• Geothermal Heat Pump Operation
• Open Loop Systems
• Closed Loop Systems
• Geothermal Desuperheater

Open Loop Geothermal Systems

An open loop system takes advantage of an aquifer. To have an open loop system, your home usually needs at least one well, or it should be a water-front property. In this system, water is used to carry in/out the energy from earth to the heat pump and no refrigerant will be needed. Water from the aquifer is pumped into the heat pump from the well and released as an open discharge or into a return well.

One well, open discharge system

This is the most economical method to discharge used water from the heat pump. The pre-requisite is that your well must be able to supply water for both domestic usage and the geothermal heat pump. Consult with your geothermal heat pump installer and have your well checked to ensure that you have enough water. In the one-well system, used water is disposed of by releasing it into a stream, river, lake, pond, ditch, or drainage tile.

Some people are concerned about the environmental damage of an open discharge geothermal heat pump system. It should be noted that the water discharged into the stream is exactly the same as the water pumped into the heat pump except the slight temperature change. Although ground water is abundant in most of Ontario, depletion of ground water resource can be problematic in other areas.

Two wells system

Instead of releasing water as an open discharge, used water from the heat pump can be "put back" to the aquifer by releasing it into a return well. The return well must have sufficient capacity to dispose of the water passing through the heat pump. The return well should be installed by qualified professionals.