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Geothermal.......Eco Friendly Heating & Cooling!!!

By
Title Insurance with Patriot Land Transfer, Inc.

Almost 5 years ago my family moved from a 1200 sq.ft. Rancher into a 2800 sq.ft. Cape Cod. The cape cod at the time was about 12 years old and had one peculiar feature which we knew nothing about. It had 'Geothermal' heating and cooling!

I'm not going to go into the technical aspects of this technology, but I'll share some personal, practical thoughts about this phenomenal system.

*Simplicity---it has slightly more moving parts than an average refrigerator. There is only one unit, inside, for both heating and cooling---there is no outside 'cooling' module required! We thought when first looking at the house that it did not have central air conditioning (seeing no outside unit). Although initial installation costs are somewhat higher than other systems, there are virtually not that many parts to replace if and when service is required.

*Efficiency---It is supposed to be 400% more efficient than the best fossil fuel heaters which operate at efficiencies in the low 90%'s---and this has proven true. Our heating and cooling costs are extremely low in comparison with similar houses in our area that use 'fossil fuel' type systems!

*Features---There is 1 thermostat for the entire home. The temperature never varies more than plus or minus 1 degree (air vents need to be regulated to achieve an optimum balance throughout the entire house-summer vs. winter). You hardly ever feel the sensation of rushing air, nor do you sense a shifting in temperatures. It runs quietly, comfortably, and with no emissions entering the atmosphere. It is fantastic!!!

*Health Benefits---It has a super duper filter ($50--we replace it once a year) which reduces allergens to a minimum and a humidifier for winter comfort!

*Technical---I know I said I wouldn't but...It basically operates on the principle that ground water in our area is about 56 degrees F. There are 2 types of 'geothermal systems'--an open loop, which we have, and a closed loop, which I understand is now the preferred type for both cost and efficiency. Our open loop takes water from a well, circulates it through a coil and compressor, extracts the heat or cold from the water (much as a conventional heat pump would do with air), then returns the water to an additional well. In a closed loop system there would be trenching placed outside and tubing laid through which a refrigerant type liquid would be circulated continuously.

I didn't want to get too technical because I'm not qualified to explain it accurately. Suffice it to say that anyone contemplating a new home or retrofitting an older home should explore at least the possibility that this 'geothermal system' might be worth looking into.

There aren't a lot of HVAC people who know a lot about these systems, so be sure and check around in your area!!! I have included a link to Bard MFG. http://www.bardhvac.com/app_cntr_apps_hp_grndsrc.shtml who made our particular unit. They are located in Ohio and are an excellent company for support!

I'll be attending a 2 day title seminar Sunday and Monday. This is my 11th post of the week so I'm forgoing the 200 points because I think this information is too valuable for me to withhold!!!

Footnote: I lied To you guys! This was my 10th post, so ignore the last sentence of the penultimate paragraph!!!

Comments (45)

Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Joe,

Thanks for  dropping by! Some of your pics don't show up in the comment box. Try to shrink them and resend. The one pic that did come through appears to be a multizoned hydronic system---way more complex than the system in my home! Thanks,   Fran

Sep 30, 2007 09:59 AM
Mary McGraw
GLREA - Rockford, MI
2015: Solar Energy Is Still A Simple Machine!

Fran - Great conversation you have started and obviously information that people want to hear!

gold starThank you for finding the ECO AllStars Group and contributing excellent content and information! Friends like you will help all of us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels!

And...only your tenth post! Thanks for jumping in with both feet!

Sep 30, 2007 02:18 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Mary,

Thanks for the kind words! This geothermal technology has been around for quite a while and will solve many of our environmental problems, but like anything new people are leary to try it!

Sep 30, 2007 03:51 PM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
my electric was 170 dollars last month...(had to have air con on but had it on economy!) and I have a 500 sq/ft one bedroom townhouse! I changed all the bulbs to CFL today...the bathroom has six so maybe it'll cut down on cooling costs...other than that I don't think that we can conform in our complex unless everyone agrees?
Sep 30, 2007 05:05 PM
Aaron Norris, MBA, APR
The Norris Group Hard Money Lending - Riverside, CA
Hard money lending and real estate investments.
Check with your local utility.  There might be a rebate that could make the system cost even less.  As many cities race to achieve the title "green," rebate programs will be more and more agressive. 
Sep 30, 2007 05:41 PM
Darrel Quebedeaux
Evergreen Realty & Associates Inc. - Newport Coast, CA
Thanks for sharing the info, I shall look into it before building my next home.
Sep 30, 2007 05:47 PM
Jo-Anne Smith
Oakville, ON

Fran,  This is a very informative and well put together post .....thankyou for the lesson in geothermal heating and cooling.

congrats on your well-earned gold star!

