Geothermal, like other central heating and/or cooling systems can be installed in a number of configurations including forced air, hydronic baseboard, and radiant floors for distribution. The source can be either an open or closed loop. A geothermal system usually cost somewhat more than a conventional fossil fuel system with air conditioning to install but has a lower operation cost and no fuel deliveries. There are also no atmospheric emissions of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons with a geothermal system. For a "ballpark" estimate as to what your investment in geothermal energy might be fill out the questionaire on the contact us page.

How does the cost of heating with a geothermal system compare to other heating modes ?

Geothermal systems cost less to operate than electric, electric heat pumps, oil, kerosene, natural and propane gas.

How much will it save ?

This would depend on your local utility rates for electricity and each of the fossil fuels. Somewhere from 20 to 60% in Dollars. Ask our previous customers what their long term savings were. In ecological terms the savings are even greater!

Should I use vertical, horizontal, or open loop ?

In the Northeast only vertical systems should be used. There is much more heat available in 50°F earth than the 32°F (or less) form a horizontal system in frost and frozen earth or an iced over lake or pond.

Can snow melt be done ?

Yes, with the right equipment and the right design.

Can I heat my pool ?

Yes, for an indoor, enclosed pool. For an outdoor pool a solar pool heater is a better option.

Are there any substantial improvements in efficiency on the horizon ?

Manufacturers are continuously working to improve their products. We have seen improvements since 1975 when we first came into the geothermal market.

I am planning a large home. Should I use one large of two smaller units ?

This would depend on the layout of the home and your personal preferences as to temperature control. We have designed and installed in homes from 800 to over 15,000 sq.ft.

Is the system antifreeze a potential environmental problem ?

This is a concern in closed loop systems. The loop designer should use a not toxic antifreeze. In open loop VSWC systems well water is used and this is not an issue.

I have heard of a system where air is circulated through large diameter pipes buried in the soil and then supplied to the building for heating purposes. Is that possible ?

In the Northeast this isn’t practical as the large diameter pipes would have to be buried below the 15 ft. level to get below the effect of the frost.

I am an engineer, where can I find more detailed information for commercial applications?

We have worked together with both engineers and architects in designing and installing commercial geothermal systems since 1975.

I have oil or gas hot water heat. Can I convert to geothermal?

Converting a home or building with hot water heat is not as easy.

Fossil fuel systems for hydronic (warm water) heating include either copper & aluminum hot water baseboards, cast iron radiators, or radiant heat. All of them are designed to operate at from 180 - 200 °F.

Geothermal systems, though much more efficient operate at between 100 - 120 °F, and are not compatible with distribution systems originally designed for much higher temperatures. You would need almost 3 times the size radiators, baseboards, or length of radiant tubing.

Converting a home or building basically means starting from scratch.

The up side is that you get a system that is much more efficient, has a lower heating cost, and can have zoned heating and central air conditioning as well.

I have heard radiant heat is the most efficient. What's the story?

There should be no hidden secrets or mysteries about heating and / or cooling systems.

All heating systems are composed of 3 equally important components as follows:

1. fuel source - oil, gas, wood, geothermal - all but the geothermal convert a fuel by burning it into heat energy.
2. heat conversion unit - the furnace, boiler, wood stove, or geothermal unit - The first 3 take 95 - 100% of their energy from the fuel. Geothermal gets 70 - 75% of it's energy from the earth, and the other 25 - 30% from electrical energy for conversion.
3. Distribution - radiant, hydronics, or forced air - everyone is familiar with all of these. Forced air is the only one that can also do zoned central air conditioning.

Some information on radiant heat. We are certified on and do install Wirsbo radiant heat for the right applications but, it is not more efficient than other forms of heat. You are still trying to transfer heat through a poly-plastic, which is never efficient.

The right applications for radiant heat are those where a floor's temperature is the most critical thing, such as:

1. truck repair garages, where people have to work on their backs on or just above the floor
2. fire departments and rescue squads where the rolling stock must be kept above freezing
3. basements floors that have no carpeting

Some wrong applications for radiant heat are:

1. any space above another conditioned space
2. any basement where you will have carpeting on the floor
3. any cathedral room with whole house ventilation, air conditioning,or a fresh air system

I am on a municipal water system. Can I convert to geothermal energy?

Water is the heat transfer fluid, not the heat source. The earth is the heat source and any water must be coming up from at least 15 ft. down to not be affected by the frost. A pond, lake, or stream on or near your home or building is not a geothermal source. You would have to drill a well or install a well point if you have a high water table.

I have steam, cast iron radiators. Can they be converted to operate on geothermal?

No, steam systems operate from 220 + °F and geothermal systems, though much more efficient cannot deliver within 100°F of this temperature. Steam systems were designed when buildings had little or no insulation, and fuel was relatively cheap.

