Sizing a Geothermal Heat Pump: What to Expect From a Professional

To perform heat transfer functions correctly, a geothermal system must be properly sized. This includes the physical size of the loop field and the heat pump’s functional capacity to capture and transfer heat. When sizing a geothermal heat pump, your geothermal professional will:

• Carefully evaluate your home and your indoor comfort requirements: This includes a physical inspection of your home and assessment of the structure’s thermal characteristics, such as number of windows, directional orientation and energy-efficient features.
• Perform a load calculation: This is a sophisticated process that determines how much heating and cooling you actually need. It will take into consideration the physical characteristics of your home and your personal heating and cooling requirements.
• Determine heat pump function: With the information from the inspection and load calculation, your geothermal professional can determine which heat pump will provide the level of heating and cooling needed. He will also be able to determine the physical dimensions of the loop field required to transfer sufficient amounts of heat.

Potential Problems With Sizing

• System too small: A system that is too small may not be able to produce enough heating and cooling. It will work harder to meet the demands placed on it, resulting in more energy usage and a decrease in system efficiency. The stress of keeping up with higher temperature needs will cause unnecessary wear and tear on the heat pump and system components.
• System too large: Geothermal systems that are too large can waste significant amounts of energy by producing more heating and cooling than needed. A too-large system produces too much airflow that result in short run times, causing the system to cycle off and on more than necessary. Short run times also decrease the system’s ability to remove humidity from your indoor environment.

Contact us today for more information on sizing a geothermal heat pump. At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues -especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

Photo Credit: padsbrother via Compfight cc