Gas and electric units use ventilation networks to funnel warmth into rooms. The heat is created by burners using gas or through coils with electricity. Ground based systems transfer heat gotten from an anti-freeze and water mix that is channeled through sunken pipes and back to a heat pump. This warmth then goes into the house through a radiant or forced air unit.
The typical cost of these systems for the home will be over 8000. This is about twice as much as gas and electric powered units. There will be less of a cost difference in regions that require large amounts of heating and cooling. Boosting output in a such a system can be done for a price that makes it more competitive, but still more costly initially.
Since the earth will be providing the heat for free, operational costs are lower. Heat does not have to be generated through burning fuel but only through a transference. The only power used is employed making liquid run through the pipes, exchanging it through the heat pump and then pushing it into the air inside the house.
Ground temperatures in the range of fifty degrees will be encountered at depths of less than eight almost anywhere in the country. This can be used to create near ideal conditions inside the house though some may wish to add some sort of auxiliary heater. In terms of cooling, nothing extra need be added. The earth can do it all.
This energy source will be even more competitive if a system is designed into a home's original construction. Much of the cost occurs in laying the ground loop of piping into the earth. If this is done in conjunction with site preparation needed to build the home, substantial savings will result. The grading and leveling of a buiding pad mean the necessary equipment is already on site.
Small lots can make installation of these systems more difficult as special arrangements will be needed for the ground loop of pipes. Some soil types can be problematic as well. If your house is built on a very hard surface, the cost of putting in pipe will rise accordingly.