I have a lake, pond, stream, or body of water adjacent to my home. Can I use this as a geothermal source?

No, again, the water is not the fuel source, only the heat transfer medium. The water must be underground fed from at least 15 ft. down.

I have a 1 acre lot next to my home. Can I do a horizontal loop?

No, we have frost that goes down from 4 - 6 ft. and it's cooling effect goes down 15 ft. To get into the geothermal "temperate zone" we need to have our source at least 15 ft. down

I have an old building or home and have heard that the HIVAC systems take up a lot less space for air ducts.

They do take up less space but at a large premium. With the high velocities and large differential temperatures they are not as efficient due to increased pressure required by high static pressure blowers. They also require frequent maintenance as the extra high differential temperatures tend to have the air conditioning coils "ice up" easily and must go through constant defrost cycles. Ask anyone who has had one for any number of years.

We have a vacation home in the Mountains. Is it feasible to use geothermal there?

If this home is for Summer only use, or you close it down, shut off any heat, and drain the pipes in Winter, no.

I/We have a very deep drilled water well but it has very low production. Can we use this well for geothermal?

Very deep water wells, in the 400 ft.+ depth can usually be used for geothermal purposes, even though some of them don't produce enough water for domestic use. If the well produces enough "drawdown" for both purposes great but, a 500 ft. "dry hole" can still be a "permanent fuel tank" for you and your family, even if it cannot give you drinking water.

My friend bought a home with a horizontal closed loop and says it works great until the end of the Winter when it seems to "run out of fuel", why?

Geothermal loop systems are region specific. In the North we can't bury a pipe at 3 to 4 ft. and expect to get heat from it the whole Winter long. Some time during the winter the loop will freeze and as everyone knows ice makes a great insulator, ask any Eskimo. In fact, the earth's temperature below the frost will be lower as deep as 15 ft. below the surface. The larger the frozen layer of ice around the loop the harder it is to eke out any heat at all from that loop. This is after the loop has already dropped to 32°F. With a vertical standing water column (VSWC) supply you never run out of fuel due to you loop freezing up. The earth is always 50°F, and so your supply to the geothermal equipment is a constant, January through July. Also, when you use well water as your heat exchange fluid there are no environmental questions about what anti-freeze to use.

I've heard geothermal systems blow cold air in Winter?

Your Grandfather's old fossil fuel oil or gas furnace heated the air that passed through it somewhere between 60 and 100°F every pass of air. It literally "fried" the moisture out of it. It also delivered this air with curtain shaking, cat chasing high velocities. With it's 1.5 to 2 air changes per hour you were either too cold or too hot, with very uneven temperatures throughout the house. Geothermal systems are designed to stringent ACCA standards for 4 air changes per hour and only 20 - 25°F temperature rise every pass of air. With higher volume, lower velocities (cat friendly) you are comfortable, and don't know how you got there. So, geothermal systems deliver warm air, not hot air. If the room temperature is 70°F the average delivered air temperature should be 90 - 95°F. The bottom line is it will heat your home for a lot less than any other automatic method. Of course free wood can do it for less, and wood is also renewable.

How efficient is the air conditioning side of a geothermal system?

About twice as efficient as a conventional central air system. Think, how hard is it to cool a home or building with 50°F water being used as the cooling medium, not 90 -100°F air. That means that when you have a 3 ton system it's always a 3 ton system, even at 110°F outside. Conventional systems are rated at 85°F outdoor air and system capacity drops off with temperature rises above that mark. Geothermal systems have a constant 50°F "condenser", so it is always the most efficient with 100% of it's capacity.

Why don't you recommend or install closed loops?

We did, in the early days, many years ago. Then, we started collecting data and discovering that in the Northeast we have some advantages that other parts of the country do not have. We have relatively clean water, and high density bedrock with excellent heat transfer characteristics. Later on ARI started testing, and still does, any geothermal brand sent to them for 3rd party verification of performance standards.

What ARI also proved is that any equipment in the Northeast that can operate on direct contact well water (VSWC) will have a 15 - 20% higher performance and lower operating energy use as the same piece of equipment on a closed loop (click here to view ARI Standards)

I have heard that "on demand" water heaters are much more efficient than conventional types?

We installed in a few gas and electric "on demand" water heaters over a decade ago. Had to take out all of them, within two years.

If you are heating distilled water in a lab environment they work fine but, if there are any minerals in the water at all, especially calcium and iron, they will plug up fast and have to be acid cleaned at least every 6 months.

Rather than heating water to remain in storage they heat it very rapidly in section of copper less than 8 ft. long, wrapped around the gas heat exchanger. The electric units use solid state TRIAC output switches that operate very hot. The water has to be heated from ground temperature of 50°F to at least 120°F, which is a rise of 70°F in less than 8 ft. of copper. This fast heating boils off any dissolved air in the water and plates out any and all minerals dissolved in the water on the inside of the copper. Over time (sometimes as little as months) the plating of these minerals decreases the efficiency of heat transfer from the hot flue gasses to the water and as a result the discharge flue gas temperature rises, wasting energy that was meant to heat the water.

