Are Geothermal Heat Pumps more economical and efficient than air to air Heat Pumps?
Geothermal Heat Pumps use the ground to heat and cool the home. In this area the ground four feet below the surface is between 58 and 62°F year-round. At this temperature, a Geothermal Heat Pump will deliver a constant BTU output year-round regardless of outdoor temperatures. This can provide a higher seasonal performance factor (SPF) than some air source machines can deliver. Because of the near constant temperature of the ground below four feet, supplementary (resistance, backup or electric) heat is generally not necessary. The Geothermal Heat Pump has no defrost cycle because there is no outside unit. Typically, Geothermal units have higher efficiency ratings than air to air units. However, due to recent advances in air to air technology the efficiency of some air to air units is now comparable to Geothermal Heat Pumps.
