Affordable Geothermal | Future House | Ask This Old House

[@quetzal4042]

I had geo installed 2 years ago with an energy monitor. For a whole summer of air conditioning I used $70 worth of electricity. This is for a 70-year-old house in hot, humid central Virginia.

[@RogeriusRex]

What is the cost return on that?

[@robertl.fallin7062]

@@RogeriusRex Unless it's larger that 2000sqft I am not impressed since I heat and cool a 1200sqft energy seive in central VA for $$450.00 per year using a Mitsubishi mini split. I will say the mini split was sized for cooling but I have found it does just fine above 10° for heat.

[@tysleight]

What is your ROI? If it is to have cool tech, sweet your there. If it is to save money I would guess your upside down and will be for a long time. When we were looking at Geo it was going to cost 4X what an air source would cost with much higher repair cost( pumps and compressors go bad) our ROI was 35 years best case.

[@quetzal4042]

Previous system was fuel oil and a 10 SEER air conditioner, so we are saving about $1200 a year, mostly on heating. Total cost of the system after incentives was $20,000. We did price one air-source system and it was about $11,000, but that was forced air and we really wanted to stick with radiant heat. As for maintenance, zero issues so far, but all systems have compressors and either pumps or fans, all of which will eventually wear out. Geo guys claim theirs last longer not being outside and exposed to the elements, but I suspect maintenance costs will be comparable. Having said that, I have to admit, having cool tech was also a big factor. Incentives are going away, and these geo guys have got to bring down their costs a lot or they're not going to be competitive.

[@Furiends]

I'm not even surprised by these numbers. You're basically diverting the costs into a rather expensive investment but one that pretty much will always pay for itself over time. This tech has been ready for a while except that most people do not have the money to invest. I believe they should require these systems install on all new construction.

[@ideoformsun5806]

I've always been interested in geothermal heating/cooling/hot water systems. It's nice to see these improvements for installing them in existing neighborhoods, and with the financing options. It's just like living in a cave, but without the dampness, the bats, and you get to keep all your side windows.

[@-John-Doe-]

They’re just drilled shafts. Nothing new. Vibratory hammer to drive the casing, and a tremie to pour the concrete. This is about as common as it gets in construction.

[@rogerpartington8858]

ground source and roof pv are both solar//vesuvius is geothermal

[@6stringsandapick]

Make the house efficient first to reduce the needed size of system. Insulation, air sealing, LED lighting (Incandescent bulbs increase the cooling load).

[@dlg5485]

Geothermal is a no-branier, especially for new construction. Even at $20k, I suspect it'll pay for itself in a decade, maybe less, when you factor in the huge reduction in electricity cost. If you go a step further and couple it with solar, now you have a net zero energy home. I will definitely utilize geothermal+solar when I build my house. Great video!

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Absolutely right! This system had a simple payback of just over 8.5 years. And that is based on pretty high electrical costs in that area. That being said that area also has great rebates for this technology.

[@r.j.m4245]

At $20k. are you sure? That's how much I paid for replacing my main water pipe from the sidewalk meter to the house,approximately 20 feet.

[@dlg5485]

@@r.j.m4245 First, $20k was the cost he stated in this video and, second, you paid way too much for that job!

[@williamklopfenstein53]

We had geothermal put in when our house was built 20 plus years ago. In 2011 we added 7.36 KW of solar. We just activate an additional 7.45 KW of solar. We drive two Chevy Volts. I figure that we are doing our part.

[@519VXComanche]

@@r.j.m4245 You don't need to save the install cost, only the cost difference between the Geo and a traditional unit.

[@ARepublicIfYouCanKeepIt]

Geothermal, the most frequently omitted, yet most consistent forms, of renewable energy...at least here in the US. Well done, as always AskTOH! Love, love, love, Future House episodes.

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Thanks John, appreciate the kind words. Trying to bring new technology and especially those involving more efficient buildings to the forefront!

[@rockys7726]

Damm when I quoted a Geothermal system back in 1998 it was $30k just to drill the well! Payback was over 10 years. For $20k including the whole system today that's a no brainer. Where do I put my deposit down?

[@Furiends]

Indeed. Investment wise its always going to pay for itself. Further the technology is solid today and the systems can be maintained by many contractors. The only problem now is how many home owners have $20K to spend?

