Jkebxjunke
*Politically Incorrect*
someone send him a PM and see if he answers...
Geothermal just installed and first $1300 dollar power bill is here
- Thread starter bassman
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later that winter the system stopped working for some reason and froze some plumbing that caused a leak that filled the basement with 3 feet of water.
they have since moved into there brand new home that was built this summer and is heated with gas .
I asked them if it ever worked and they said that from day one it was a huge hassle and only cost them money.
they were able to walk from the home as they were only there rent free as a favor to the owner who was to move there when he sold his business and home in the city .
the owner suggested geo and paid for it and my cousin thought it was a good idea also but in the end it was poor install and had to have alot more lines installed ect.
the home is vacant today.
I have had a couple of geo guys offer to install a system to heat my home and greenhouses but they cant seem to grasp my btu needs when the greenhouses are running.
60 to 80 grand is alot to spend on a system that might work!!
later that winter the system stopped working for some reason and froze some plumbing that caused a leak that filled the basement with 3 feet of water.
they have since moved into there brand new home that was built this summer and is heated with gas .
I asked them if it ever worked and they said that from day one it was a huge hassle and only cost them money.
they were able to walk from the home as they were only there rent free as a favor to the owner who was to move there when he sold his business and home in the city .
the owner suggested geo and paid for it and my cousin thought it was a good idea also but in the end it was poor install and had to have alot more lines installed ect.
the home is vacant today.
I have had a couple of geo guys offer to install a system to heat my home and greenhouses but they cant seem to grasp my btu needs when the greenhouses are running.
60 to 80 grand is alot to spend on a system that might work!!
dwinch53
ArboristSite Operative
I have a pump and dump geo unit piggy backed into my furnace...I have never in 4 years paid more than $500.00 for heating my 1500 sf home...sept to may...I will be burning wood only cause I want to...enjoy burning and have 15+ acers to cut oak,maple,elm and cherry on..will burn only in Jan & Feb...I live in mi....My geo paid for itself in 4 yrs...DW 
KsWoodsMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
Bassman, thanks for posting how this turned out.
Sorry to hear of their bad luck with it.
I remember when the pellet craze started out here. The pellets were cheap. They were in the neighborhood of $2.00 to $2.50 a bag. The sales people were touting them that they would heat your whole house easier and cheaper than a central air unit. They would still have the wood burning look and smell without the mess and smoke.
A friends dad had one installed because his wife liked the flame in the window and they ditched the furnace in favor of it. Next year they ditched the pellet stove and were getting a new HVAC system installed because she wasn't going to sleep cold again this winter.
Anytime new stuff comes out I try not to be one of the first adopters only to find out that it wasn't as hot as they first thought. It may work for some but it sure helps if the installer knows what they are doing.
Sorry to hear of their bad luck with it.
I remember when the pellet craze started out here. The pellets were cheap. They were in the neighborhood of $2.00 to $2.50 a bag. The sales people were touting them that they would heat your whole house easier and cheaper than a central air unit. They would still have the wood burning look and smell without the mess and smoke.
A friends dad had one installed because his wife liked the flame in the window and they ditched the furnace in favor of it. Next year they ditched the pellet stove and were getting a new HVAC system installed because she wasn't going to sleep cold again this winter.
Anytime new stuff comes out I try not to be one of the first adopters only to find out that it wasn't as hot as they first thought. It may work for some but it sure helps if the installer knows what they are doing.
why would you just out and out dump your furnace?
People who are not familiar with a stoves limitations will have one warm room, and several cold rooms.
That's why if you are serious, you need to spend the money and get a pellet furnace.
Which would mean the only way to see the flame then is to sit in the basement next to it.
People who are not familiar with a stoves limitations will have one warm room, and several cold rooms.
That's why if you are serious, you need to spend the money and get a pellet furnace.
Which would mean the only way to see the flame then is to sit in the basement next to it.
Jkebxjunke
*Politically Incorrect*
probably was a dealer touting that they could replace their heating system with a little pellet stove... when really it should be for it to OFFSET the cost of oil or gas...
exactly; a 40,000 btu pellet stove will never replace a 120,000 btu furnace.
And from whom I've spoken with, these stoves are most efficient at about 3/4 full throttle, which would mean that 40,000 btu stove will work best around 30,000 btu.
Over 24 hours, that's 720,000 btus, or the amount a full sized furnace can kick out in 6 hours.
If you live around Missouri or Arkansas, that may be enough.
And from whom I've spoken with, these stoves are most efficient at about 3/4 full throttle, which would mean that 40,000 btu stove will work best around 30,000 btu.
Over 24 hours, that's 720,000 btus, or the amount a full sized furnace can kick out in 6 hours.
If you live around Missouri or Arkansas, that may be enough.
dwinch53
ArboristSite Operative
Omegajim....your question has confused me (why would you just out and out dump your furnace?.....please explain..thanx DW
KsWoodsMan
Addicted to ArboristSite
They ditched the furnace because their dealer convinced them the pellet stove was going to do everything needed for them except slice bread.
That turned out to not be the case for their new $4,000 pellet stove. Think complacent husband and 'emotional logic' wife. She liked the idea of sitting in front of 'the fire' every night with her book and glass of wine. He liked the idea of keeping her happy. Neither of them hurting for money and it was something new to try.
They were cold at night because the house wasnt designed for fireplace heating with an open floor plan throughout.
I think the stable hand uses it now to heat his quarters.
John D
Addicted to ArboristSite
Even the best geothermal system needs a heat exchange with refrigerant,which requires a compressor,and a lot of pumping so it isnt going to be free.From what I was told it is basically a heat pump that uses the ground water to exchange with.Of course to use the ground water,you need another electric pump to pump the water to the exchane unit.
Yeah, you're right on there, the ground becomes a heat sink and heat source of sorts. Summertime it takes in the (around here) 50 degree water/coolant from the field, the heat pump/compressor dumps the first part of its heat to domestic hot water then to a heat exchanger and into the field, outbound water temps of about 100F. Heat gets lost into the ground (AC cycle) In winter you don't get the free heated domestic water and it takes the 50 degree ground water and sends it back out around 20F.
Indeed you need electricity for the heat pump, the circulator pump and other blowers/pumps as your heating system needs.
went to a seminar on geothermal - apparently WI lattitude is near ideal.
The first 3 months of summer, you are living off of the cold put there from winter.
The first 3 months of winter, you are living off of the heat put there from summer.
Danged if I know exactly where the other 6 months of heating / cooling come from, but I do know this.
As you go further down, the ground temp gets hotter - in WI that's about 53 degrees, a bit warmer if you dig deeper. Apparently, that's warm enough to extract heat from and more than cold enough to run the air.
Although for all the rigamorole, you have to be expecting the price of oil will stay quite high.
The first 3 months of summer, you are living off of the cold put there from winter.
The first 3 months of winter, you are living off of the heat put there from summer.
Danged if I know exactly where the other 6 months of heating / cooling come from, but I do know this.
As you go further down, the ground temp gets hotter - in WI that's about 53 degrees, a bit warmer if you dig deeper. Apparently, that's warm enough to extract heat from and more than cold enough to run the air.
Although for all the rigamorole, you have to be expecting the price of oil will stay quite high.