Once this plating of minerals occurs the only way to remove it is with a solution of acid pumped through the heat exchanger from a clean bucket, with a specially designed acid pump every few months. Over time this constant "scouring" of the copper with the acid cleaning eats through the heat exchanger and your "on demand" water heater is now scrap metal.

Ask anyone who has had one of these "on demand" units over a year and get their feedback. I have heard of a few cases where they do operate, but they were in the "lab" condition I mentioned for heating distilled (demineralized) water.

We don't have a drilled well but water out lawn with a point or dug well?

The key here is that the source of the water is coming up from at least 15 ft. below the earth surface. The water is not the heat source, only the heat transfer medium. We have many systems operating on well points, some on dug wells and one on a flowing stream at ground level. All have year round water temperatures from 49 - 51°F.

I own a commercial building. What advantages does geothermal have for me?

1. Lower heating and cooling costs - since 70 - 75% of the energy for today's ARI certified equipment comes from the earth the operating costs for both heating and cooling are extremely low.
2. Lower demand costs - one of the largest costs for a commercial building is for the compressors in air conditioning, whether central or window units. With geothermal cooling not only is the energy cost about half that of a conventional system but, the electrical demand factor is way lower. Demand factor (Rate 2 electric service meters) is what you pay for the utility having to be ready to deliver the highest "demand" you may need in the next 11 calendar months after you have hit your "KWD peak". For that period you will pay a premium, which in many cases can cost you even more than your KWHR use is. Check out this 110+ year old building that was converted to geothermal in the mid 1980's.

Why do companies that design and install geothermal systems always talk about "backup" or "supplemental" heat systems? Can't the geothermal system supply all of the heating and cooling? If not, why?

"Backup" heat is an old term from the air source heat pump era (not geothermal). The source of the heat was the outdoor air, not the earth. When the outdoor air temperature went below the economic balance point the heat pump was turned off and the "backup" heat came on to heat the home or building. In most cases this was electric strip heaters. They had to be sized to heat the entire building or home without the heat pump being operational. Hence the term, "backup". The economic balance point was generally in the range of +30 to + 40°F. For obvious reasons these air source heat pumps were, and still are not, practical for use in the Northeast.

Commercial buildings that have air conditioning loads greater than or equal to their heating loads often do not require "supplemental" heat to a geothermal system.

In many cases, in our area the heating load is very much larger than the cooling load and it does not make economic sense to size the geothermal heating system for the lowest expected temperature for the next 50 years, knowing that a majority of that time it will be vastly oversized. The incremental cost difference on equipment will not give a reasonable return on investment.

In most residential and light commercial applications it does not make economic sense to install a geothermal heating and cooling (HVAC) system that will supply 100% of the heat.

Most Northeastern locations will only hit -40°F occasionally in some Winters, but not every Winter.

In sizing geothermal HVAC systems in this part of the country we utilize the BINS method of averaging the most current 30 years weather data, and supplying 85 - 90% of the home or buildings heat with geothermal, and 100% of the air conditioning.

This gives the best balance of ecology, economy, and common sense.

In existing homes or business which already have installed serviceable equipment it usually makes sense to utilize it as the 10 -15% supplement, knowing it should operate a fraction of the previous time. This system can be wood, coal, oil, or gas driven. If an "automatic" system is required, that lets out the wood and coal options.

I bought this geothermal unit over the internet, will you install it?

No! We only design with and install equipments that meet IGSHPA and ARI standards. That way you know what is printed on the specification sheet as far as equipment performance is the truth. If it's not IGSHPA and ARI certified we would not know what it's input and output requirements and what performance it will really produce for you. ARI Standards and Guidelines

Can geothermal system be incorporated into other renewable systems like solar photo-voltaic electric, wind powered electricity, hydro-electric , passive solar, and solar water heating?

Yes to all of these. Contact us for specifics.

We're looking to build a home that has the lowest environmental impact?

So are we, lets talk.

Why would you choose geothermal instead of some other form of renewable energy?

We have installed all types of solar heating and electric systems and we still find geothermal gives you the "biggest bang for your buck", in that it addresses the majority of most people's home energy needs. Heating and Cooling comprise from 70 - 80% of most homes energy consumption. Today's ARI certified and correctly applied geothermal systems should be able to get from 70 - 75% of that energy from the earth, responsibly. Most other renewable systems replace a much smaller percentage of your total energy use.

A lot of the other guys are saying closed loops are the only right way to install geothermal in the Northeast. They claim that their systems are more efficient than yours ?

