Ken_f
Member
Been researching the geothermal systems for some time. Tired of the $3500+ a year that we spend to heat / cool our 3,100 sq ft. house here in SE Pennsylvania. Looked into the water loop system where you would burry around 700 feet of that poly pipe in the ground and pump a glycol / water
mix through it. Did not like that as its like running a well pump all of the time on top of a compressor. Then I discovered the DX (Direct Exchange) systems. They drill 14 appx. 50 foot deep holes in a cone pattern from a 4 ft deep 6x6 hole. Then they run the copper tubing down into these holes with a thermal grout. No joints except at the top at the manifold.
You just run the Freon through these lines. No pump... No poly (which does not transfer heat/cold that well) The basement unit is reasonably quiet and does not take up much space.
Estimating that my costs should go to 1000-1200 a year and I get free hot water in the summer.
Its a considerable investment (11K) but I don't see LP gas getting cheaper anytime soon and I hate having those outside heat pump units that freeze up everytime we get heavy snow / ice storms.
I even have a friend that appealed his property tax appraisal saying that his house did not have central air due to not have outside AC unit. I will definitely try this too...
Ken
mix through it. Did not like that as its like running a well pump all of the time on top of a compressor. Then I discovered the DX (Direct Exchange) systems. They drill 14 appx. 50 foot deep holes in a cone pattern from a 4 ft deep 6x6 hole. Then they run the copper tubing down into these holes with a thermal grout. No joints except at the top at the manifold.
You just run the Freon through these lines. No pump... No poly (which does not transfer heat/cold that well) The basement unit is reasonably quiet and does not take up much space.
Estimating that my costs should go to 1000-1200 a year and I get free hot water in the summer.
Its a considerable investment (11K) but I don't see LP gas getting cheaper anytime soon and I hate having those outside heat pump units that freeze up everytime we get heavy snow / ice storms.
I even have a friend that appealed his property tax appraisal saying that his house did not have central air due to not have outside AC unit. I will definitely try this too...
Ken
