Geothermal Basics
Geothermal heating and cooling systems provide space conditioning -- heating, cooling, and humidity control. They may also provide water heating -- either to supplement or replace conventional water heaters. Geothermal heating and cooling Systems work by moving heat, rather than by converting chemical energy to heat like in a furnace.
Most residential geothermal systems use conventional ductwork to distribute hot or cold air and to provide humidity control. (A few systems use water-to-water heat pumps with one or more fan-coil units, baseboard radiators, or under-floor circulating pipes.) Properly sized, constructed, and sealed ducts are essential to maintain system efficiency. Ducts must be well insulated and, whenever possible, located inside of the building's thermal envelope (conditioned space).
Geothermal systems are much more efficient than competing fuel technologies for heating or coolling. They are an average of 48% more efficient than the best gas furnaces on a source fuel basis, and over 75% more efficient than oil furnaces.
-- Tips courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com