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Heat Pump 101: The Differences Between Geothermal and Air Source Heat Pumps
In many of today’s Monrovia homes, the heating and cooling system is one of the most important things that make a house run smoothly in both hot and cold weather. However, with many advancements having been made in heat pump development over the past decade, many people have found themselves having to decide between geothermal heat pumps and air source heat pumps. While each offers several things in its favor, they also offer some features that are in sharp contrast to one another.

Indoor or Outdoor?
One of the biggest differences between these two heat pumps is how they are installed. Air source pumps are always installed outdoors, since they are somewhat noisy due to the fans they have to help them pull in air.

However, geothermal heat pumps are able to be installed indoors because they don’t contain fans that make them very noisy. Instead, they use water that is circulated by a pump and a compressor, allowing them to be as quiet as most appliances such as refrigerators. It is also able to be contained within a sealed cabinet that equals the size of a washing machine, making it easy to install in Los Angeles basements or utility rooms.

Durability and Reliability
Another difference between these two types of heat pumps involves their durability and reliability. Air source heat pumps, because of their outside location, are often prone to corrosion and other weather-related factors. As a result, their maximum lifespan is 10-15 years at most.
However, a geothermal heat pump has far fewer mechanical parts that are prone to breakdown, and also is not exposed to the elements by being installed indoors. Because of this, these pumps can be expected to last 20 years or more in most cases.

Efficiency
When compared to one another for their operation, many people in Monrovia believe geothermal heat pumps are far more efficient than air source heat pumps. In colder climates, air source heat pumps can only work to temperatures that are slightly above 10 degrees Fahrenheit, then must have a furnace supplement or take over the workload.
But geothermal heat pumps, which are able to utilize warmer soil temperatures by tapping into deeper areas below the ground’s surface, can run independently of anything else at much colder temperatures. As a result, geothermal heat pumps have been found to be anywhere from 20-40 percent more efficient in many colder climate areas than air source heat pumps.

Find out more info about the differences of geothermal and air source heat pumps in your Monrovia, CA home. Call Air-Tro, Inc. at (626) 357-3535 today, to get more insight on this topic.