Geothermal FAQs

Geothermal installation does require drilling and laying pipes in your yard. We are experts and do it with as little damage as possible to your lawn and landscaping. We use state of the art equipment and work hard to keep yard damage to a minimum.

An average home geothermal system cost is approximately double that of an air source system. However, with the 30% tax credit currently available and many other state and utility rebates, and the potential savings in utility bills, makes the upgrade to a geothermal system a no-brainer in most situations.

Although high efficiency windows can increase the comfort of your home, the efficiency of your heating and cooling system can make a far more substantial difference in your home’s energy consumption and comfort.

Although the initial installation cost may be more, the savings in energy bills over time and the large tax credits available make the installation of a geothermal system a sound investment at an affordable price.

Most homes are compatible geothermal heating and cooling. Our evaluation of your site is free and we can answer all of your questions and work with you to design and install the energy saving system that is right for your situation, all at a reasonable cost. We guarantee 100% customer satisfaction and strive to make each customer a loyal customer for life.

One of the best aspects about geothermal is cash flow. If you install a geothermal system, the monthly savings in operating costs generally offset the additional monthly financing cost, resulting in an immediate positive cash flow.

Pipe sections are joined by thermal fusion. Thermal fusion involves heating the pipe connections and then fusing them together to form a joint that’s stronger than the original pipe. This technique creates a secure connection to protect from leakage and contamination.

Closed loop systems should be installed using only high-density polyethylene pipe. Properly installed, these pipes can outlast the house. They are inert to chemicals normally found in soil and have good heat conducting properties.

A closed loop system uses a continuous loop of buried polyethylene pipe. The pipe is connected to the indoor heat pump to form a sealed, underground loop through which an environmentally friendly antifreeze and water solution is circulated. A closed loop system constantly re-circulates its heat transferring solution in a pressurized pipe.

Yes. Some geothermal heat pumps can provide all of your hot water needs at the same high efficiencies as the heating/cooling cycles. An option called a desuperheater can be added to most heat pumps. It will provide significant savings by heating water before it enters your hot water tank.

Heat pumps don’t create heat. They take existing heat and move it. Anyone with a refrigerator has witnessed the operation of a heat pump. Refrigerators collect heat from the unit’s interior and moves it to the exterior for cooling purposes. Unlike a refrigerator, a heat pump can reverse itself. An air-source heat pump, for example, can extract heat from outdoor air and pump it indoors for heating purposes.

A geothermal heat pump works the same way, except that its heat source is the warmth of the earth. The process of elevating low-temperature heat to over 100° F and transferring it indoors involves a cycle of evaporation, compression, condensation and expansion. A refrigerant is used as the heat-transfer medium which circulates within the heat pump. The cycle starts as the cold, liquid refrigerant that passes through a heat exchanger (evaporator) and absorbs heat from the low-temperature source. Fluid from the gaseous refrigerant then passes through a compressor where the refrigerant is pressurized, raising its temperature to more than 180° F. The hot gas then circulates through a refrigerant to air heat exchanger where heat is removed and pumped into the building at about 100° F. When it loses the heat, the refrigerant changes back to a liquid. The liquid is cooled as it passes through an expansion valve and begins the process again. To work as an air conditioner, the system’s flow is reversed.

Geothermal systems work with nature, not against it. They emit no greenhouse gases-which have been linked to pollution, acid rain and other environmental hazards. WaterFurnace’s earth-loop antifreeze will not harm the environment in the unlikely event of a leak. And all of the current WaterFurnace product lines use R-410A, a performance-enhancing refrigerant that will not harm the earth’s ozone layer.

A geothermal system is over five times more efficient in heating and more than twice as efficient in cooling as the most efficient ordinary system. Because geothermal systems move existing heat rather than creating it through combustion, they provide four to five units of energy for every one unit used to power the system.

Unlike ordinary systems, geothermal systems don’t burn fossil fuel to generate heat; they simply transfer heat to and from the earth to provide a more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly method of heating and cooling. Typically, only a small amount.