If you’ve been thinking about either replacing or upgrading your current heating and air system, then the term ‘geothermal’ has probably crossed your radar at some point or another. 

But here’s the thing:

If you’ve never heard of it before, and/or if you’ve never actually had it installed, you may be wondering what it is and how it works. 

And this is understandable. 

Some of this heating and air tech stuff is tricky. 

And if you’re thinking about spending some money on something—it’s always better to understand it first, so that you can make an educated, informed decision about whether or not it may be the right type of system for you. 

So we decided to put together some information to help you understand not only what geothermal heating and cooling is–but how it can be an extremely practical option for heating your home, saving you some money, and even helping to keep the planet healthier. 

Let’s dive into it. 

What Is Geothermal?

The word ‘geothermal’ is technically defined as simply heat within the earth. 

And geothermal heating and air systems use this principle to create a more efficient source of heat in the winter (and cool air in the summer). 

It basically works like this:

Despite the sometimes rapid temperature changes that we experience above-ground—the ground five feet below the surface tends to maintain a fairly constant temperature all year around. 

And geothermal heating and air systems use this temperature difference to transfer heat between your home and the earth—thereby utilizing it to create a more efficient heating and air-cooling system. 

In a practical sense, installing a geothermal unit involves installing a heat pump and continuously circulating fluid through an underground pipe system (called a ground loop). 

We literally dig a big hole to install this pipe system, and run a loop of pipe down into the ground. 

In the winter, this system draws heat from the ground to help warm your home. And in the summer, it draws heat from within your home and transfers it underground—thereby warming or cooling your space with a greater level of efficiency than would otherwise be possible. 

It’s actually a really cutting-edge technology—and more and more homeowners are looking into these types of systems for the many benefits that they deliver over time. 

How Does Geothermal Save You Money?

While the overall idea of a geothermal system may sound complicated, there’s a really good reason for why they tend to be so popular—especially in an area as ‘temperate’ as the Ozarks. 

Namely—they’re extremely efficient. 

Geothermal systems are one of the most efficient heating and cooling options for homeowners, and can reach levels of efficiency ranging from 300 to 600 percent! 

This leads to lower energy bills—which usually leads to geothermal units actually paying for themselves in 5 to 10 years (depending on how often you run it and on how extreme the temperatures tend to vary in your region). 

Of course, running the system is simple. You simply adjust your thermostat–and the heating pump kicks in to do the rest automatically. 

How Does Geothermal Help The Earth?

Geothermal energy tends to be more environmentally friendly than other options, mostly due to the fact that it’s so efficient—and thus, requires less energy to create a temperature change. 

Since it uses geothermal energy to help warm or cool your living space, you’re just going to burn less fuel to reach the desired temperature—thus, using less electricity, which also translates to burning fewer fossil fuels and/or less natural gas. 

In other words—geothermal isn’t just good for your home and wallet. It’s also good for the environment, while also being extremely reliable in the long term. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, this post has helped you to understand geothermal heating and cooling systems, and how they can benefit homeowners here in the Ozarks. 

If you have any further questions about these types of systems, including the price of installation and/or what it would take to install geothermal in your home—please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

We’d love to talk you through the process, answer your questions, and get you set up with a geothermal unit that’ll save you money, heat your home, and help reduce your carbon footprint—all at the same time!