How do geothermal heating systems transfer heat?

The way a traditional furnace transfers heat is easy for most people to understand- but how do geothermal heating systems transfer heat? With a geothermal heating system, there is no combustion like with a gas or fossil fuel-powered furnace. The energy source for these systems lies beneath the ground.

Geothermal heating systems work by transferring heat from one area to another. They work very similarly to the refrigerator in your kitchen, which moves hot air out of the interior to keep perishable food cool. Geothermal heating systems transfer heat from the earth into your home to keep you warm in the winter, and transfers heat from your home back into the earth in the summer to keep you cool.

The ground loop which is installed in conjunction with geothermal heating systems uses fluids to absorb the warm temperatures from within the ground to heat a home. When the earth is warmer than the fluid in the ground loop, the fluid works to absorb the warmer temperatures and moves this energy back to your home. Just like a refrigerator or traditional air conditioner, geothermal heating systems use a refrigerant, like Freon. The refrigerant allows the system to extract heat from the fluid inside your ground loop.

As you may know, geothermal heating systems provide not only heating, but cooling as well. When cooling is needed, the same principles are at work, except heat is drawn from your home and travels back into the cool earth through the warm loop fluid. Geothermal heating systems work simply by transferring heat from one place to the next- no combustion needed!

Geothermal heating systems transfer heat much differently than a traditional furnace. Because they lack the use of combustible fuels and use natural energy from within the earth, geothermal heating systems use less energy and are an efficient choice for many homes. To learn more about how geothermal heating systems work, or to schedule a consultation for your home, contact Smith Sustainable Design today.