. What many people don't realize is that the temperature below ground (regardless of climate or season) stays fairly consistent all year.

The ground is able to maintain a higher rate of temperature consistency because it absorbs 47% of the suns energy (heat) as it hits the Earth's surface. WaterFurnace geothermal systems are able to tap into this free energy with an earth loop. This technology is then used to provide your home or office with central heating and cooling.

Heating
During the heating cycle, a WaterFurnace geothermal system uses the earth loop to extract heat from the ground. As the system pulls heat from the loop it distributes it through a conventional duct system as warm air. The same heat energy can also be used for a radiant floor system or domestic hot water heating.

Cooling
In the cooling mode, a WaterFurnace geothermal system air conditions your home by reversing the heating process. Instead of extracting heat from the ground, it is extracted from your home and either moved back into the earth loop, or used to preheat the water in your hot water tank. Once the heat is removed from the air, it is distributed through the duct system in your home.

Geothermal vs. Geoexchange: what's in a name?
Geothermal energy has been used to heat and air condition buildings for several decades, and, during that time, these geothermal systems have been called many different things. Some of the more popular variations include geo-thermal, geoexchange, ground-water, ground-water assisted, ground-water-source, water-to-water, and even our company name, water furnace heating and cooling.

DIFFERENT LOOPS AVAILIBLE:

Here Are the Facts on Residential Loops

Three Basic Geothermal Energy Sources
Closed-loop systems circulate a water-based solution through a "loop system " of small-diameter, high-density polythylene underground pipes. Closed-loop systems can be installed horizontally, vertically or in a pond. Open-loop systems use an existing water well or surface water. Regardless of whether the system is open or closed, heat is transferred to or from the structure to provide year-round comfort, no matter what the outdoor temperature is.
Horizontal Loops
Horizontal Loops
Often used when adequate land surface is available. Depending on geothermal system needs and space available, pipes are placed in trenches that range in length from 100 to 400 feet.

Vertical Loops
Vertical Loops
The ideal choice for a geothermal heat pump when available land surface is limited. Well drilling equipment is used to bore small-diameter holes from 100 to 400 feet deep.

Pond (Lake) Loops
Pond (Lake) Loops
Very economical to install when a large body of water is available for use by the geothermal heating and cooling system. Coils of pipe are simply placed on the bottom of the pond or lake to capture the geothermal energy.

Open loops (Well-Water Systems)
Open loops (Well-Water Systems)
In ideal conditions, an open-loop application can be the most economical type of geothermal system. These use groundwater from a well as a direct energy source.
(Click on the loop diagrams for larger images)
If you have questions or would like more information please feel free to contact us at 763-689-3141 or 320-679-9532. We will schedule time for our Comfort Advisor to sit down with you and discuss the benefits and energy savings of a new Geothermal system.