When a geothermal heat pump is installed, a series of pipes, called a loop, are buried underground. These pipes hold a fluid that absorbs the ground's heat. Once this fluid is carried inside, compressors and heat exchangers concentrate this heat so it can be released into the house at a warmer temperature. A well-designed duct system delivers that warm air throughout your home. In the summer, this process is simply reversed.
Excess heat is drawn from the house and reabsorbed by the ground.
Free heat means free hot water With the addition of a desuperheater, some geothermal systems can provide all or part of your home's hot water. A desuperheater is a small water heater device which uses refrigerant from a heat pump's compressor to heat water. Once heated, this water circulates to the home's water heater. In the summer, the water heater uses the excess heat that would otherwise be sent back into the ground. A conventional water heater will be used if the desuperheater doesn't produce enough, or if the geothermal pump is turned off.