Water Source vs. Ground Source Heat: Learn the Pros and Cons

January 31, 2017

When you’re looking for a more efficient way to heat your home, heat pumps offer a great solution. They use clean sources of energy, which helps you lower your carbon footprint and save money on your utility bills throughout the winter months. Geothermal heat pumps use a water source or a ground source in order to heat your home. Learn more about the pros and cons of each, so you can decide which one is right for your home.

Water Source Heat Pump

These pumps work by removing heat from a source of water, such as a pond, well or aquifer, and bringing it into homes to warm them up through a series of pipes. During summer, these pumps remove heat from homes and send it back to the water. This type of heat pump typically costs less than ground source heat pumps, since there is no digging required. However, in order to have this type of pump installed on your property, you need to have a source of water available. You should also keep in mind that you might need a cooling tower or other additional equipment installed with a water source pump, which can increase the cost.

Ground Source Heat Pump

These pumps also use a series of pipes to move into and out of homes. Ground source heat pumps pull heat from the ground, and take it to homes for heating when it’s cold out. When it’s hot out, they pull heat from inside homes and move it back to the ground. These pumps can heat homes efficiently and lead to considerable savings on energy bills. However, having them installed requires digging into your lawn in order to place a horizontal or vertical loop system of pipes in the ground. This extra labor typically has higher costs than installing a water source heat pump.

If you need more information on water source and ground source heat for your home, please contact Lozier Heating & Cooling. We offer reliable HVAC services for homeowners in Des Moines.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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