Some would describe geothermal heating and cooling as a wave of the future; a way to harvest comfortable temperatures for the home from the earth. As incredible as these HVAC systems are, some homeowners are hesitant to take the leap from their typical cooling system and go for something so new age. There are a lot of misunderstandings, half-truths, and myths out there about geothermal cooling systems that really should be pushed out of the way before drawing any conclusions for yourself. 

Myth: Geothermal cooling systems still use electricity so they're not all that efficient. 

Yes, geothermal systems do use electricity to move cool or warm energy into the house. However, to assume that because these systems rely on a minuscule amount of electricity to function they are inefficient is a far stretch. The geothermal heating or cooling system are some of the most efficient modern HVAC choices you can find. Where other systems rely on electricity to generate cool air, the geothermal system does not; it only uses electricity to transport the cool air. 

Myth: Installing a geothermal system is only possible if you have a lot of yard space. 

The loops that go into the ground to harvest cool and warm energy are indeed going to have to go into the ground. Unfortunately, this fact leads to the assumption that the units are not a good choice for homeowners who don't have a lot of space to work with, which is untrue. The piped loop can be configured to fit into even small amounts of ground. For example, if your house sits on a tiny lot that barely has room for a strip of grass around it, the loop will be configured to fit into that space, even if it has to feature a complex series of curves, loops, and turns. 

Myth: Installing a geothermal system is silly because the loop often has to be replaced. 

The loop that goes into the ground is actually a very long-lived component of the geothermal system. In fact, the loop itself usually outlasts the interior unit, so it would be much more likely that you could reuse the same loop and replace the primary unit than vice versa. Even the primary unit can last just as long as a typical heating or cooling system, and in some cases, the system will last longer if it is taken care of properly and regularly maintenance by a professional.