Anyone have geothermal heating?

[Green Creek]

Propane costs are eating us up and I have been looking at thermal heating. I can find lots of information but no one is revealing what it costs. I am sure it's a bunch so thought I would ask the forum if anyone had installed a ground source heat pump.

 

[dyates]

No on geothermal, but I had a wood-fired boiler. NICE. If you have a woodlot on your place, that's your best alternative IMO. Costs something like 6 grand to install a new one, but I suspect geothermal would be similar, if not more. I have moved since, but I plan to get another one. Most will also heat your domestic water, an additional savings. It's nice to never worry about running out of hot water when your last in line for a shower.

 

[larryshoat]

I don't have one , but I'm thinking pretty dadgum hard on it . The guy that does my furnace said they have made some big improvments on the air to air heat pumps .He talked like I could get that and a new furnace for about $6000 . I would like that because I don't have central a/c and with the price of fuel I think I could recover that fairly quick .

Larry

 

[TexasBred]

Green we have an air source heat pump. Not what you were asking about but we love it. Our home is all electric and the highest electric bill last year was about $280 a month and that was in Texas in the heat of summer and we keep our house cold.....2400 sq. feet heated and cooled. In the winter our elec. bill runs about $80.

The ground source heat pumps work just as well I'm sure but Im not that familiar with them. I know I especially like the heat pump in winter and you seem to have a more even heat in the house and no hot spots...and the air coming out of the vents is warm rather than blistering hot. More of a very gradual heating effect. Very very efficient.

 

[Bluestem]

Installed a geothermal heat pump about 15 years ago. Heats or cools the house, any excess heat is used to heat water. Electric coop did an energy audit, claimed I would get my money back in 5 years. I have not priced them lately, nor compared them with newer systems. But I'm happy with mine.

 

[Jogeephus]

I think you'll find a lot of the cost of a geothermal unit is dependent on whether it is a closed loop or open loop system. I had two units in my house and it was set up as an open loop system. With last years drought I became concerned about the amount of water I was using and I replaced the units with two other units with higher sear (?) ratings. Heating bill has been cheaper and the house quiter since I made the change.

 

[Bluestem]

Mine is a closed loop system. Half the cost of mine was drilling 6- 200 feet deep holes for the inground plumbing.

 

[Frankie]

Propane costs are eating us up and I have been looking at thermal heating. I can find lots of information but no one is revealing what it costs. I am sure it's a bunch so thought I would ask the forum if anyone had installed a ground source heat pump.

When we built our house 20 years ago, we planned to put one in. But our contractor convinced us that we'd never save the difference in electricity costs. So we bought a really low SEER rated unit. I believe he was right at the time, but our electric bills have really gone up in the last couple of years. When this unit needs to be replaced, we'll definitely look at a thermal heating unit. If you have an electric co-op, talk to them.

 

[MikeC]

Wood heating has definitely been getting lots of looks lately also. It is a renewable resource that is very inexpensive here. I heat with wood now but plan to install a wood fired boiler this summer.

Geothermal still takes quite a bit of electricity to operate.

 

[dyates]

Wood heating has definitely been getting lots of looks lately also. It is a renewable resource that is very inexpensive here. I heat with wood now but plan to install a wood fired boiler this summer.

Geothermal still takes quite a bit of electricity to operate.

My boiler was a Hardy brand. It lasted almost twenty years. Would have still been working, but the water supply line froze and I forgot to close the ash door--all in the same day. The result was a crispy pile of stainless. Oh well. I bought it used for $500 and scrapped it for $275 after several years of service. My next one will be a Hardy as well.