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[NaturallyAspirated]

Hello all!

Looks like a great forum here!  I am looking at building a new home (hybrid living quarters/garage/cold storage from a 120' x 60' building), and am interested in feedback ideas on my energy systems.  Obviously those included a OWB.  I travel quite often so I thought that perhaps a combination of a geothermal heat pump and a boiler would be best, just incase there was a failure to fuel the boiler. I have attached a basic overview of what I would like (I think...) to do.   Suggestions, ideas, comments?

Neal

[slimjim]

Wow, I think you are severely overthinking it, it does not need to be complicated, Storage tanks/ blending tanks ?

[Scott7m]

I have to agree....   It's way to complicated.  Also, in regards to heating.  A getothermal unit is a pretty poor choice.  I would personally be looking at 2 boiler systems, one of which being a owb, the other with a more sustainable when gone fuel source like gas

[slimjim]

Geothermal is OK in some locations but here in the northeast, not so good a choice generaly speaking.

[Scott7m]

Geothermal is OK in some locations but here in the northeast, not so good a choice generaly speaking.

Even here in ky it's nothing impressive.  My parents have it and we often do jobs upgrading geo owners to a warm heat lol

[slimjim]

I think the major problem with geothermal is that nobody warranties the wells, great concept but to many variables.

[Scott7m]

I think the major problem with geothermal is that nobody warranties the wells, great concept but to many variables.

There is some wells here, but not many.    Most are done in 6-8ft deep trenches or in the bottom of farm ponds

[slimjim]

Its getting time for the old long haired libertarian to go to bed, I'm not about to get into one of those situations that we did the other night, I need my rest, You have a good night, I will try to check in in the morning.

[Scott7m]

Its getting time for the old long haired libertarian to go to bed, I'm not about to get into one of those situations that we did the other night, I need my rest, You have a good night, I will try to check in in the morning.

Wasn't aware there was an issue.....       

[MattyNH]

Geothermal is OK in some locations but here in the northeast, not so good a choice generaly speaking.

Geothermal is becoming huge in the northeast..I see it a lot..I work in the construction field.. Its very expensive..I wish my town new high school did it..But it got voted out..But on that note to this post...Check out Central Boiler..They offer options (last i knew)  where you can have a Beckett burner installed  in the OWB and burn propane, oil or Kero..It would automatically come on if no fuel for the fire ( below a certain water temp setting)..

[willieG]

geothermal is far better than a heat pump sitting outside your home

[Scott7m]

geothermal is far better than a heat pump sitting outside your home

Even when it costs 4x as much!?

To me geothermal is the biggest joke ever...  When it first came out my parents bought one, it cost about $7500 to do there home, now the same job is in the 22k range.

There is heat pumps now that have crazy high seer ratings, some 22 seer or higher, geothermal is normally 17 seer

With that being said though, technically geo should be better for heating because its heat source is warmer than the winter air.  From what I've saw, a heat pump here in ky quits working and keeping up on most homes around 40 degrees, the geothermal takes that number down to probably 28-30 before we start seeing the heat strips come on.  My parents electric bills aren't bad, $240 in winter, but there house doesn't feel warm at all, even when it reads 73 it doesn't feel the same as the owb heat

[Scott7m]

My aunt also has geothermal, hers is well style..  It's a 2 story with basement log home, they have $300 electric bills all winter and run there wood burner in the basement with the door open letting heat rise into the home...

I'm not saying I don't agree with the science of it, it's just so many folks I've seen didn't actually save anything.  Her unit was 8-9 years old and had a compressor failure, if I remember correctly it was something like 6-8k to have it replaced

[willieG]

scott when i used my geothermal to heat my home (i used it about 5 years) i only saw the lights for my heat strips come on twice one cold winter and never again. iput some wood in teh indoor fireplace and the heat stips went out. here in ontario about 2 years ago they had a big grant out and you could install one for about 3,500. I still use my system for air conditioning and it is quite reaonable for that

yes theheat coming out of the registers is not hot but you can still have a warm house. standing on the registers to warm up wont work though (like with an OWB)

i think if i remember right,  the guy told me the air coming out of the registers will be about 7 to 10 degrees warmer than the room tempature.

[willieG]

well styles here are common in the city because of room but  you need a lot of weels if you are to have a properly  sized system. my system is burried 5 feet deep. i have 3500 feet of pipe in the ground (thats a lot of wells around here)  here the rock is at about 80 feet so i would need about 22 wells (that would add up for sure)