[@inikkor61]

That is after incentives... keep it in mind

[@georgehoyle8797]

This is for a vertical closed loop system using a compact machine for installation. Using a closed horizontal loop system on more rural properties can often be cheaper at around 15k in some places.

[@ultron6931]

I have a geothermal system that is water to water for heating radiant floors. The system is fantastic. That being said, the real savings come from having 6 zones and plenty of insulation. Not all zones need to be at the same temperature allowing the system to sit idle for some time. Any high operating costs come from the pumps needed to pump the water/glycol out to the ground. When those fail, shell out some money. I have two mini splits additionally for a/c in the summer but when winter hits, they seem to spend too much time in defrost modes where as the geothermal is quite consistent.

[@Slowhand871]

Can I ask what it cost? How much is your savings?

[@Furiends]

I've been saying this for a while. I mean if you have the money to invest a leaky home will benefit from ground exchange heat pump but you'd save more money just insulating your house and using air exchange. The benefit of this system overall is to couple it with other systems. Insulation and renewables make a lot of sense considering half a solar install on a typical American home is just heating and cooling.

[@ultron6931]

@@Slowhand871 I don't really have a total cost as some was done by myself and the geothermal unit given to me. The most exhausting part is the installation of the tubing in the floors. This was done during a remodel and saved great amounts of time. The aluminum transfer plates, oxygen barrier tubing and pumps make up about $2-3k of parts. I use a standing column well so I did not have to lay a loop. Costs about $100 a month for a 1,500 sqr ft house at an average of 65 degrees. Sounds cooler but when the floors are warm you don't mind.

[@manofsan]

So are you saying that you can heat just one room of your house, if you want? Like could you just heat your bedroom when you're sleeping at night, since the rest of the house isn't being used then? Is closing doors for specific rooms/areas then enough to maintain the temperature difference that way?

[@ultron6931]

@@manofsan The geothermal system uses a buffer tank at 120F water as each room has its own infloor section of tubing that is controlled by a thermostat for that room only. So the other rooms can be set any other temperature since they are all separately controlled. The geothermal only maintains the water temperature in the buffer tank.

[@magnusterminus4728]

I can see good engineered equipment, knowledge and a fantastic solution!

[@ek9772]

A cheap, efficient way of heating a home in 2020 is to use a CO2 heat pump like Sanden’s system. You connect this to either underfloor heat tubing or to radiators, and it provides hot water year round. These air to water systems can have COPs of 6 or higher. For air conditioning, small, single room, high efficiency, mini split, variable inverter, heat pump units can do a great job. An empty room means a mini split is turned off. This way you only get air conditioning where you needed and when you needed. Another advantage is that if one single mini split unit stops working, while you wait for the air conditioning technician, you can turn on other units to make up for the malfunctioning unit. If one of the units needs to be replaced, the expense is a fraction of a central AC, and the replacement installation is easy to do at a fraction of the cost of a central AC. A final advantage is that they can supplement the heat of an underfloor or radiator system on very cold nights. A system as described above has lots of flexibility when things go wrong, and typically when things go wrong is when you need cooling or heating the most. Here you have the luxury of planning things ahead for when they do go wrong. For instance, if the wife of the heat technician is in the hospital having a baby on the coldest night of the year, you can wait until the big event is over with additional heat sources.

[@donbrloks3959]

Had one for 10 years. Broke down often. Most local AC companies won’t touch them. Was a very expensive lesson. Now have air to air heat pump. Located north FL. Your mileage may vary.

[@GC83163]

Was yours open loop? New systems are closed loop and supposedly very reliable.

[@moutrap]

I though Ross was great in that segment and had a lot of in-depth info.. I look him up and he's actually Richard's son 😲

[@briand.1694]

I thought he resembled him . .

[@michael931]

He is a breath of fresh air, to have a host that knows something about anything.

[@jayphilbin2871]

When This Old House started, Richard’s father ran the business and Richard was working for his father. The old man retired and Richard took over the company. Now Richard’s son Ross, who is about as old as his dad was back in the day, is now making his mark. Generations.

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Big shoes to fill but working hard to keep the show young and vibrant with new technology!

