Geothermal & Air-Source Heat Pumps
In today’s world of rising energy costs, more and more people are looking for ways to save money on their heating and cooling bills. But as technology has greatly improved over the years, heat pumps have become some of the most widely-used options for most Magnolia homes.
However, as geothermal heat pumps have become more common in recent years, many people have had difficulty in deciding between geothermal heat pumps and air source heat pumps. While they share many similarities, there are also vast differences between them.
Air Conditioning Efficiency
While both heat pumps do well when it comes to air conditioning, geothermal heat pumps are generally considered to be the more efficient of the two.
Because they are installed indoors, they are able to use the ground’s temperature as its starting point.
This is in sharp contrast to air source heat pumps, which are installed outdoors and rely on using hot air as their main heat shedder. While this may sound like a minor difference, it’s estimated geothermal pumps save between 20-40 percent on home cooling bills.
Indoors v. Outdoors
When deciding on which type of heat pump to use in your house, one of the biggest decisions to make is whether you want a heat pump that will be installed indoors or outdoors.
Air source pumps are always installed outdoors, since they can be extremely noisy due to the large fans they have to pull air over compressor coils.
However, geothermal units are much quieter because they have a circulation pump for water rather than a fan, allowing them to be as quiet as refrigerators.
Geothermal pumps are also compact enough to be installed indoors, since they are enclosed in a cabinet about the size of a washing machine.
Durability and Reliability
While air source models have been known to be very reliable, they have also been prone to various problems along the way. For example, since their fans draw in dirt and other materials, the bearings inside the heat pump may get severely damaged. Also, since they are outside and exposed to various elements, corrosion can be an issue.
On the other hand, geothermal pumps are stored inside a Magnolia home and thus avoid many of the problems brought on by the elements. Also, air source pumps may last only 10-15 years at a maximum, while most of the geothermal pumps last an average of 20 years or longer.
Find out more info about the differences of geothermal and air source heat pumps in your Magnolia, TX home. Call Affordable American Air Conditioning & Heating at (281) 704-3696 today, to get more insight on this topic.