Does anyone on here have any experience with geothermal heat systems? With all this mess going on with propane prices, I have been thinking about going to geothermal. We just bought a house in SE WI(Germantown) and unfortunately everything runs on propane. It doesn't look like we will get natural gas out here anytime soon and we plan on living in the home for quite a few years. We have 5 acres of mainly flat bare land which I think would work well for a horizontal loop system. My questions are about how expensive is it to install the entire system? Are there still rebates from the government for these systems? How well does it warm the home in temperatures such as the ones we are experiencing now. What kind of maintenance is involved in this system. Any feedback from those with experience is greatly appreciated.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Geothermal Heating Systems
- Thread starter shifty
- Start date
I can only speak of the very short time mine has run. We just moved into our new house at the end of December. Our system works great in these cold temperatures and heats the whole house (4,000sq, ft.) with ease. Mine uses 6 wells, 200' deep each so the install price was high, but there is a 30% tax credit and I expect to recoup the additional expense of installing the system in 7 to 8 years. No real additional maintenance vs. a gas furnace and has longer life expectancy along with the resale value to the next owner. I'm totally convinced it was the right decision.
unless u own a dozer I think the well system is the way to go.
my bud did the coils in his back yard about 15 yrs ago had sink holes for a decade. he uses the forest air system with 0 issues.
my aunt did the wells in her city lot like 5 yrs ago with in floor heat including fr steps and garage floor sweet system in a big home and she says it is already payed for it self.
I have a few customers who have geo and none regret it
my bud did the coils in his back yard about 15 yrs ago had sink holes for a decade. he uses the forest air system with 0 issues.
my aunt did the wells in her city lot like 5 yrs ago with in floor heat including fr steps and garage floor sweet system in a big home and she says it is already payed for it self.
I have a few customers who have geo and none regret it
agriffinjd
New member
Horizontal boring is cheaper than drilling wells and gets you deeper than you can with an excavator. Not to mention it doesn't tear up your property. I had a quote for excavating vs. horizontal boring and the boring was actually cheaper. I ultimately decided against geothermal due to its cost and its non-guaranteed "payback," plus I have a lot of trees that I can burn with an outdoor wood boiler.
Be aware too, the IRS just issued an opinion in November that your ductwork can no longer be considered a part of the geothermal system, so you cannot get 30% rebate on the ductwork. Basically only on the installation of the loops and the geothermal furnace itself. Some installers may not know this and may be quoting a full 30% rebate amount on the ductwork too.
Be aware too, the IRS just issued an opinion in November that your ductwork can no longer be considered a part of the geothermal system, so you cannot get 30% rebate on the ductwork. Basically only on the installation of the loops and the geothermal furnace itself. Some installers may not know this and may be quoting a full 30% rebate amount on the ductwork too.
HardwaterHoosier
Member
My parents put one in about two.5 years ago. They run off one large well and dump the water into their pond. They had a few small glitches, but all have been simple fixes. The latest issue was because they hooked a fountain to the line that dumped into the pond; Too much back pressure and it would kick the aux. heat on.
My parents got the closed loop one in the late 80's. Started haveing condenser problems a few years back that would have been pretty expensive to repair. Heating guy said new geothermal furnace is more efficient then old one..my dad said bull crap cus this thing don't cost much to run. He replaced with new one and low an behold it is cheaper. We used to heat house with a side kick so you know cost was low but dad said he would never go back best decision they ever made. He also installed a meter just on the furnace just to see how much juice it pulled.
Rupp Collector
Active member
Our GEO system is 17 years old. Up until last winter, I never had a $40 heat bill. Really shines in the summer as the air conditioning cost less than $3 a month. We have two electric meters on the house. One for the GEO and water heater and another for the rest of the stuff. Our system is considered a pump and dump, but we have two well casings, one to draw from and the other returns the water back to the same depth. We do have really good water, which if you don't you almost have to go with a closed loop system. Our electric company had huge incentives years ago and electric discounts for GEO systems. Some of those discounts have gone away, but our heat is still less than $60 a month.
groomerdriver
New member
Our house is 5 yrs old and when it was built a "pump and dump" (PnD) GT system was installed. We have copious amounts of groundwater here and beach sand under the top layer of dirt. The "dump" portion goes into a drain field that is separate from our septic drain field. In the summertime I use the "dump" water to water our lawn. I can divert it from the drain field to and outside spigot. Our well has a constant 75 lb pressure system on it so there is no issue with pressure anywhere in the house. 5 yrs ago it was "proven" that a PnD system was slightly more efficient and less cost to run than a ground loop system. Is that the case now I do not know.
Maintenance has been limited to keeping the "water sensor" clear tube gizmo clean (had it cleaned by the installing HVAC company) and they charged me $50 to stop in and do it.
The "feel" of the heat and AC is just awesome! It feels so natural vs. gas/propane forced air and traditional AC cooling. Hard to describe! We have an Aprilaire system attached to the GT and it keeps the indoor humidity matched to the outside air. We also have two UV lamps in the return air to kill as much "junk" in the air possible.
If I ever build again....the house will have a GT system!
Maintenance has been limited to keeping the "water sensor" clear tube gizmo clean (had it cleaned by the installing HVAC company) and they charged me $50 to stop in and do it.
The "feel" of the heat and AC is just awesome! It feels so natural vs. gas/propane forced air and traditional AC cooling. Hard to describe! We have an Aprilaire system attached to the GT and it keeps the indoor humidity matched to the outside air. We also have two UV lamps in the return air to kill as much "junk" in the air possible.
If I ever build again....the house will have a GT system!