[@nc3826]

Well done story, overall.... but it was just a shame a few key points where missed or incorrect... such as calling it renewable... and it was also a shame they used a wastefulf electirc resistant water heater to finish heating the water....

[@baxtronx5972]

So, $200 per month payment like a utility bill. Paid off in 9 years ish. Still more than natural gas payment, but does avoid shortages. We had one morning at -35F this year.

[@palmshoot]

And you don't have to worry about blowing up or getting asphyxiated.

[@selenascott7278]

Nice system if my state still did incentives I would be tempted to purchase this system since energy rates are just due to increase overtime like everything else.

[@yanassi]

The compactness of the new drillers was interesting, as it would apply to smaller existing properties. I’m curious how geothermal modifications work in a foreign countries, economics and political friendliness. I’m considering retiring to a warm climate country possibly yucatan, mexico where hot temperatures solutions would benefit. Geo and solar solutions seem perfect.

[@RangeRov49]

Exactly what I have here in upstate, NY, but only one hot water tank with solar supplementation and Aztech installed it. I just need to integrate an ERV since my home is so tight.

[@lyvmyk9988]

What is the lifetime of a geothermal unit? Are there any parts involved in the system that must be replaced early due to use, i.e. pumps, fans, condensing units? How long are they guaranteed?

[@TylerDickey1]

I’ve heard 20 years + for the in house units, 50-100 years + for the in ground loop.

[@Who2Rawww]

How can I get into this line of work ? I’m 19 about to get my OSHA and been watching TOH for a while . Also I’m in nyc if that makes any difference .

[@KJSvitko]

Love seeing geothermal as another option for energy efficient heating and cooling. Some solar in addition to the geothermal to power the electricity used makes it clean energy.

[@zack9912000]

It's really not a option for most unless you have 30K to spend on a mid range system or you can get a government grant.

[@raptorcrazy9545]

@Cory Klausmann a lot of it depends in what part of the country you live in some places it is 30 to 40000 to put in a home

[@raptorcrazy9545]

@Cory Klausmann that's pretty good price does the company go all over the United States to put in at that price

[@raptorcrazy9545]

@Cory Klausmann 👍

[@zack9912000]

@Cory Klausmann yes I did watch it and that isnt what a customer should expect to pay. NO WAY YOU get a fully installed geothermal system for 19k. That price has to include large government subsidies like we use to have up here in the Ohio. Which they no longer offer hence why here only the rich have that amount of cash to cover

[@KJEThompson]

I enjoy y'all in the comments! 🤗 I learn so much from you and get good laughs too! 😁

[@XionAzura1]

Using liquefaction to drill is an interesting idea.

[@wpala]

We put in a geothermal system in Northern Canada for heating no AC necessary, at the time there was no one doing a vertical drilling loops for that but since we hav e a farm we got horizontal lines in about 8 feet we have 2 systems 5 & 7 tons very expensive furnace but at that time we got a grant from the government still cost us at least 25K with almost half paid by grant. My 2 cents on that in the n cold climate the system struggles it is on almost 80-90% of the time to get the house to 22-23C when electricity was inexpensive it worked great but since then electricity price when way up especially up north and is costing almost the same as heating with natural gas in the city I wish we went with high efficiency pellet/ wood geo system as we have ton of wood from the farm also price of pellets is more stable and you can always stock up in the off season on them for a better price. Maintenance and repairs to the system are much higher then conventional systems and less choice of contractors

[@DrummerSteveDow]

How well was your home insulated? The most important factor in the use of any heat pump is that your home is very well insulated. If it's not, then you're throwing money away. My home in NH has R40 walls, and an R60 attic. Since I use air-to-air heat pumps and solar I have a net zero scenario most of the year. I wanted to go geothermal but it was not practical for my lot.

[@tonylozano8574]

Please update how the geo thermal houses in Texas did during February 2021 freeze. Would love to know. Thanks.

[@erikehlert]

If your power was out there's nothing to run the blowers or pumps and the same thing would be true of electric heat or gas furnaces. Unless you have generator or battery backup, or solar, any system that needs electricity to run is screwed. Other than that geo thermal heat pumps could care less what the outside temps are because the ground temp only changes by a few degrees that have no effect on it's performance. I hope they do a LOT more of those community sized GSHP systems for new construction - that's the smartest way to go.

