Recently there is a continuous development of earth based heating like the water source heat pump. These heat pumps are becoming more popular due to high costs.

Like all heat pumps, a water source heat pump works on the principle of heat transfer. All matter (air, water, or soil) contains heat. Cold or hot are actually only relative when compared to each other. So what seem “cold” and comfortable in summer would be very chilly in winter time weather and vice-versa.

What a heat pump does is extract heat from one location and moves it or transfers it to another. In winter it collects heat from the surrounding air or an earth-based source and transfers it to the inside of the house, while in summer if flip-flops and moves the hot air from inside to outdoors, thereby cooling the home.

The problem with a standard air source heat pump is that once the temperatures drop below freezing, they become less and less effective and end up running almost constantly to maintain a comfortable heat. This in turn runs up your utility bills.

But no matter where you currently live the basic temperature underground remains at a fairly constant level no matter the surface weather is doing. This is why a geothermal or water heat pump can work so well. Its heating source, the surrounding ground doesn’t extract heat from the fickle air temperatures but from nature itself.

In fact ground temperatures at depths below four feet stay at a constant 50 – 55 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, and increases the deeper you go. These constant levels makes a water source heat pump is one of most efficient devices made and can cut the average home’s heating or cooling energy use by as much as 80%, plus still have power left over to heat water for cooking, cleaning and bathing.

Water Source Heat Pump Heating Process

In order to heat a home in winter, water is pumped into an underground piping loop. The water absorbs the heat from the surrounding soils and transfers it to the main unit on the surface. Here it is pressurized and pumped to air handler as warm air, which is blown throughout the house.

Water Source Heat Pump Cooling Process

In summer the entire process is reverses. Water is pumped through an air handler in the house where it is allowed to absorb the heat from the air circulating there. Then the water is pumped down to pipe loops deep underground. The heat is quickly released into the surrounding earth and the cooled water is transferred to the unit on the surface. Here it is pressurized and air is blown across the cold water pipes creating cool air, which completes the process.

As you can see with the exception of the electrical power to operate the pumps and air handling system, a water source heat pump is extremely efficient when it comes to creating either hot or cold air for keeping you and your family comfortable in almost any location.