We’re big proponents of using geothermal heat pumps to supply homes with their year-round comfort. Heat pumps, in general, are excellent comfort systems, and when a house has a heat pump that uses the stable energy of the earth as its source of heat transfer, it makes for an energy-efficient and reliable system. No matter the temperature outdoors, the heat pump always has the energy it needs. Geothermal heat pumps also benefit the environment and can last for decades without needing replacements for the underground loops.
A geothermal heat pump will need repairs at some point, however, no matter how well it’s cared for. If you’re the happy owner of a heat pump, it’s good planning to know the signs that it’s time for repairs. That way you’ll stay a happy owner. Here are some tips about spotting a need for repairs from our experts in geothermal heating and cooling in Warsaw, IN.
Damp spots on the lawn
The ground loops in a geothermal system are sturdy and should last for 50 years or more. A leak may still occur, allowing the mixture of water and anti-freeze that circulates through the loops to escape and rise to the surface. If you come across wet patches on your lawn that you can’t explain, it may be a geothermal loop leak. A professional can pinpoint the leak by placing a colored dye into the water and locating the color patches on the property.
Problems cooling
During summer, a geothermal heat pump removes heat from your home and through the loops and deposits it in the ground, using the earth as a heat sink. This is great for extremely hot days because the temperature underground is cool enough (often around 50°F) to make it easy to move high heat levels there. If your heat pump is struggling to keep up with the heat of summer, there may be something wrong with the heat transfer or with the manifold. There are many possibilities, so make sure you call on a geothermal HVAC professional to investigate.
Your usual energy savings just aren’t happening
You’ve almost certainly used a non-geothermal heating and cooling system before, either at a different home or in your current one before you switched to a geothermal heat pump. You’ll know how much the geothermal system saves you on energy costs each month: it’s around 3 to 6 times more energy efficient than an air-source heat pump. If you’ve started to pay the old price for heating and cooling (and this is especially pronounced for heating), then your geothermal heat pump has fallen down on the job and needs to be repaired.
A good piece of news about geothermal heat pumps: most of the time, repairs will need to be done on the indoor heat pump components, not the loops. These repairs aren’t any more expensive than repairs for standard heat pumps. Eventually, you’ll need to replace the indoor heat pump components—but you can leave the loops in place! Another reason geothermal heating and cooling is such a great option.
When you need geothermal help, look to Collier’s Heating & Air Conditioning. For over 30 years, a company you’ve grown to trust!