[@yangmagic0703]

This guy's hand gestures are great

[@hobbes5043]

gangsta af

[@MagicMiro]

Good job 👌19k is not much money for a system like this.

[@mrmrmrcaf7801]

It is...with this system you save several tens of dollars per month....If everything works perfectly, calculate how long it will take you to get your money back... in a bigger house you need many more pipes and the cost doubles or triples.

[@larrymoore6640]

At my house we use the standard heat pump system which does save money. I like the idea of the geo system but would have to see the numbers.

[@peto22]

My old system takes on average 1/4 of energy from electric and 3/4 from ground. Easy to calculate as COP values are told by manufacturers.

[@brucealvarez9263]

Where do you live? The colder the climate, the bigger the savings.

[@larrymoore6640]

@@brucealvarez9263 I live in Muskogee, OK

[@DunnickFayuro]

Now this company have to create franchises. We need millions of those wells.

[@icu8128]

I remember finding some old books circa early fifties my father had outlining geo.

[@BushCampingTools]

"The state provides incentives" Otherwise surely this has to be very expensive and how many years before the cost of installation/purchase price is recovered? for say a 4 person family home in the state? Just curios. Thanks for showing!

[@fastorment]

Very cool project

[@tramnguyenpham9978]

what is the refrigerant that is used in this system? It would be nice to have a longitudinal study on the impacts of drilling as more and more homes adopt this new way of heating and cooling.

[@michaelmcnulty8785]

It’s usually just glycol, which is sugar water. Very safe.

[@briand.1694]

Great segment!

[@c182SkylaneRG]

Now, would it be more efficient to use a "heat pump hot water heater" as the primary downstream of the pre-heat tank? When doing electric, you want to avoid resistance heating as much as possible, because that's your LEAST efficient source of electric heat. My other question: in that Texas Community, they depicted all the houses being piped to the same well, and branched off of the same supply/return lines. So what happens when one house is still heating and their neighbor has switched to cooling? Are you effectively pumping the heat from one house to their neighbor, instead of into the ground? I imagine that has a negative effect on the system efficiency if the "Delta-T" isn't exactly the ground/air difference that the system was designed for.

[@johnchristopher20]

What you forgot is that our NY houses with fuel oil have baseboard hot water heat transfer. No air ducts. Mini splits don’t require ductwork or detailed installation costs associated with them. It’s more cost effective to use air to air heat pumps, even now, with this one company that has this new tech displayed here. And we like children.

[@I-Teee]

Ok I was sitting here thinking “ground temp is 50*…..that’s neither hot enough nor cool enough to provide heat or AC.” I guess the point he explained at the end is to use the ground temp to lower the workload of a heat pump and traditional AC system. I still don’t fully understand this though.

[@DerrickKing-g5c]

That's awesome Concept

[@tphvac87]

Are there leaks, mis fortunes any downsides is like to know, I’ve been doing residential HVAC for over 15 years lmk where the failures are!! Looks to good to be be true…

[@erikehlert]

Does anyone know if there's a company like this one - doing vertical drilling and tying the system into existing ductwork - in Denver?

[@jeffreykane4984]

Contrary to what’s stated at 0:35; ground source heat pumps typically DO require the use of fossil fuels to generate the electricity required to run the loop pump, compressor, and indoor air handler. The only way fossil fuels aren’t involved is if the electricity is generated in some other way (i.e. nuclear, solar, wind, etc). That said, even if fossil fuels are used to generate the electricity- a properly designed system is very energy efficient and can greatly reduce an owner’s energy consumption. Just wanted to clarify that opening statement.

[@christopherblair1456]

In NYS we can actually pay a little more to get our electricity sourced from wind, solar, or hydro.

[@Ed-fp9rx]

very impressive to be honest

[@WillKlaver]

.. lot of properties, like Mine, already Have an unused well drilled.. unused, because there's lots of Sediment in the water coming up, & it's just Horrible tasting Water.. do a clip on Converting those if you would.. well depth on This One is like 260 feet or something..

