Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Ground Source Heat Pump’ Category

Ground Source Heat Pump Issues to Watch For

Monday, November 28th, 2016

One of the most reliable types of HVAC systems on the market today is that of the ground source heat pump, mostly due to its longevity. However, just because it is a reliable and sturdy system doesn’t mean that it will never run into repair issues. These kind of repairs are often a source of concern for homeowners as there is a buried ground loop involved.

But not to worry—our highly experienced and trained technicians know how to handle any repair issues that might develop with your geothermal system, including any that occur within the system’s loop. Read further for a few of the most common ground source heat pump issues to keep an eye out for.

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Is Your Ground Source Heat Pump Fully Prepared for winter?

Monday, October 3rd, 2016

If you use a ground-source heat pump—also referred to as a geothermal heat pump—to heat and cool your home, then you are already equipped with one of the most efficient home comfort systems available on the market today. Ground-source heat pumps are highly effective, reliable, advantageous for the environment, and have lifespans that leave traditional heaters and air conditioning systems in the dust.

However, it’s important that you not let the long service life of this system trick you into thinking that you don’t need to take care of it with routine preventive maintenance. Just as with a standard heat pump or some other home comfort system, your ground-source heat pump must receive a maintenance inspection from trained professionals—such as the experts on our staff—twice a year, once in the spring and once again in the fall.

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How Can Heat Pump Reversing Valves Help Heat Homes in Kirkland?

Monday, June 11th, 2012

As conventional energy resources dwindle and become more expensive, alternatives increase in popularity.  Heat pumps in Kirkland, like the natural heat they harness, are fast rising to the surface.

Tapping the stored energy of the greatest solar collector in existence, ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) are electrically powered systems that tap the earth’s relatively constant temperature to provide cooling, heating, and hot water for homes and commercial buildings. Simple, efficient and abundant, heat pumps are best used in moderate to hot climates where the differential of temperatures is not extreme.

In General

Functioning on the same principle as refrigerators, the heat pump uses a liquid to absorb heat as it turns into a gas and release heat as it returns to a liquid state. During the summer, the heat pump operates as a standard central air conditioner, removing heat from the house and venting it to the outside.

In the winter, the heat pump reverses this process, extracting heat from the cold air outside and releasing it inside the house. The heat pump is very efficient when the outside temperature is around 45 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but it becomes less efficient as the temperature drops.

The Heart of the Matter

The reversing valve in the heat pump switches the process from absorbing heat from the inside to evacuate outdoors like an air conditioner to extracting heat from cold temperatures outside and redistributing it indoors.  The thermal energy at play is the natural force of heat to move toward cooler temperatures, releasing energy in the shift.  Heat pumps take care of both and the reversing valve controls the direction of the flow.

The reversing valve has two states of operation: relaxed and energized.  In the relaxed state, the heat pump can be programmed to introduce either heated or cooled temperatures into the conditioned space, depending on the direction of the flow of refrigerant through the closed loop.

By applying a 24 volt charge of AC current (a low voltage typically used in HVAC systems), the valve becomes energized and reverses the flow, producing the opposite conditioning.  The reversing valve may be driven by the heat pump through the use of a control board or directly by a thermostat.

As energy resources rapidly change in cost and supply, heat pumps utilizing geothermal energy are looking like a viable alternative in today’s market.  To learn more about this heating option please call Sound Heating

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