Geothermal Heating for Homes in Cincinnati

Geothermal Heating & Cooling for Residential Homes

Choosing your heating and cooling system is not quite like picking out paint colors, flooring, or lighting options, but it is something that really needs to be well thought out like you would in choosing those options. It is important to educate yourself on your heating and cooling systems so that you get maximum comfort, energy efficiency, and a return on your investment.

Want to learn more? Contact the experts at Arronco today by filling out an online form!

The Mechanics of Geothermal Heating and Cooling

Geothermal heating and cooling taps into the earth’s temperature several feet below the surface. A water-filled pipe descends vertical wells and are then weaved through the home through an intricate web. Thermal conductivity is enhanced by the backfill of each hole. At the core of the system is a geothermal unit that serves as the home’s furnace and air conditioner. The geothermal unit relies on refrigerant as well as the water located in the pipes to heat or cool the air. This warm or cool air is then circulated throughout the home through the existing or new ductwork. Additionally, the refrigerant fills the condenser or evaporator coils while duct air blows across them and through the house.

When the homeowner wants to heat the home, the water absorbs heat from the refrigerant. During warm weather, the water transfers heat to the refrigerant. The effect provides the traditional comfort of a forced-air HVAC system at a reduced expense to operate the geothermal system. The geothermal unit compresses or expands the refrigerant to increase or decrease the temperature.

Geothermal Systems Can Add Comfort to Your Home

Geothermal systems help keep occupants in a home comfortable throughout every season. The geothermal system absorbs the ground’s heat through the underground loop. The heat is carried to the geothermal unit that stores it and concentrates it in order to send warm air throughout the home. Forced-air units have difficulty changing the temperature because people want warm air when the outside air is at its coldest. This requires a heat pump to have to work on overdrive in order to create this comfortable feeling. In contrast, a geothermal unit consumes less energy because it absorbs the heat from the ground that is at a temperature closer to the home’s comfort level than the surface air.

Geothermal units use significantly less energy, resulting in a 400 to 600 percent efficiency level compared to an average 98 percent efficiency level for high efficiency gas furnaces. Similarly, when homeowners feel the need for cold air the most, the air outside is hot. A heat pump has to work hard in order to extract the hot air from the home into the air outside. In contrast, a geothermal unit absorbs heat from the home and transfers it to the underground earth. Cold water running through the ground to the loop creates cool, dehumidified air to the home.

Benefits of Installing a Geothermal Heating & Cooling System

When you choose geothermal for your new home, it doesn’t add to your monthly cost of ownership of your home, it actually decreases it. This happens because the money you save every month you own your home is less than the additional cost of the Geothermal upgrade when financed on conventional 30-year loans. When you consider current utility and interest rates in an average home in the Greater Cincinnati area, the monthly mortgage payments and monthly utilities combined are actually less than the cost of a home without geothermal. Upgrading to a geothermal system doesn’t cost you extra money every month – it puts more money in your pocket! How many top of the line options or upgrades in your home can do this for you?

Not only does it put money back in your pocket every month because of reduced utility cost, it also saves you in the long run on repair, maintenance, and replacement costs. Geothermal systems come with a 10-year parts and labor warranty, compared to a 1-year labor warranty that is standard on most base systems. This means no repair bills to you in the first 10 years with properly maintained systems. As with any mechanical system, your heating and air conditioning system is very prone to repairs, especially in the 5-10 year range. Because our geothermal systems are not exposed to the outdoor elements and varying temperature changes, they are much more reliable than conventional systems, and we are able to back them up with a 10-year parts and labor warranty.

What Is the Average Lifespan of a Geothermal System?

When you look at the total cost of ownership of your heating and air conditioning system, replacement cost should also be taken into the equation. Geothermal systems have an average lifespan of 24 years, compared to 12 years for air conditioners and 13 years for conventional heat pumps. And, when it comes time to replace your Geothermal system, you are only replacing the indoor unit portion, the loop lasts a lifetime!

Geothermal Heating & Cooling for Homes

When it comes down to it, a geothermal system a no-brainer. You save money every month on utilities, you have less repair and maintenance cost, and you don’t have to worry about replacing your system in the 12-13 year range like you would with an air source system. All of this is why geothermal systems are Smarter from the ground up!

Are you ready to install a geothermal heating and cooling system in your Cincinnati home? The team at Arronco is here to help. Give us a call at 513-474-7555 or fill out a contact form today!