[@haroldhenderson2824]

This makes sense in SOME cases. It is NOT a solution for every location. If your designing in, switch to, or replacing a heat pump, ground source is an option to seriously look at. Otherwise, the money might be better spent on thermal treatment (insulation) of the structure.

[@christopherblair1456]

What reapirs do think will be needed. Everything I've read is that geothermal has less moving parts and complexity so there should be less chance of emmergency repairs.

[@jeffw8057]

The electric HVAC is basically very similar to a non-geothermal unit...however, it includes large pumps and other devices to circulate the fluid through the drill hole. However, geo doesn't require the outside unit. If anything...these unit have MORE components and parts than a traditional electric/gas HVAC.

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Jeff W incorrect. Geothermal ground source (closed loop heat pump) systems require less maintenance then their air source counterparts. They have the same amount of moving parts. One has a fan (condenser unit), and the geo system has a circulating pump (moving water). The water is closed loop, and runs on less wattage and is indoors, so it will last longer than an outdoor condenser fan all else being equal.

[@jeffw8057]

@@rosstrethewey9391 If used for heating residential homes, both systems will require an air handler which includes circuit boards, electric blower motor, ducts, thermostats, etc. The major difference between the two systems (electric heat vs. geo) is the source of heat energy. An electric systems has an outdoor heat pump, along with small augment heating elements in the air handler (sometimes), while the geo also has a heat pump and a closed or open loop (generally in ground). Now there are many pro/cons for both systems. The electric can easily, in terms of effort and cost, be installed in most residential environments both old and new homes while Geo has a much larger upfront cost, and is impossible in many residential environments. Obviously, the huge advantage of Geo is that is partially relies on the heating of the Earth for its energy while electric heaters utilize man-made sources...in the US being mainly nuclear and natural resources. It would not be accurate to say that GEO has less parts than electric HVAC units when talking about the major components involved. As to which would require more maintenance...one can only guess...but manufacturers seems to be experts at building components with known failure rates...I suspect both would have similar operation envelopes by design. I'm a huge fan of GEO...huge. And I would strongly recommend its use when conditions exist that make sense. However, it's important that we understand that GEO is not going to work for most Americans at this time...

[@dougmc666]

I wish they would refer to this as a "ground source" heat pump, as opposed to an air source heat pump. Using the term "geothermal" confuses it with the high temperature steam used at volcanic hot spots.

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Hi Doug, agreed. Ground source is the better term to describe the heat pump in this installation but thy being said geothermal is also correct, and the term used more frequently by the public.

[@fritzpaul2740]

You must be very proud 😊your son is great 👍

[@ZolaTaTa]

awesome video. so good.

[@Caffein780]

Hey, I was wondering if there's any chance that this underground system can inadvertently suck up Radeon radiation or any other harmful ground chemical?

[@paulmaxwell8851]

No it can't, Sam. Radon is a radioactive gas that does seep into basements quite easily. But these ground-source heat pumps systems use long runs of polyethylene tubing, down the hole, carrying water or glycol. They're closed loops and nothing can enter them, not water or gasses like radon.

[@StevenBuchanan]

$18k - $22k is not really that bad. People are routinely spending $37k on their SUV. Buy yourself a reliable used car for $8k and use that difference to invest in your house.

[@bryankrauss6393]

Can this be installed on a underground dome home

[@stevehall4710]

How long does it last u own it your cost for upkeep

[@sonnenklang6925]

What temperature does the drillhole have and how deep? how would the costfactor be to get 50°C direct?

[@ВладимирПутин-е7м]

@ 5:34 ... is that pipe kinked..? What sort of flow rate would you get through a bend like that? What is the radius of that bend?

[@jrod8249]

I want to know more importantly about the warranty and the life span of what they are putting in the ground..

[@PtrOBrn]

They are putting a pipe in the ground. It is a closed loop. So long as you don't spring a leak there is no discharge.

[@Mekhanic1]

50 years

[@zack9912000]

We have installed them for a long time now and the piping is warranted for average 25 years. NO one is going to warranty the wells for 50 years. Again not very cost effective if you have natural gas near you. Great ideas for areas where you cant get natural gas.

[@bytenik]

@@zack9912000 My wells are warrantied 50 years.

