The Pros and Cons Of Using Ground Source Heat Pumps

The Ground Source Heat Pumps is a geothermal system that harnesses the geothermal energy of the ground water to produce heat and thus, the heat is to be used to raise the temperature of the interior environment of a house or a building during winter season. Pipes are to be laid around the house to use these types of systems. These pipes collect the heat from the ground water and then supply it to fridge type equipment installed in the house or the building which ultimately supplies the heat to the interior air of the house. Below are the pros and cons for using this kind of heating mechanism.

The pros of using these systems include:

1. The Ground Source Heat Pumps are eco friendly in their use as ground water are referred to as a clean source of energy. This method doesn't require combustion of fossil fuels or other conventional sources of energy to provide heat that are harmful to the environment. Thus, this feature makes it an excellent green method for use in house warming and heating needs.

2. The energy harnessed from the ground water is free, which makes this system really economical in its use. This system is more economical to use instead of using the electricity driven systems that consume electricity and are costlier as compared to these systems.

3. The higher life of these Ground Source Heat Pumps and usage of the renewable or non-conventional source of energy makes this system to be preferred over the other conventional systems.

4. It requires low maintenance and thus protects you from the maintenance overheads and also guarantees a clean operation.

5. The process of operation is not noisy and there are no noisy outdoor units.

The cons of using these systems include:

1. The Ground Source Heat Pumps are a little costly to install and requires a high cost in laying the wires around the house and to drill the boreholes.

2. These systems require good insulation for their operation. This is the vital requirement in using these systems. If the insulation is not good (normally in the case of old houses) these systems cannot be used efficiently.

3. Apart from the installation charges that are huge in comparison to the other heating systems, Ground Source Heat Pumps require a lot of space for its installation and for drilling the boreholes of the right depth that act as a disadvantage with respect to its other counterparts. Adequate space is a necessity for the installation of these systems and if you live in a dense neighborhood, it will be tough and can be practically impossible for you to use this system.

4. These systems, however, require a little or no maintenance, however, sometimes; there can be a leakage in some of the pipes. Thus, tracing the leakage and to repair it may sometimes prove to be a costly issue in its operation.

5. These systems are also not that efficient and lack in the efficiency as compared to their competitor systems like combination boilers and central heating system. The renewable source of energy is not as efficient as non-renewable source of energy which is produced by these systems in their operation.

The cons of these systems are however based on situations. The real time performance analysis of these systems shows that they have been successful in deployment and usage as compared to the other types. The installation and maintenance may be a little higher but the efficiency of the system is also greater. So, that neutralizes the expenses to be in level with the normal capital and operational expenses as would be incurred in setting up some other system.