Geothermal Prices in 2009

[buckeyefarmer]

I've been looking at Waterfurnace systems for several years now. My existing AC units are now 12 yrs old, 10SEER units (3ton and 3 1/2 ton), and my boiler for heating has not been real reliable. Tomorrow I have a guy coming to give be a Geo Price Quote. Anyone else have one put in recently, what kind of costs should I expect these days. My land easily supports horizontal loops, and easy digging. I did a search and didn't see much listed on here for geo in the last couple of years.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

look for tax breaks.......i think there was a small break but supposedly there is a little better one in the stimulus package but i haven't had time to verify this after it passed or if it changed........

sorry i don't have a direct answer

 

[forgeblast]

Anyone have luck with the geothermal systems that go down your well pipe? I have a deep fast well about 200' deep.

 

[Dale Binkley]

My geothermal system is a closed loop vertical system. It does not go down my exisiting well hole. The 2 well holes were drilled for this system and had pipe looped up and down each hole. When the pipe was installed and pressure tested, the holes were filled with grout to assist with better heat transfer from the pipe to the soil around it.

The system works great and I estimate about a 6 year payback on the cost of the system above what I would have paid to replace an oil burner and central AC unit. My first year savings I estimated to be about $1300. That was when oil was a bit cheaper.

 

[Tig]

I heated my last home with geothermal open loop for 18 years. 120' source well and a return into a 75' drain tile 7' deep. It worked great. When I moved I took the furnace with me. When my neighbour heard what I was doing they gave me their Waterfurnace. Their well had could not support it. One of those two units will go in my new home.
Grants were very good when I installed my unit. It paid back in a year. Prices have gone up since then.

 

[Malvern]

buckeyefarmer

We have a 3 well Geo system with electric heat back up in our house. The system is also hooked up to our electric hot water tank so we have lots of hot water. The system heats and cools and works very well. One of the things I found is don't use a programmable thermostat, just set it and leave it alone. They way my system is set any 2 degree bump in the heat mode will activate 1 heat strip (out of 4) thus using more electric. Since my house is all electric approx 2600 sq.ft house with a 24 x 32 detached garage (electric heated and don't use) and a 24 x 24 (ho heat just lights) horse barn my bills run $280 to $320 average.

Your up front costs will be high with lower operation costs in the end. Would I do it again, you bet.

Malvern

 

[MarkV]

Anyone have luck with the geothermal systems that go down your well pipe? I have a deep fast well about 200' deep.

Don't believe you can run it with your water well. Most around here have an intake well and a discharge well.

Has anyone heard that the EPA is going to ban well supported geothermal systems due to water contamination fears? I read something like that but have been unable to verify.

MarkV

 

[TheHammer]

Buckeyefarmer - I am considering geothermal for when (more like IF, with the current economy) I build a new home. I gathered several quotes for a vertical closed loop system for a 2300 sq. ft. house. Lowest came in at $24k, and the highest was just shy of $30k. Keep in mind this was for new construction and included running all the ductwork, etc.

I really like the geothermal system, but it's up front cost is a big factor. Granted, it pays in the long run, but the upfront cost eats into the budget for other things in the new house. I still am leaning toward it, though.

 

[Stimw]

I put a Geothermal in my last house in 1980 , I sold that house in 1999 with it still working fine. I put one in my current home 2 years ago. Here in Florida we just put in a shallow well (less than 50') and use the water to water the grass or discharge into a drainage ditch.
My current unit has a cooling EER of 19.9 and a COP of 4.0
I'm very happy with both units and if I have a choice that's all I will have.

 

[tanglefoot]

I had an Addison geothermal heat pump installed in our 2400 square foot home when we built it 14 years ago. It uses 4 vertical loop wells 210' deep. It has given good service until a few weeks ago. One of the two circulator pumps quit, and I had a hard time finding a qualified technician. I found a good one locally who does not advertise, but he charged $3,000 to replace the two pumps. (He said that when one goes out you might as well replace them both.) Now it's back up and working well. I have a Grundfos circulator that still works if anybody needs one. I'll give you the non-working one for a trot-line weight if you want it.
When we installed it, the unit was around $7,000, and the wells were $1,800 I think. When the tech came to work on the unit I asked him what it would cost to replace it now. He said $10,000.
Butch