[@zack9912000]

@@bytenik Well sadly that isn't the norm . A lot of customers see that around here from companies less then 15 years old and dont believe they will be around if there is ever a problem. Also 50 years for a well is a very long time where anything can happen that most company's will not cover after the warranty of the equipment has expired.

[@coutmark]

Those ear plugs must not be working too well because it seems like they can hear each other just fine.

[@CharlesLukoba]

I communicated with them, they prefer now forced air heating & cooling system.

[@suespony]

Wish these guys would come to fingerlakes area of ny, I need this

[@djnevous3us]

PLEASE I NEED MORE PODCAST EPISODES.

[@My-Opinion-Doesnt-Matter]

Drinking game: take a shot every time when someone says "gotcha" 😆

[@danf6975]

What do you think this would cost in central Florida in the year 2023 or 2024? When paired with ICF or solid poured concrete walls I can see a very small unit being needed, and if I design a house with a fairly large PV system I would like to consider this

[@tommybrown9034]

Any chance of installing in Yorkshire? 😀

[@bobjones9727]

gotcha!

[@ev1558]

It would be interesting to see if they could separate the waste and find gold or other precious mineral :)

[@Furiends]

They COULD. They glossed over the fact that the water is now toxic. At least they recycle it but thats going to be a big issue with this technology. Might as well be honest about it now.

[@MagicMiro]

Is Dendellion a public company? I would like to buy shares.

[@johnroberts9560]

Hi TOH , that's a good way to heat your home with geothermal heat from the earth !! 👍😊🛠

[@mdridyo5391]

A great video.

[@_matis_]

Is there a way to produce electricity with geothermal energy for homes?Is it too expensive?Can someone point me to some recent sources that break down the cost or talk about geo electricity?I mostly see it being used for heating/cooling

[@pootandbeans5956]

What's the maintenance on this thing and how much does it cost for the maintenance?

[@evanrocha5465]

Is the cost just for the drilling and piping or for the entire system with ducting in the home?

[@rosstrethewey9391]

This cost included everything, except in this case the ductwork was existing, so that cost was not included

[@josephmontero8741]

Now if they can add power generetion to the unit so we can get off the grid THAT WOULD BE THE BIG SELLNG POINT AND MAKE IT WORTH the $20,000 or more!!!!

[@TBooneFisher6931]

Off grid power requirements for HVAC are always the biggest power requirement. This would probably drop the power requirements for HVAC by at least 20-30%

[@JohnJewel]

I like trees and roots

[@WilliamVallance]

I always see geothermal paired with forced air systems. Can it be done with radiant water system? Would it still be worth it?

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Yes can you use geothermal to heat air or water. We have designed both, and they both have pros and cons. Typically if you want both heat and AC, the air system version will have less upfront cost and gives you both, so that’s why you see that most of the time.

[@DanielZajic]

Dandelion, the company in the video, only has an air version at this time, but they are planning to do a hydronic version at some point.

[@luism8034]

Great information. thank you guys. I live in NY and will consider installing geothermal.

[@emmanuellebelanger9429]

Does this only work with forced hot air / central air? I'm curious if the system would be hot enough to work with water radiators.

[@ElectricGears]

I believe in this case ground loop water is run through the preheating domestic water tank before it's returned to the ground. It's slightly hotter because in the summer using the system to cool the house would be sending heat back to the ground and so you might as well use it to preheat domestic water. (You still need the ground loop because you will quickly saturate your hot water tank.) I don't know off hand of any systems that produce only hot water but there is no reason it can't be done. The water coming from the ground loop is not hot enough to run directly through the coil in the air stream or radiators. Instead it provides (or removes) heat to one side of a traditional vapor-phase (heat pump) cooling system. That system is then able to raise the temperature of the coil in the air stream well above ambient so the heat goes into the air. The air coil could easily be swapped for a water coil that could provide hot water to (two pipe) radiators or radiant floor loops. Heat pump based water heaters are already in use and they contain that water based heat exchanger.

[@72strand]

Yes it works with water radiators. It is even better. Then you can get the hot water for the house too. The system can get radiators to 65 Celsius. So best is in floor heating or low temp radiators but old ones work too.

[@carljaekle]

Baseboard hot water systems need water that is 180-190 degrees. You could convert to in the floor heating loops, where the water temperature is much lower.

