Is Your Home a Good Candidate for Geothermal Cooling?
It’s finally summer in Atlanta, which means lazy, sunny days accompanied by relentless heat. Instead of relying on your HVAC system to cool down your home, try an alternate cooling system called geothermal cooling. While regular air conditioning units work by removing hot air inside the house and expelling it outdoors, geothermal cooling systems use a loop piping system that transfers indoor heat to the ground outside where it is then absorbed. This method is more efficient because the ground is at a stable and constant temperature, whereas releasing hot air outdoors when it is already hot outside requires ample energy. Before you start researching HVAC services in Atlanta that can provide a geothermal cooling system, read these qualifiers to see if your home is a good candidate for a geothermal unit.
Area Specifics
Geothermal systems use a pipe system that exists underground, so drilling in the yard is necessary for installation. If your home does not have the right kind of soil or landscaping, it may not be a good fit. Generally, homes surrounded by soft soil and do not sit on hills or rugged landscape will make better candidates. The installation process also takes quite a while and involves drilling, so it can be disruptive to nearby neighbors.
Yard Size Matters
Because of the invasive installation process, it is necessary to have a home with a large plot of land. As a result, houses in the city or with minimal yard space do not make good candidates for the geothermal cooling system due to tight surroundings. The type of land your house sits on will also determine what kind of pipe system will be installed. Flat, vast land uses horizontal piping and is less disruptive to the ground underneath. Yards with limited space will use vertical piping, which can run 100 ft to 400 ft underground. Yards with wells or ponds are easiest to work with because the piping system draws energy from the body of water rather than the ground itself.
Consider the Costs
A geothermal unit can be very expensive to install as it requires intensive underground drilling. It is also fairly new to the market, which means there are not a lot of providers to choose from. However, the investment will be worth it over time if you plan on staying in the house for many years. The longer you live there, the more the costs will pay off. Your energy costs will go down, and there are programs that offer rebates and tax credits for homeowners who invest in a geothermal cooling system.
If you think your house is right for a new geothermal cooling system and you want to be cost and energy-efficient, Anytime Heating, Cooling and Plumbing offers service and installation to fit your needs. Contact us today or call us at (678) 904-2337
