Introduction Are you interested in purchasing a ground source heat pump? If yes, then you must first understand as to what a ground source heat pump means. The pump is also often called geo thermal heat pump. In its simplest form, a ground source heat pump is a device that draws the heat from the ground. This heat energy is pumped and further distributed inside the rooms, thus keeping them warm.
Types of ground source heat pumps In general, you can find that there are two types of ground source heat pumps available today. One is the closed loop system or horizontal loop system and the other is known by the name of bore hole system. In the UK, both these systems are found to be advantageous for efficient operation. The fact is that the temperature at a depth varying from 1.2m to 1.5m below the surface of the ground in your garden will always remain fairly constant. Hence, a temperature ranging between 5 to 15 degrees is found, which is primarily dependent on the season and period of the year. This condition will provide you as a constant source of heat energy. The ground source heat pump will extract this heat and transfer it into your home.
Closed loop system of ground source heat pumps In this system, you need to dig trenches measuring nearly 1to 1.5 metres in depth. This should be done lower than the actual frost line and located near your own house. At the bottom you should lay pipe work that is shape like a U or slinky, which is a very efficient option to choose. In the UK, on an average, for a three bed house, the U-shaped installation of the pipe needs about 10.5 kilowatts related to heating energy. For this piping system, you need three trenches with 115 to 180 metres of pipe to be laid in every trench.
Cost of digging a trench Digging a trench in a closed loop system option would cost nearly half of that of adopting a borehole system.
Cost of installation In the UK, the installation cost would range from £6,000 to £15,000.This rests on how big your house is, and the demand for hot water in your family. In this regard, it is possible for you to produce hot water at a temperature varying from 35 to 45 degrees Celsius. This condition is also suitable for under-floor heating of your rooms.
Advantages of buying ground source heat pumps You can see that installation of a ground source heat pump is considered as an expensive method. However, when once the initial installation is done, the overall operating expenses of the pump on a long term basis will reduce. This is true given that the pump is working efficiently. However, the cost of electricity is expected to increase, on the other hand, you need not pay for any gas or oil. Hence, in the long run, you will see that the bill for operating such pumps is reduced. These ground source heat pumps work on electricity. Instead of this arrangement, you can install photovoltaic panels as it forms a suitable companion that allows you to produce your own electricity. You can use this power to run your pump and is a cheaper option to adopt.
Conclusion Buying a ground source heat pump is found to be more expensive to install even though the efficiency of these pumps is very high. The pumps are rated to operate at three hundred percent efficiency. From each kilowatt of electrical energy used to operate the pump, it is possible to harness three kilowatts of energy from the ground.
Author Bio
The author of this article is associated with Global Energy Systems and write various articles related to Heat Pumps UK and its benefits.
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