Is Heat Pumps The Right Choice For Your Log Home?Heat Pumps combine both heating and cooling functions into one equipment and ductwork system,which saves you money. These systems don't actually create heat by burning fuel as other systems do. Instead it relies on physical principals to draw existing heat out of the air or ground. These systems fall into two main catagories: Air-source Ground-source The air -source system extract heat from outside air ( even cold winter air contains some heat )and releases it inside the home. In summer the process is reversed and heat extracted from the air inside the home is released outside, cooling the home. The air-source systems aren't usually the best choice in areas of prolonged extreme cold. The ground source system offer the greatest energy efficient of central heating and cooling systems. They rely on the same heat exchange principal as the air source but they draw heat or dispel it into the ground rather than air.
Below a depth of five to eight feet, ground temperatures remain very constant throughout the seasons. This allows the ground source to operate very efficiently year round.
Ground source systems have been reported to reduce
heating cost by as much as 70% over forced -air systems
and 40% over air- source systems.
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