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Chris Cotter
Chris Cotter is the General Manager of SEK Heat & Air, Inc. in Pittsburg, KS. Chris has worked in the HVAC industry for 15 years and first joined SEK in 1996. SEK has been serving residential and commercial customers in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma since 1994, providing sales and service of Conventional and Geo-thermal systems. Call Chris today to learn more about heating and cooling your home in a clean and efficient way at 620-215-3124, by e-mail at Info@SekHeatandAir.com, or visit www.SekHeatandAir.com.
Heating & Air Conditioning
2011-12-05 15:01:01
Geothermal energy
Question: I’ve heard a lot about geothermal energy. What is it, and how can I use geothermal energy to heat and cool my home?
Answer: Geothermal energy is generated in the Earth’s core, from intense heat that is continuously produced. However, you only need to dig a few feet into the ground take advantage of that energy. At a certain depth, the temperature of Earth’s crust stays relatively constant. In our area, a temperature around 580F is usually maintained at a certain depth throughout the year. With a geothermal heat pump, a home or business owner can take the heat stored in the ground and heat their building – either with warm air or radiant floor heat. In the summer, the heat pump runs in reverse and dissipates heat from the air into the ground. Geothermal heat pumps have been around for decades, but innovations in technology have now made geothermal heating and cooling a viable option for homeowners. In fact, you could save up to 70% on your energy bills for heating and cooling with some geothermal systems. Simple payback could be as short as 5 to 7 years, and the life of a geothermal heat pump is comparable to conventional HVAC systems. However, the initial cost of a geothermal system is greater than a conventional system (generally around 30%) because of the ground loops that must be installed in the ground, which will then last for 50 years or more. What is involved in the installation of a geothermal heat pump? The most important aspect of installing a geothermal system is correctly installing the ground loops. Ground loops are pipes that are buried underground, in either a vertical, horizontal, or underwater configuration (if you have a pond or lake nearby). When the loops are connected to the heat pump, fluid is circulated between them transferring the heat between the heat pump and the earth. It’s extremely important to work with an experienced HVAC installer who can install the loop field properly – don’t hesitate to ask for references on this!
 
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