One of our specialties at Kool Breeze is installing and servicing geothermal heating and cooling systems (also known as ground-source heat pumps). We’ve found that this is one of the most effective and energy-efficient ways to provide year-round comfort for a house. Plus, geothermal systems have extraordinarily long service lives: the ground loops can usually last for more than 50 years!
We receive a lot of questions about how geothermal heating and cooling works. One question that people sometimes ask is if a geothermal system can be outfitted with zone control, i.e. controls that allow a homeowner to only heat and cool parts of a home. The answer is “yes!” as we’ll explain below.
Zone control for a geothermal heat pump is the same as for any heat pump
It’s actually as simple as that. Zone control is created by inserting dampers into the air ducts of a ventilation system. The dampers can close off a section of the air ducts so that one of the vents doesn’t receive air flow. Each damper has its own thermostat to operate it, and all link into a central thermostat.
A geothermal heat pump distributes conditioned air the same way that a standard air-source heat pump does: via ductwork. A geothermal heat pump uses a different medium for heat exchange (in this cause, the heat of the ground about 10 feet below the surface), but the inside components still release or absorb that heat from the air and a blower sends the air into the ducts. As long as you have a comfort system that uses ducts, you can have zone controls installed into it.
If you’re planning on a geothermal heat pump installation, simply ask us about including zone control as part of the job. We’ll be happy to see to your needs!
Rely on Kool Breeze of Northwest Florida, Inc. in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. We’ve been in business for over 30 years because you can’t beat our service.