Geothermal HVAC is like a heat pump that uses the constant temperature of the Earth. Ours is forced air & no it does not produce as hot of air as oil or gas (something like 110 instead of 115?). It works in cold climates & like any heating system, it runs longer when it is colder but certainly not 24/7. You also get cheap air conditioning. I can crank up the A/C & my electric bill hardly notices. For three months a year in the winter, we pay about $100/$135 more a month for electric but then again, I'm not paying the oil delivery guy $500 every time I call. Geothermal HVAC is far far far more efficient than oil or gas or electric. If your relative had problems it could be his unit was not properly sized. We have a closed loop system running off of two 375 foot holes. We don't burn oil or gas & don't have to worry about having a fume problem & killing everyone. We don't have explosive gas piped into our house or sit on 275 gallons of diesel fuel. Really, just because it is green, it will even work for the right wingers out there & save you money.
No, I didn't get that information from a relative, it's just that my fathers side of the family are all into construction, and they did a lot of home remodeling and building. They ran across the problem many times. From what I understand, those things break constantly and you still need electricity to pump in the air. The older the unit, the more often it needs repair and it's pretty expensive.
I live alone and I was interested in one of those instant electric water heaters. That way you only create hot water when you need it. Sounded like a good idea until I learned about the price. On top of the cost, it too needed a lot of maintenance and repairs to keep it going. It was cheaper just to keep the hot water systems I have now.
I find construction people don't like to install geothermal because it is costs money that they need to subcontract & they prefer for their customers spend money on work they do.
Geothermal units are not prone to breaking down. Geothermal systems do use electric to run the compressor & pumps. They are extremely efficient. I have run mine for ten years with only a routine maintenance every few years. I put mine in prior to rebates & they pay back was 8 years.
Just because they are green, you shouldn't put them down.
You are sooooooo full of shit. When you hire subs that's less work you have to do and you make money on the job. If you have to hire a sub for the job you wouldn't be getting the job otherwise.
And what kind of pump are you running without using electricity?
Heat Pump Systems | Department of Energy
ADVANCED FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A HEAT PUMP
A number of innovations are improving the performance of heat pumps.
Unlike standard compressors that can only operate at full capacity,
two-speed compressorsallow heat pumps to operate close to the heating or cooling capacity needed at any particular moment. This saves large amounts of electrical energy and reduces compressor wear. Two-speed heat pumps also work well with zone control systems. Zone control systems, often found in larger homes, use automatic dampers to allow the heat pump to keep different rooms at different temperatures.
Some models of heat pumps are equipped with
variable-speed or dual-speed motors on their indoor fans (blowers), outdoor fans, or both. The variable-speed controls for these fans attempt to keep the air moving at a comfortable velocity, minimizing cool drafts and maximizing electrical savings. It also minimizes the noise from the blower running at full speed.
