No matter what climate you live in, the temperature
throughout the year varies. For some climates that means
blazing summers that cool to frigid winters. What many
people don't realize is that the temperature below ground
(regardless of climate or season) stays fairly consistent
all year.
The ground is able to maintain a higher rate of temperature
consistency because it absorbs 47% of the suns energy (heat)
as it hits the Earth's surface. WaterFurnace geothermal
systems are able to tap into this free energy with an
earth loop. This technology is then used to provide your
home or office with central heating and cooling.
Heating
During the heating cycle, a WaterFurnace geothermal system
uses the earth loop to extract heat from the ground. As the
system pulls heat from the loop it distributes it through a
conventional duct system as warm air. The same heat energy
can also be used for a radiant floor system or domestic hot
water heating.
Cooling
In the cooling mode, a WaterFurnace geothermal system air
conditions your home by reversing the heating process.
Instead of extracting heat from the ground, it is extracted
from your home and either moved back into the earth loop, or
used to preheat the water in your hot water tank. Once the
heat is removed from the air, it is distributed through the
duct system in your home.
Geothermal vs. Geoexchange: what's in a name?
Geothermal energy has been used to heat and air condition
buildings for several decades, and, during that time, these
geothermal systems have been called many different things.
Some of the more popular variations include geo-thermal,
geoexchange, ground-water, ground-water assisted,
ground-water-source, water-to-water, and even our company
name, water furnace heating and cooling.