See industry standards and talk to some of the 600+ customers we have designed and installed VSWC systems for over the past 28 years. ARI Standards and Guidelines

I see horizontal, pond, and lake loops in all the national magazines. Why won't they work in the Northeast?

With today's state-of-the-art geothermal equipment over 70% of heating and cooling energy can come from the earth, responsibly. Please look at our web site in depth, as there is over 30 years of data there, including a booklet we published in the 1980's to regionalize ideas that were published in national magazines.

When you pick up a national or world publication for articles or ideas about sources of geothermal energy for space heating or cooling you get the whole gamut of possibilities world wide.

Then, when you think regionally some of those ideas may not work in your particular case. Examples would be as follows:

1. Horizontal "slinky" loop in Northern USA or Canada - unless you can trench down at least 15 ft. to install many hundreds of feet of polyethylene pipe below the effect of the Northern Frost Zone you're wasting your time to go horizontal. This works in the central plains of Canada, but not the Northeast or Northwest USA, because of our deep bedrock.
2. Pond or Lake Loop in Northern USA or Canada - These bodies of water are FROZEN in Winter, and you're wasting your time. This works great in the South, though.
3. Vertical Standing Water Column (VSWC) in the Northeast - Due to our relatively clean water and high density bedrock this works best in New England and New York. It Utilizes direct contact with well water and no antifreeze is required. ARI ratings boast 15- 20% higher output performances and lower operating costs, with all energy costs included.
4. Vertical Closed Loop Anywhere - On the East and West coasts where brackish water can be very corrosive this is a good alternative in any climate. It still has the drawback of having to deal with an antifreeze and transferring heat through a low density poly plastic pipe.
5. VSWC or Well Water Systems in the Sun belt - this is not recommended as the colloidal red clay content in well water would plug up piping and equipment quickly. In this application, since frost only goes down inches, not feet, horizontal closed loops or slinky's are recommended. Pond or lake loops can also be used effectively in the South.

Yes, any heat generated within the shell of the house can be used to heat the whole home, evenly. The ducts and installed low velocity fan will deliver that heat to all areas served by the system. Many of our customers do just that. They will set the geothermal thermostat for the lowest temperature they would like the home if the fire goes out, then turn the fan on distribute the wood / coal heat. During the night when the fire goes out and the house cools down the geothermal comes on to maintain the setting.

I've heard that closed loops come with a 50 year guarantee. Is there something similar for open loops or VSWC systems?

The 50 year guarantee is only as good as the company behind it. When the company closes or moves out of the area, never to return you're kind of stuck. With an open loop or VSWC system it is always accessible for any required maintenance many years down the road. A good,reputable NGWA driller and / or pump man can service it any time of year. Over the past 30+ years we have seen many things that make closed loops a tremendous liability, such as:

1. earth quakes - if you haven't notices we have them, and a sheared closed loop puts you up the creek, with no way to repair it. Not so for the VSWC that any good NGWA certified well driller and / pump man can work on. They always know just where they are.
2. Anti -freeze leaks - many of these 50 year guaranteed loops have leaked in a lot less than 50 years, dumping their anti-freeze into the groundwater and your aquifer. Some of these anti-freeze solutions are toxic to animals and humans. We use only well water in our systems.
3. If 10 to 40 years from now you decide you want to put in an in ground swimming pool and your closed loop field is there, tough luck. That's if you remember where it is, or you were the original homeowner. You have access to our VSWC well casings, from industry standard well caps, any time 24/7/365.

Over 20 years ago we did a number of these, what came to be known as DX systems. They worked great for a few years, but all got pinholes in the copper tubing and lost all of their refrigerant charge to the earth over time. None lasted over 10 years. We thought this couldn't happen as city water mains are copper and they are in the ground a long time without a problem so we researched it further. It seems it is a combination of the fluctuating refrigerant pressures, from a low of 40 to a high of 375 psi, as well as the Calcium in the earth in the Northeast in the form of Limestone.

This may work perfectly well in other parts of the country where they don't have the potential or Limestone or Calcium in direct contact with the copper tubing in the ground heat exchanger.

I've heard of this geothermal unit with the highest EER on the market. Why won't you use it?

When choosing geothermal equipment for a particular design application you have to know the primary goal, is it heating, cooling, or are they equal. If the primary goal is cooling, like in the South, or some commercial applications the equipments with the highest EER rating should be looked at.

Scroll and rotary compressors can develop some great EER's for lower heat buildup and lower energy consumption while in the cooling mode. But, these same units have lower heat outputs because they do not develop the heat of compression that reciprocating compressors deliver.

If your primary concern if heating, which is most residential and light commercial applications in the Northeast we choose the reciprocating compressor models of the manufacturers product line. True, the cooling EER's won't be quite as high as would another model, but we get the heat of compression and heat output we are designing for.

That is the reason we might choose a different product line by the same manufacturer for a commercial vs. residential application.