I would like to do away with my outside unit, keep my inside air handler and just run my pipes from it into the ground and use the ground to heat my home instead of using the air. Is this possible. I know that there are already ground source heat pumps and I just want to convert my air to air heat to a ground source heat pump. Does anyone know. I think that It is possible, but I want to be sure. Those who sell heat pumps don't seem to want to answer this question. I have asked several people about this, can't get an answer. If someone knows, I would appreciate it very much. Thanks
You can not use air heat in a ground or underground system. You must use hot water with appropriate piping to use in what is called a radiant heat system.
You can, but it is a major endeavor. One method is to drill several deep holes, running piping up and down each. Liquid pumped through the pipes exchanges heat to or from the earth. A heat exchanger at the house, allows heating or cooling as needed. Alternately, piping can be run horizontally, if space is available. If ground water is abundant and reliable, one can pump water out of one well, and back into another. A lot of goo info is available on the Internet.
I'd say you can if you are handy and can find the right plate heat exchangers. I'm looking at doing the same thing with my unit, but I will still recover heat from the air as well. I figure you need 2 heat exchangers, one before the pump (for heating season) and one after the pump(for cooling season). Then ground loop system with plumbing entering your home where you can house your pump and manifold system. Plus valves to shut off the one or the other heat exchanger depending on the season. You will have to have an hvac guy suck down the system, braze the exchangers in, then recharge the system. Finding an hvac guy to do that might be the hardest part unless you have the tools and know how to silver solder yourself. Keeping the coils in use will greatly reduce ground source requirements because your already capturing part of the heat from the air before its run past the heat exchanger. Hope this helps
You can't. The split system type geo units will not match up to your existing evap coil. You will need either 2 wells for a pump and dump, or ground loop system to run a new geo system. Pump and dumps are usually cheaper than ground loops depending on water table and gpm needed which will depend on sizeing of system. There is another method out there but not common in my area of a single well with a single loop down and back and filled with a concrete slurry to help transfer the heat to the ground. A sinlge geo package type system is your best bet and you will have to research the best water supply solution for your area. Hope that helps, but your cannot just run pipes in the ground and connect them to your air handler because you will not a have compressor to pump the refrigerant or a heat exchanger to transfer the heat .
