Here in Morton Grove, IL, geothermal systems make a fascinating alternative to more traditional boilers and forced air furnaces. They’re not for everyone – they require certain specifics in your property and the up-front cost is often higher than other systems – but they offer a number of benefits in the right circumstances. The principles of geothermal heating make those advantages clear and can help you decide if such a system is right for you.
At its heart is an unchanging physical constant: the ambient temperature of the earth remains the same, no matter what the weather is like outside. Once you get below a few feet deep, the same temperature prevails in the winter as it does the summer. With that as a basis, the geothermal system can facilitate a heat exchange with the ground: pulling heat from it or bleeding heat into it depending on what you need. A series of hollow tubes is run through the ground, at least six feet deep or so, and a mixture of water and antifreeze is pumped through it. The mixture will pull ambient heat out of the ground when you need to warm your home, then bring it back inside where it can be distributed through your household.
Geothermal heating costs more to install because you need to uncover a fair amount of ground to put the tubing in. That takes time and personnel, which can up the costs. On the other hand, the tubing involves no moving parts which means repairs are very infrequent. Furthermore because no energy is used to create the heat – only to pump the fluids through the tubes – geothermal heating is very inexpensive to operate and saves a lot on monthly costs over more traditional forms of heating.
For more on the principles of geothermal heating, or to see if such a system is right for you, then give the experts at Shavitz Heating & Air Conditioning a call. Geothermal systems are one of the things we do best, but we also offer other heating services in Morton Grove, IL as well. Give us a call today to discuss your options: we’ll help you through the ins and outs of this exciting form of heating technology!