Taking my "plunge" down under...

[Smart Red]

I, too, am taking a plunge today. I will be signing a contract for a Geothermal heating system this afternoon. It's not cheap, but it should be a long term solution to rising fuel oil costs, improve the efficiency of the house, and reduce our energy footprint.

Now, if the neighbors don't report me for stealing the Earth-heat under their property, there should be no problems (other than financing the project). Does anyone know anything about Geo Thermal they could share? Anything else I might need to know?

After seeking bids from 5 contractors and trying to get them close enough to compare apples to apples in geo heating systems, I've decided to go with deep horizontal bore. Loop fields are cheaper. Pump and dump systems are cheaper still. The most expensive would be vertical holes -- basically drilling four new wells -- to bring Earth-heat into the house. I'm happy with my research and choice.

Now to keep the unreliable, uncertain and feeble furnace working until the new system is finished -- somewhere around 4 weeks from today. I'm praying for a long and warm Indian Summer in south-est, central-est Wisconsin. The furnace shut down about 4 days ago. I just started it up this afternoon. Hopefully it will still be working when I return from the contract signing.

 

[baymule]

I'll be watching this one!

 

[digitS']

Only questions: Is this a system that uses propylene glycol, @Smart Red ?

How will the heat be moved through the house?

Will you have air conditioning from this system during the summer?

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

@digitS' the closed system uses an antifreeze fluid in the 200 ft. runs, so probably yes?

I currently have/had a fuel oil forced air system so there will need to be a small amount of ductwork changes, but the heat will move through the forced air ductwork as it does now. I've been told that the registers will not feel as warm -- heat at 110 degrees for geothermal vs fuel oil heat output at about 135 degrees -- but don't see that as a problem.

Yes, to air conditioning. Bringing warm Earth temperatures in during the winter should lower heating costs by 80%. In the summer, the system will take warm air out of the house and into the ground so should lower cooling costs as well. Perhaps too well. I seldom run the AC -- didn't turn it on this year at all. I still don't know if I can shut the geo system down in the summer or not.

I do know the system is supposed to heat most of our hot water for summer use and much of it for winter use.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Good choice! My dad (HVAC guy) definitely recommended them. I don't know about turning it "off" in the summer but my parents house only cools when they set the thermostat low enough to kick it on...lots of times they don't use it in the summer.

 

[canesisters]

Wonder if you can get them to dump the summer time heat under your tomatoes???

This is going to be a VERY interesting thread. Please keep up posted on the install and your experiences over the next several months.

 

[Smart Red]

In total waiting mode for now. Permits from the DNR -- we know how much fun it is to work with the Feds, right @baymule? -- and manufacturing time for the geo unit. The company doesn't build a unit until it is ordered so there's no stock sitting in the warehouse.

This week is supposed to be pretty nice, but it will only be week one of an expected 4 week wait. We need a long Indian summer and an aging furnace that hobbles along if the weather does turn cold.

 

[bobm]

One could put in a couple orders in for fur coats and Uggs with side orders of hot buttered rum .

 

[seedcorn]

It will be a different heat. 72 will no longer feel like 72-more like 68. No more standing on the heat outlet to warm up. Not a bad decision, just different. Your back up heat is what?

 

[Smart Red]

It will be a different heat. 72 will no longer feel like 72-more like 68. No more standing on the heat outlet to warm up. Not a bad decision, just different. Your back up heat is what?

Right about the temperature difference. Geothermal heat coming out of the register will be closer to 115 degrees, while the typical forced air furnace comes out at a much hight temperature. Since I don't stand on the registers anyway. . .

What back up heat? Many Geothermal installers are insulted by the suggestion that back up heat would be needed. Do you have a back up furnace? This system should be large enough to cover all our heating needs as long as the electricity is on. If the power goes out, a back up system wouldn't be working either.

As it is, we have two very efficient masonry fireplaces. One will heat the living areas of the house easily. With outside air, the combustion doesn't even disturb the air movement in the house as many fireplaces to.