ground source heat pumps?

[3_puppies]

anybody have/use one? how do you like it, I hear they are very efficient, besides the initcial cost being the only down side.

 

[dylan]

i've done the ducting end of them, i'm a tin basher by trade. everyone seems to like them. all your running is a fan or pump with the in floor systems. up here we need a electric furnace for backup though as they only work to -5 degrees celsius

 

[crushers]

i thought that was the whole idea was to bring a constant temp into the house so even at -40 the furnace would only run to keep the temp above the 54 degrees F...
now i know i could be wrong with that temp since i am only going by hear say....
i have been thinking about this for the acrerage.... if i ever can afford it....
cheers

 

[toddslater]

I really wanted to install one when I built my house @ 7years ago. Since, I am not planning on moving anywhere the higher initial cost vs payback was not an issue. The problem I ran into was with the township rocket scientists. I wanted to install an open loop or pump and dump system. The extraction well would have been a rather shallow well 30-40 feet would have been plenty deep enough as I am 75 feet from the local ground water discharge point....resting atop a weathered schist that can really make some water. I was wanting to discharge into the local groundwater discharge point (stream) and was willing to install the discharge line as if a drunken sailor installed it from the house to the stream. This was to help alleviate any "perceived" thermal discharge issues into the stream. That however, was not the stroke of true ignorance that killed it. Nope...the morons insisted that I re-inject my discharge water back into the formation from where it came. Now I understand in certain parts of the country and in certain conditions...this is the best option for an open loop system....but hello I'm 75 feet from where it is headed???? After several attempts at educating the twp rocket scientists, stopping just short of producing a MODFLOW groundwater model, out of frustration and timing issues I bagged it. Ended up with a traditional heat pump with a propane back up unit.

Good luck and hopefully thing have progressed in the last 7 years. Also, you won't have to go through this execise with a closed loop system.....they seem to like those better.

 

[LukeZero]

I am an authorized dealer, installer for WaterFurnace International. Have access to Econar and Climate Master. I can answer any questions you have. PM me if you want. Luke Lefever, Lefever Plumbing & Heating, Inc. Elkhart, Indiana