how does geo-thermal heating work?

Question

I was at a party this weekend and the house had a small pond out front and they used it to heat and cool their house. How is this possible?

Answer 1

Geothermal heating is a method of heating and cooling a building. It takes advantage of the natural stable warmth stored in the earth. Normally the earth temperature is around 55 °F (12.8 °C) at depths of 10 ft (3 m). In climates warmer than 55 °F, this can be used to cool a building, and in colder climates it can be used for warmth. This is accomplished by one of a number of methods. A heat pump uses the extracted water or transfer fluid as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. Some heat pumps provide heating and cooling via forced air distribution, and others through the heating (or chilling) of water for radiant type systems. Some systems are used to heat domestic hot water.

Types of geothermal systems:

Closed Loop. Loops of pipe are buried at a depth of 6 ft (2 m) or greater in the ground. Pipes are placed horizontally (buried in trenches) or buried in deep, vertically-drilled holes, often 200 ft (60 m) or greater below ground level. Water and antifreeze (or other transfer fluid) are circulated through the heat exchanger (heat pump) and back out through the loops continuously. Some closed loop systems bypass a portion of their working fluid with a thermostat to keep the source temperature stable.

Open Loop. Pipes draw water from a nearby water well or a shallow body of water. Once this water passes through the heat pump, it is released back to its source, generally as far from the intake as possible

Answer 2

My father is an architect, and he designed the exact same system in his office, which he built in the late 1970's. He dug a very deep pond next to the office, and used 2 large heat pumps. He ran a heating coil out deep into the pond, and ran water through it. After you go a certain depth, the water is always about 55 degrees, so in the winter, the water in the heating coil would absorb heat from the water and be used to heat the building. In the winter, heat from the building was pumped into the water in the heating coil, and absorbed by the water in the pond. It was very efficient. He also had a greenhouse on the front, and between the two of them, sometimes they even had to run the system in air conditioning mode on sunny days in the winter!

Answer 3

In the case you mention, they are simply using the pond as a heat sink for a heat pump. A heat pump works like a refrigerator in the summer, and a heater in the winter, using air to heat/cool the coils outside the home (see reference 1).

Your friends use the water of the pond to absorb the extra heat or cold on the "opposite side" of the house. See also reference 2.

Answer 4

one in all my associates had geothermal put in on his new abode a pair years in the past. It heated in wintry climate and cooled in summer season. It by no skill extremely did the pastime. He ended up including electric powered warmth and air. I did the electric powered installation on his abode. Thank goodness i did not scrimp on the panelboard and electric powered provider length.