Heat Pumps
Buckley - Mold - Deeside - Flintshire - North Wales - Cheshire - Wirral
Ground Source Heat Pumps
A Ground
source heat pumps, as the name suggests, uses heat stored in the ground as an
energy source. A fluid is pumped round a system and picks up heat from the
ground and transfers it to a holding cylinder. A larger than normal cylinder
than those used in the home is used. This system’s main advantage is that they
are very easy to install and they can be used almost anywhere
How
does a Ground Source Heat Pump systems work?
The upper
three metres of the earth’s surface maintains a nearly constant temperature
between 10 and 16 degrees centigrade, this is the key to how this method works.
The pump pushes a fluid through either a horizontal or a bored vertical closed
loop. The refrigerant fluid is heated by the higher temperature in the ground
and enters a heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to the house’s
heating system and this is stored in a cylinder for use as and when required.
What
are the benefits of Ground Source Heat pump installations?
Whilst the
setup costs are higher than for conventional systems the capital outlay is
usually returned in energy savings in 5 – 10 years. The system life is
estimated at 25 years for the inside components and 50 plus for the ground loop
thus reducing your whole life costs and enabling you to harness the endless
sustainable supply of ground heat.
Installation
of heat pumps
A ground
source heat pump can be installed either horizontally or vertically. With the
horizontal method a series of pipes are installed around 1 to 2 metres deep in
either straight runs or using a ‘slinky’ coil loop field which provides the
same amount of heat but over a much reduced surface area of excavation. With
the vertical method a bore hole is drilled to a depth of around 25m to 150m.
Two pipes are inserted with a U shaped cross connector at the bottom. The
vertical method is used where the area of ground is limited and is more
expensive than the horizontal method.
For details of our efficient Air Source Heat Pumps please click here.
