CO Geothermal Contractor Exam
Practice Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus
Rationale 2027 Q&A| Instant
Download Pdf.
1. Which principle best explains how a ground-source heat pump
transfers heat during the heating season?
A. It creates heat directly from electrical resistance and distributes it
through the ground
B. It transfers heat from the conditioned building to the outdoor air using
combustion
C. It extracts relatively low-temperature heat from the ground and
upgrades it to a useful indoor temperature through refrigeration-cycle
operation
D. It converts groundwater directly into electrical energy for building
heating
Answer: C
A ground-source heat pump uses a refrigeration cycle to extract heat
from the ground or groundwater and raise its temperature to provide
useful heating. The electrical energy primarily powers the compressor
and other components rather than directly creating the delivered heat.
, 2. Which component in a closed-loop geothermal heat-pump system is
primarily responsible for circulating the heat-transfer fluid through
the buried ground loop?
A. Expansion tank
B. Loop circulation pump
C. Compressor
D. Condenser fan
Answer: B
The loop circulation pump moves heat-transfer fluid through the
underground piping and heat exchanger. The compressor circulates
refrigerant within the heat-pump refrigeration circuit and does not
directly circulate the ground-loop fluid.
3. In a typical horizontal closed-loop geothermal installation, which
site condition is generally most important when determining
whether sufficient trench length can be installed?
A. Roof pitch
B. Available land area and soil characteristics
C. Interior ceiling height
D. Electrical meter height
Answer: B
Horizontal geothermal loops require substantial ground area, and their
performance depends on soil conditions and available trench length.
,Site evaluation must therefore consider both the physical space and the
thermal characteristics of the ground.
4. What is the primary purpose of a vertical borehole geothermal
loop?
A. To eliminate the need for a heat pump
B. To provide access to greater subsurface depth when adequate
horizontal land area is unavailable
C. To increase domestic water pressure
D. To replace the building's electrical service
Answer: B
Vertical boreholes allow significant heat-exchange piping to be installed
at depth while using relatively little surface area. They are especially
useful on constrained sites where horizontal trenches would be
impractical.
5. Which factor has the greatest direct effect on the required
geothermal loop size for a building?
A. Building heating and cooling loads
B. Number of electrical receptacles
C. Color of the exterior walls
D. Height of the thermostat above the floor
Answer: A
The geothermal loop must be sized to transfer enough heat to meet the
building's design heating and cooling requirements. Undersizing the
, loop can cause poor performance, while excessive sizing can
unnecessarily increase installation cost.
6. What is the principal function of the compressor in a geothermal
heat pump?
A. To circulate water through the ground loop
B. To increase the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant vapor
C. To reduce refrigerant pressure before expansion
D. To remove sediment from the ground loop
Answer: B
The compressor raises the pressure of the refrigerant vapor, which also
raises its saturation and discharge temperature. This allows the
refrigerant to reject heat effectively in the condenser during heating
operation.
7. During heating mode, the ground-side heat exchanger of a typical
closed-loop geothermal heat pump functions primarily as the:
A. Evaporator
B. Condenser
C. Compressor
D. Receiver
Answer: A
During heating operation, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the ground-
loop fluid in the evaporator. The absorbed energy is then elevated in
temperature by the compressor before being delivered to the building.
Practice Questions And Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus
Rationale 2027 Q&A| Instant
Download Pdf.
1. Which principle best explains how a ground-source heat pump
transfers heat during the heating season?
A. It creates heat directly from electrical resistance and distributes it
through the ground
B. It transfers heat from the conditioned building to the outdoor air using
combustion
C. It extracts relatively low-temperature heat from the ground and
upgrades it to a useful indoor temperature through refrigeration-cycle
operation
D. It converts groundwater directly into electrical energy for building
heating
Answer: C
A ground-source heat pump uses a refrigeration cycle to extract heat
from the ground or groundwater and raise its temperature to provide
useful heating. The electrical energy primarily powers the compressor
and other components rather than directly creating the delivered heat.
, 2. Which component in a closed-loop geothermal heat-pump system is
primarily responsible for circulating the heat-transfer fluid through
the buried ground loop?
A. Expansion tank
B. Loop circulation pump
C. Compressor
D. Condenser fan
Answer: B
The loop circulation pump moves heat-transfer fluid through the
underground piping and heat exchanger. The compressor circulates
refrigerant within the heat-pump refrigeration circuit and does not
directly circulate the ground-loop fluid.
3. In a typical horizontal closed-loop geothermal installation, which
site condition is generally most important when determining
whether sufficient trench length can be installed?
A. Roof pitch
B. Available land area and soil characteristics
C. Interior ceiling height
D. Electrical meter height
Answer: B
Horizontal geothermal loops require substantial ground area, and their
performance depends on soil conditions and available trench length.
,Site evaluation must therefore consider both the physical space and the
thermal characteristics of the ground.
4. What is the primary purpose of a vertical borehole geothermal
loop?
A. To eliminate the need for a heat pump
B. To provide access to greater subsurface depth when adequate
horizontal land area is unavailable
C. To increase domestic water pressure
D. To replace the building's electrical service
Answer: B
Vertical boreholes allow significant heat-exchange piping to be installed
at depth while using relatively little surface area. They are especially
useful on constrained sites where horizontal trenches would be
impractical.
5. Which factor has the greatest direct effect on the required
geothermal loop size for a building?
A. Building heating and cooling loads
B. Number of electrical receptacles
C. Color of the exterior walls
D. Height of the thermostat above the floor
Answer: A
The geothermal loop must be sized to transfer enough heat to meet the
building's design heating and cooling requirements. Undersizing the
, loop can cause poor performance, while excessive sizing can
unnecessarily increase installation cost.
6. What is the principal function of the compressor in a geothermal
heat pump?
A. To circulate water through the ground loop
B. To increase the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant vapor
C. To reduce refrigerant pressure before expansion
D. To remove sediment from the ground loop
Answer: B
The compressor raises the pressure of the refrigerant vapor, which also
raises its saturation and discharge temperature. This allows the
refrigerant to reject heat effectively in the condenser during heating
operation.
7. During heating mode, the ground-side heat exchanger of a typical
closed-loop geothermal heat pump functions primarily as the:
A. Evaporator
B. Condenser
C. Compressor
D. Receiver
Answer: A
During heating operation, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the ground-
loop fluid in the evaporator. The absorbed energy is then elevated in
temperature by the compressor before being delivered to the building.
