| David.B.Buss@gmail.com 2007-04-16, 9:25 am |
| Sean,
If you would like to contact me by e-mail, I would be glad to answer
your questions and give you some more adivce about installers and
service people in your area.
Thanks,
Dave
On Apr 14, 11:58 pm, Sean <epicy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm in the process of building a new home and have been investigating
> using aGeothermalHVAC system instead of the traditional Natural Gas
> power systems in my area. I live in the Chicago Midwest region of the
> US. The home that we are building is a 4000 sq ft and located in a
> region that has very dense clay like soil about 3 feet down. Our home
> will be a prairie home with 3ft overhanging eves and will be all brick
> on the exterior ... It is aligned lengthwise East to West and has a lot
> of trees on the South side to shade the home in the summer. We are only
> now at finalizing the architecture of the home and haven't signed with
> a builder yet. I am investigating insulation and HVAC options and had a
> few questions that I thought this forum could help out with.
>
> I contacted a localgeothermalinstaller and he said that sight unseen
> he would estimate my needs at an 8 ton install with 2 zoned units. He
> didn't mention how much loop I would need but I assume it would be
> around 150ft x 8 tons correct? He suggested that I don't use
> traditional fiberglass insulation and instead look into cellulose or
> thermal-crete insulation as an option to get the most bank for my buck
> with thegeothermalunit. Given the fact that he said he could give a
> more detailed estimate with a plat survey and plans does this ballpark
> sound about right? He also mentioned a 2x cost over traditional HVAC.
> This i was prepared for but I obviously want to make as educated a
> decision as I can. I was talking with a builder about a high efficiency
> HVAC system similar to the Carrier Infinity Heating and Cooling System.
>
> What I can't seem to find much information online about (beyond
> marketing hype) is:
>
> 1. What are the maintenance costs of ageothermalunit like? Obviously
> there's an HVAC installer/repair person on every corner. In the event
> of repair what can I expect in terms of turnaround and costs (i.e.
> general wear and tear)? What about repair of the loops themselves? I
> was looking at a horizontal closed loop installation.
>
> 2. What is the comfort factor like, seriously ... the temperatures as
> you all know have been fluctuating a lot lately from 0F in the winter
> to 100F in the summer. My wife is concerned (amongst other things)
> about the comfort of the unit through the seasons. How does it compare
> to traditional HVAC systems?
>
> 3. Will I need traditional auxiliary installed HVAC units for backup or
> emergency? Are the electric coils I hear about sufficient to heat an
> entire home on backup? What about summer cooling backup?
>
> Obviously the less I depend on electric / gas the more I can save which
> is one of the goals here. The other being environmental impact but I
> really don't want to start a debate about that.
>
> If anyone can offer some insight or some better RTFM links beyond the
> marketing hype I would appreciate it. I've read a lot of sites but very
> few seem to address the negatives of thegeothermalunits. I know there
> are certainly horror stories but I guess I'd like to hear about some
> real life experiences with them and get a better understanding of what
> I'd be getting into if I go this route.
>
> Thank you for the help!!!
>
> Sean
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