Ground source heat pumps

A ground source heat pump uses the heat from the earth, gathered from radiation from the sun, to create the energy needed to heat and home and its water system.

From the Earth’s surface to around 15 metres deep, there is a fairly consistent temperature of around 13°C and this heat can be made to indirectly supply energy to a property. Within a horizontal trench or a borehold, piping is buried in the earth. The piping is usually made to be a closed circuit and liquid is pumped around it. The liquid usually consists of both antifreeze and water and this absorbs the heat from the earth. The heat is then transferring to the properties and used to heat both water and low temperature heating systems, like underfloor heating systems.

As with many heat pumps, the ground source heat pump’s efficiency is measured using a ratio called the CoP (Coefficient of Performance).  This measures how many units of heat are produced by each electricity unit used to power the pump and the compressor needed to keep the ground pipe going.  For example, if the CoP is 4, then this means that for each kilowatt of electric, you are producing 4 kilowatts of warm water-generated energy. Although the ground source heat pump’s energy production will usually maintain a water temperature ranging from 35°C to 45°C and this is lower than a conventional boiler would achieve, the ground source heat pump can produce higher temperatures but this makes is less efficient.

With GS Underfloor Heating , we can manage the entire heat pump process from design to supply. Although we are happy to work with other heat pump suppliers, we recognise that by purchasing from a single source a single company is then able to take responsibility for everything from the commissioning of the specially trained engineers to the installation.