Considering a new unit but aren’t sure which one to choose? Here’s a comparison of two popular heating systems to keep you and your family toasty during the winter.
This pros and cons guide will take a look at both to see which one would be best for your home. For expert advice and services, check out this heating and air conditioning company in West Fork, AR.
Cost
Air source and geothermal heat pumps both offer great savings, yet each has different upfront costs. A geothermal system’s price depends on its size, location and whether it’s being installed into an existing structure or retrofitted later.
Geothermal systems are more costly than air source heat pumps (ASHPs), yet offer lower operating costs and are an excellent choice in colder climates. Geothermal heat pumps can save residents up to 70% on heating and cooling costs in contrast to fossil fuel furnaces and AC units.
Geothermal is notorious for consuming considerable energy to operate and will be dependent on how your local utility company generates energy. Many customers opt to supplement their geothermal system with solar panels as a means to counterbalance how much utility company electricity they require for heating and cooling their home or building.
Air-source heat pumps also rely on electricity as their energy source, which can significantly increase your electric bill over time. Therefore, check with the electric provider in your area about available rebates or rates when upgrading to heating upgrades.
Operational capacity and efficiency
Air source heat pumps utilize thermal energy from the atmosphere to warm homes during winter or extract it from indoor air to provide cooling benefits during summer.
Heat pumps work somewhat similarly to conventional air conditioning systems, with an outdoor unit that resembles a ducted air conditioning unit and an indoor handler connected by pipes that go straight to the infrastructure of a building.
Air source heat pumps (ASHPs) can be great solutions in most climates; however, their performance in colder regions may prove challenging due to a drop in outside air temperature that affects their effectiveness and requires backup heating in colder regions to maintain efficiency and prevent the system from failing altogether.
Geothermal heat pumps boast higher operating efficiencies than air-source systems due to their design and placement. Their pipes are buried underground so they are less affected by changes in ambient temperature fluctuations and thus better suit colder climates than air-source systems.
Pairing them with solar technology can make heat pumps even more cost-effective. To reap maximum advantages from pairing air and ground source heat pumps with solar PV panels, install both technologies together using one inverter/power optimizer.
Installation
Note that an air source heat pump (ASHP) typically offers lower upfront costs than geothermal systems; however, both systems can still be costly, and homeowners must carefully consider any long-term savings potential before choosing.
Installers will take measurements and conduct heat loss calculations to ascertain the appropriate size of ASHP for your home and ask you several key questions to help you select one that fits your needs and your budget.
One of the primary factors keeping people from switching their heating systems is worry over disruption in their homes. However, an experienced installation company will work to minimize this disruption while leaving it as clean as when they arrived.
Geothermal systems are slightly more disruptive to your property. These require digging up part of your garden or property to install the ground loop or borehole. This commitment is more of an initial investment but offers significant savings over the lifetime of your system.
Maintenance
Air source heat pumps usually last 15 years when properly maintained. However, their lifespan could be cut in half depending on where you reside in the country; saltwater from coastal environments could damage internal components and require costly repair over its lifespan.
Geothermal heat pumps require far less maintenance, lasting up to 20 to 25 years without needing replacement or repair.
Their underground loop system protects it from the elements, making damage less likely. At the same time, the ground temperature remains between 45 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, making it far simpler for geothermal heat pumps to draw warmth into homes in winter than it would be releasing the energy into 85 degrees Fahrenheit air.
However, the geothermal pipes that make up your geothermal system may need periodic repair due to corrosion issues and extreme climates reducing efficiency. Furthermore, you’ll require an emergency backup plan, such as electrical resistance heating, in case you live in an area prone to natural disasters.
