Geothermal System

[Mark K]

Not common but also not rare in this area, if that makes sense. Most seen in the rural areas with lots large enough for a ground loop that can be quite long. As other have said, other options for the loop include submersed in a pond or an open or closed loop well. Ground water is drawn from a well, heat extracted from it and then it is dumped into a creek or pond. Also have closed loops in deep wells.

I've never found an effect on the market value between it and a WFA/AC system. At first they were a bit maintenance heavy but they've seem to have worked out most of the bugs. Generally as reliable as other systems but a bit more expensive to install.

We have very few air-air heat pumps due to the extreme temps in the winter. They can't extract enough heat in the winter and the back up system kicks on and this is often electric resistance heat, very expensive way to keep warm. Some backups are propane, not as bad as elec but the heat pumps works very hard and have a life expectancy of only about 7 years. Sometimes see a negative market reaction to air-air heat pump; people know they don't last long.

 

[Joe Flacco]

My last house had no natural gas and the heat pump struggled badly in the winter. I will never buy a house without natural gas again.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

he heat pumps works very hard and have a life expectancy of only about 7 years.

that and as you note, in winter they can often be very inefficient. I argue that geothermal is far more efficient than solar panels and are safer to boot.

I will never buy a house without natural gas again.

Having worked around gas on wells, it is dangerous, mainly from CO from a hole in a vent pipe. But they can blow up too. So I'd rather have the geothermal heat pump but no to conventional heat pump. They simply do not last. People look at me kind of funny when I say my CHA is 31 years old and I have to add a bit of freon about every other year... $200 every couple of years beats replacing a system with the current cheap systems that last maybe 10 years at best.

I heat with wood. It's $700 a year for wood, yeah, it's a PITA to chuck wood in but my system hooks into the CHA so circulates throughout the house and it has a separate thermostat. I kick the electric on if gone for a couple of days, otherwise, the fire box is fine. I might convert to a pellet system someday. But I am seriously thinking about installing geothermal if my CHA gives up the ghost.

 

[Mark K]

that and as you note, in winter they can often be very inefficient. I argue that geothermal is far more efficient than solar panels and are safer to boot.

Solar is not popular here, at ALL. Too cloudy. Plus, if you want to use it for elec heat you'll need around 15,000 watts just for the furnace, the typical forced air elec furnace size. That's a LOT of solar panels, 50 or so, +/-.

No natural gas within a few miles of my home and in the rural areas in general. That's why you see a lot of 500-1,000 gal. propane tanks. Nat gas is quite a bit cheaper but propane is a lot cheaper than elec heat. The geothermal heat pump is the way I'd go if starting over.

Geo powered by solar would be nice but a huge up-front expense.

 

[Joe Flacco]

If I could afford to build a brand new house I would install geothermal. I would still want gas for cooking and backup generator though.

 

[George Hatch]

Along with solar and energy efficient construction the resale values may not be impressive in some markets now, but if/when the energy inflation rate does what the greenies are trying to get it to do, the math on these improvements could change significantly.

Ask the Germans what they think of owning their own solar and heat exchange and net zero efficiency setups is worth to them this winter.

 

[George Hatch]

What I got out of the green appraiser course I took a couple years back is that sealing up the energy leakage and doing the igloo insulation is the first logical step. Then you can use smaller and more efficient equipment. The next step in many areas is to cut down on the water consumption because of the amount of energy it takes to move water around. Those steps logically come into play before generating your own energy or heat exchange.

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

In 30 years, I've yet to encounter one. A fellow appraiser called me asking if I had seen one. Nope. I have attended a number of seminars related to geothermal and energy efficiency features but actually never saw one. Back when I had a small drill rig, I contemplated geothermal installation back 35 years ago.

I've done two of them, both systems not longer working, the whole envelope construction and all the piping had leaks due to the high mineral content in the water (limestone, etc.) and there was wasted space in front with big windows (expensive) that was re-purposed into sun room/atrium areas (2 stories high). Both had newer all electric Heat Pump systems because of finding someone qualified to maintain all the piping throughout is difficult (here, anyway). The walls are thick though and that provides more insulation so they didn't use the heat that much. Both were contemporary style homes, one on a mountain, one on a lake. They had tall crawlspaces to contain all the mechanisms that was just being used as storage. I just used A-Frames, log cabins, and "Rustic" homes that had similar market appeal as comps. Both homes were 20+ years old. It just didn't get to be a thing here. I enjoyed learning about how they theoretically were supposed to work, but the expense to build and maintain seemed to negate any benefits. Haven't seen any new ones.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

l the piping had leaks due to the high mineral content in the water

The right system is a closed loop system and does not mineralize the pipes. It uses an antifreeze or ethanol (which is more efficient than glycol)

 

[Tiffany Gibbons]

The right system is a closed loop system and does not mineralize the pipes. It uses an antifreeze or ethanol (which is more efficient than glycol)

Well, that's what owner of the lake house told me. He was only the second owner and he got a deal because it didn't work properly. The mountain house still worked, but the agent said the previous owner had to add an electric heat pump. It's windy up on the mountain. I think it was condensation rusting on the outside of the pipes under the house. It was pretty complicated looking.