Going Geothermal: Clean, Efficient Cooling for Tulsa's Hot Summers
Homeowners who strive for a high level of energy efficiency and longevity with their HVAC systems often choose geothermal heat pumps (GHPs). These systems top the list for both and provide all the cooling you need for Tulsa's long and hot summers. A GHP uses underground thermal energy to provide both cooling and heating by exchanging heat. In the summer, the GHP sends it underground, and in the winter, it removes the heat from the ground.A GHP consists of an underground loop field and an indoor air handler. Heat from the home is conveyed through refrigerant in the air coil to the underground loops, where the heat is absorbed by the earth. The compressor turns the refrigerant back into a liquid that is recirculated back to the air handler. It flows through the evaporator coil, and once again, picks up the excess heat in your home. The cycle continues until your home reaches the thermostat's setting.These systems offer much higher efficiency than standard air-source heat pumps or air conditioners because the temperatures underground are much cooler than the outdoor air and remain stable day and night. If you combine a desuperheater with the GHP, you can heat your water during the summer with the waste heat from your home.Besides conditioning bills that may be as much as 60 percent lower, your geothermal system lasts longer than conventional cooling systems. The loop field can last 50 years or more and the air handler 25 years with routine maintenance.These systems are so efficient and advantageous for homeowners that a federal tax credit exists to cover 30 percent of the cost and installation of qualifying systems. It's valid through the end of December 2016 and there's no upward limit on it.GHPs cost more than standard heat pumps or air conditioners, largely because of the loop field's installation, which varies based on the size of GHP you need, the yard's size, landscaping and soil conditions.If you'd like to learn more about a geothermal heat pump, contact Air Assurance. We've provided HVAC services for Tulsa and Broken Arrow since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock
If you have a space in your home that's difficult to heat or cool, or you're planning an addition to your home, consider ductless mini splits. These systems are heat pumps that don't require any ductwork to distribute the conditioned air. These systems remove the heat from your home in the summer and harvest it from the air outdoors in the winter to heat your home. These systems provide these benefits:
Easy installation. The two components of mini splits are the indoor air handler and the outdoor condenser. They connect with a conduit that carries the refrigerant, power supply and drain pipe.
Space-saving. Since ductless mini splits don't use ducts, they free up space, an important consideration if you're planning an addition and don't want to lose space to house ductwork.
Energy efficient. Mini splits have to meet the same energy efficiency standards as heat pumps. The cooling efficiency must meet 13 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) and the heating minimum is 7.7 HSPF (heating season performance factor). In our region, choosing a mini split that has a scroll compressor increases the heating capacity, along with the HSPF, which can increase the heat by 10 to 15 degrees. Each air handler has its own temperature controls, making this type of system even more energy efficient, since you can shut off the conditioning for rooms you're not using. Most systems achieve 16 SEER plus, and some even reach over 20!!
Versatile. The air handlers can sit on the floor, be placed on a wall or hung from the ceiling. Larger condensers can support up to four separate air handlers, making it possible to extend your system in the future.
Quiet. Most of the noise a mini split creates is outdoors and since they don't require ductwork, there's no noise created by air rushing through ducts.
Secure. Unlike wall or window air conditioners, there's no possibility of anyone intruding into your home through the small hole for the conduit.
If you'd like to learn more about ductless mini splits, contact Air Assurance. We've provided HVAC services for Broken Arrow for more than 30 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock
