The cold has not finished arriving in this winter in the northern hemisphere marked by climate change. However, it seems that at least it cools something down and in some places they have even started to light up fireplaces and heating appliances. But precisely because climate change has hit us hard, it is inevitable to think about how we could heat rooms by reducing energy consumption. fossil fuels. And for this a quite interesting alternative is the canadian well which is based on the use of geothermal energy inside the Earth.
Also know as provencal wellit is a mechanism that serves both to heat and cool homes with a minimum input of external energy. And it is that, simply, make a heat exchange between the air in the houses and the underground, which is at a more or less constant temperature throughout the year.
In this way, it is possible to have heating and air conditioning with the same installation and a minimum contribution to global warming. In fact, it is so beneficial in this respect that the World Meteorological Organization He has chosen it to acclimatize his rooms.
This is how the Canadian well works
When thinking of underground temperatures, the extremely hot inside of the earth. However, the Canadian well is not that deep. Basically, the pipes in which the heat exchange takes place arrive approximately between 2 and 5 meters, depending on the temperature you want to reach. At that depth, the temperature is around 18-24 degrees, so it is perfect for the whole year.
Now, we must remember that heat is always lost, the cold cannot be transported. Therefore, in winter when the air is colder inside the houses, it is passed through the pipes, so that the underground air gives up heat.
Whereas in summer, the air inside the houses is much hotter. For this reason, it gives off heat inside the underground pipes, so that when it is recirculated again inside the room, it arrives much hotter.
It should be noted that if the installation was initially designed to heat homes in winter, it is called a Canadian well. If, on the other hand, the initial idea is to cool them in summer, it would be a Provençal well. But since the same installation is used for both concepts are interchangeable.
Not all floors are the same
A Canadian well will perform optimally in soil with good thermal conductivity. This is also favored by pipe materials. However, if it is not good on the ground, they are of little use.
For this reason, before making the installations, a study of the land must be carried out. The worst drivers are known to be rocky, sandy or dry soilsso in those cases it might be necessary to look for another option.
What are the components of the Canadian well?
Without a doubt, the main components of the Canadian well are the pipelines through which the air travels. However, there are other essential parts for its operation.
To begin with, there must be a air intake point, which captures the air from outside the earth. This must be at a suitable height so as not to capture polluted air and, in addition, have a grille to prevent the passage of insects and other small animals that could nest or clog the ducts.
They are also used filters to purify the air to be recirculated. And of course, heat exchangers which are responsible for transferring heat from the external air to the underground or vice versa, as necessary.
Without a doubt, it is a type of heating that would be very useful in these rare winters that are upon us. And, of course, a way to deal with the suffocating heat of the summers, without resorting to those fossil fuels that, little by little, will suffocate us more every day.