Jo 

Sep 30, 2007 11:00 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Sally: My bills for all electric in my 2800 sq. ft. home, including heat, cooling, hot water, and cooking are always less than $250 per month. We have no fossil fuels on our site. Even our bbque grill is electric. I'm looking into a grill that uses corn. Will keep you posted!!!

David: Thanks for dropping by!

Aaron: Good point, thanks!

Darrel: It would be worthwhile, I think!

Jo: Are you watching the store for me while I am at this title seminar trying to pick up some 'blogging seeds'? :^)

Thanks,   Fran

Sep 30, 2007 11:30 PM
Stephanie Edwards-Musa
thredUP.com - The Woodlands, TX
knitwit at thred UP
Fran,  Congrats on the Big Gold Star for this one!  It has brought out an interesting conversation.
Oct 01, 2007 12:18 AM
Mary McGraw
GLREA - Rockford, MI
2015: Solar Energy Is Still A Simple Machine!

Fran - You are making me jealous! Also -- congrats on the Big Board Star!

Sally - I understand there are some new systems that are "community" systems where they run one geothermal system and each home in the community taps into it. That might also be something to check into. Good job on changing out the CFL's - let us know how much it helps! Mine are all scheduled to be done soon!

Oct 01, 2007 01:37 AM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

Those CFL's are BRIGHTER than the regular ones...my goodness..had to take two out of the bathroom haha. These guys haven't even reroofed yet...but took our money two years ago.

Oct 01, 2007 04:00 AM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Stephanie: Couldn't have done it without the support of my 'Texas' buddies, like you!!!

Mary: That sounds like an excellent idea! Keep us posted!

Sally: Thanks for dropping by!

Thanks,   Fran

Oct 01, 2007 04:19 AM
Jo-Anne Smith
Oakville, ON

Fran, I gave up being 'deputy mayor' a long time ago... when you're away, the mice come out to play.  ((-:

Jo 

Oct 01, 2007 10:23 AM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Jo,

I'm back, and I want to thank you for what you mayor may have not done!!! Thanks,   Fran

Oct 01, 2007 12:13 PM
Esko Kiuru
Bethesda, MD

Fran,

Geothermal is a system worth considering. I had an inkling of what it consists of, but after reading your post my knowledge base has jumped. Although a system like that would initially cost more than the normal one, over the years the savings would start coming in.

Oct 01, 2007 04:45 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Esko,

Yes, It's certainly worth checking out!!! Thanks,   Fran

Oct 01, 2007 05:36 PM
Joslyn Bird
Howard Hanna Bardell Real Estate - Somerset, PA
Associate Broker/Certified Residential Appraiser

Fran,

In my days before real estate I sold Geothermal Systems...The only bad thing I can say about them is they are expensive to install, but it's a "pay me now or pay me later" philosophy. The expensive part of Geo is the loop field and it can easily be justified by considering how much fuel or gas could be bought for the same cost. Example: if it costs $5000 more than a typical system divide that by the cost of fuel and you will soon realize that's a rather quick payback. Not to mention the A/C, domestic water heating, dehumidification and humidification operations you will benefit from the very same unit. Seriously once you have one you will never have another type of heating and cooling system, and if you do you won't be as happy!

Jan 13, 2008 04:50 PM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Joslyn,

We've lived with ours for almost 5 years now, and cannot praise its benefits enough!!! Thanks,   Fran

Jan 13, 2008 10:09 PM
Christopher Johnston
The Johnston Team - Metairie, LA

I would like to see this used down south more but I have to wonder if it would work the same in softer soils.

Apr 20, 2009 01:32 AM
Fran Gaspari
Patriot Land Transfer, Inc. - Limerick, PA
"The Title Man" - Title Insurance - PA & NJ

Christopher,

I don't believe it depends on soil type, but I think it depends on the constant sub surface temperature maintained all year around...! In our area it is about 56 degrees...! Thanks,   Fran

 

Apr 20, 2009 01:50 AM