Can Geothermal Systems Heat Water?

Well, yes they can and in most cases they do so as a side-effect of the cooling process. If you have a pond/lake loop geothermal heat pump or the unit is sunk into the aquifer, then your unit heats water whenever it cools your home. Of course, that probably wasn’t exactly the question you were asking. What you probably were wondering was can a geothermal heat pump also be a hot water heater for your home.

Yes, it absolutely can. As mentioned earlier, a geothermal heat pump may heat water as a byproduct depending upon your set up. In any case, when a heat pump cools it has to put heat somewhere. If you do not have a hot water heater attached to your system, then the geothermal heat pump will simply discard that excess heat. If, however, you have what is called a desuperheater attached to your system, then that heat can go into the water there and warm it for hot showers and warm washing.

Before a desuperheater is installed you are already getting great energy-efficiency from your geothermal heat pump. After you install a desuperheater you are going to get even more savings, since you are going to use even less energy. A traditional hot water heater uses electricity to heat up the water and that requires power. With your geothermal heat pump helping out you can reduce energy usage there too and every watt you save is money you do not have to pay.

Ask your dealer about how you can install a desuperheater to work with your geothermal heat pump unit. You will get the same nice, steamy showers you always have, but this time they will cost you less money.