What type of heat pump uses the ground below the frost line as the heat source and heat sink?

What type of heat pump uses the ground below the frost line as the heat source and heat sink?

• A. Geothermal heat pump
• B. Air-source heat pump
• C. Water-source heat pump
• D. Absorption heat pump

Answer: (A)

The heat pump described is a geothermal (ground-source) system. It works by circulating a fluid through buried loops placed below the frost line, where the soil temperature stays fairly constant year-round. That stable underground temperature serves as the heat source in winter and the heat sink in summer, allowing the unit to transfer heat efficiently instead of generating it. Because air temperatures can drop to or below freezing and chill a system, using the ground provides more reliable performance and higher efficiency. In contrast, an air-source heat pump uses outdoor air (which fluctuates and can get very cold), a water-source heat pump relies on a body of water, and an absorption heat pump operates on a different principle that doesn’t depend on the ground’s temperature.

The heat pump described is a geothermal (ground-source) system. It works by circulating a fluid through buried loops placed below the frost line, where the soil temperature stays fairly constant year-round. That stable underground temperature serves as the heat source in winter and the heat sink in summer, allowing the unit to transfer heat efficiently instead of generating it. Because air temperatures can drop to or below freezing and chill a system, using the ground provides more reliable performance and higher efficiency.

In contrast, an air-source heat pump uses outdoor air (which fluctuates and can get very cold), a water-source heat pump relies on a body of water, and an absorption heat pump operates on a different principle that doesn’t depend on the ground’s temperature.