GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

Ground Source Heat Pumps make use of specialist pipes that are buried in the ground, be it a plot of land you own, a large field or simply your own garden. The buried pipes extract natural heat from the ground and this is then used to heat your radiators and/or hot water for your home.

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The buried pipes have a mixture of water and antifreeze circulating through them and this is called the 'ground loop'. As the fluid passes through the pipes, it extracts the heat from the ground, passes it through a compressor/heat exchanger and into your home.As the ground temperature under the surface remains at a constant 6 or 7 degrees Celsius, it allows the heat pump to be used throughout the year.

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The length of the ground loop needed to collect that heat depends on the size of the property, it's structural build and insulation used, ie the amount of heat required to keep the building and you, warm. The longer the loop, the more ground required to install it.

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Depending on your requirement and space availability, you could dig bore holes down into the Earth instead and have the collector pipes inserted vertically into the ground. Bore holes are typically around 90m to 160m deep! Certain factors and requirements are written into Law regarding bore holes and other extraction methods such as Closed Loop collectors for use in large ponds and lakes and Open Loop systems for use in rivers with a constant body of moving water. You should seek professional advice in all cases.