[@72strand]

@@carljaekle There is no need for that. That is wood boilers and inefficient radiators. 140 F heats a house just fine. If they don't replace radiator with new low temp rads. Or add a fan.

[@adrianSolca]

What’s the proper diameter for the for the drilling hole? Or does it vary depending on the size of the Heat pump?

[@pb7379-j2k]

Mine was like 5”, 500 feet deep

[@beap-6]

Does this project only apply to heating and cooling? I would argue that solar might still be more cost-effective at that price tag if it can provide the energy needed for all purposes, not just the air conditioning. This is really great, though. If this system can be used to generate electricity as well at some reasonable additional cost, then I'm sure it could outdo solar in many places.

[@mfran458]

Wherever someone can use geothermal it is going to beat out solar. No question. This system will work all the time, whereas solar is limited to when the sun is shining.

[@UngoyPrime]

Need this up here in Alaska.

[@mfran458]

If someone sells their property before the geothermal is paid for, is the seller on the hook for those costs or does it transfer to the new owners in the same way as their other utilities?

[@spacetoast7783]

Wouldn't it be like any other home improvement? You'd probably pay cash or pay off your equity loan/mortgage using the proceeds from the sale.

[@786otto]

The Air heat pump just makes more financial sense. As good insulation.

[@nickdaggitt5079]

im hoping they made that geo loop 50% larger than design. but im assuming they used all their knowledge and skill to create a system that can operate barely with less than 1% variance of calculated load conditions even though over capacity conditions reduce wear by orders of magnitude while exact design conditions ensure failure very near contractual limitations.

[@IannAdams-tx5vi]

Saw

[@robertbogan225]

I guess it doesnt make any electricity? What does it need to do that? How much bigger of a temp diffrence to power a turbine?

[@infocat13]

You could preheat water to the boiler for steam to reduce fossil fuel use

[@pb7379-j2k]

No

[@jackdolah2031]

How deep do you have to drill to get maximum heat??

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Stable temps are reached beginning at 30’ below grade. Most ground source heat pump boreholes are 200-500’ deep.

[@fredericrike5974]

If you drill 12,000 feet or more you may be able to find spots where 100 degrees centigrade are available- that is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. If you go still deeper, say 40 miles, you will be in the more "elastic" and semifluid zone where temperatures can melt rocks.

[@pb7379-j2k]

frederic rike that’s not viable

[@fredericrike5974]

@@pb7379-j2k I didn't say it was- I answered the question asked. This same thermocline problem is also what is limiting the depth that sub surface oil drilling can occur- the tools currently in use have reached their limits of operation.

[@pb7379-j2k]

frederic rike I mean he did ask about “maximum heat” but come on

[@ВладимирПутин-е7м]

@ 8:24 - Can I run my incoming air through a heat exchanger first to try and get greater heating efficiency..?

[@eb-rb9ht]

I really hope the cost of geothermal installation goes down in urban areas as well. As someone who does energy modeling + mechanical design for a living, I've seen payback periods for geothermal systems exceed 100 years in some cases (commercial buildings in cities mostly) - especially when comparing it with a VRF system baseline.

[@drewcipher896]

9:46 Were air heat pump/hybrid water heaters not a thing when this video came out?

[@DrummerSteveDow]

I have one. It's a heat pump water heater. Uses almost no electricity.

[@AttitudeAdjusterAA]

you don''t have to drill for geothermal, you can loop it over a large area below around 1.5 meters, depending on what latitude you live in. So just dig up a big old trench and put the pipes in horizontally.

[@christopherblair1456]

They do that on new construction with lots that are big enough. If the house is already cited and you can't get the equipment into the backyard or the lot isn't big enough you have to do drill the wells.

[@jejemon123]

Will that not damage the earth?. Too much drilling involved, I cant imagine how many drilling they do if for every houses.

[@JasonPrice1]

I have had direct expansion Geothermal from the start in my house and it paid for itself in less than 5 years. 19+ years and the ONLY maintenance has been air filters and fan belts. Personally, I think it is pathetic that everyone at all even possible hasn't been put onto GHP. It is unbeatable in every single way over everything else. Less maintenance, less space used, less power used and provides hot water on top of the heat and cooling capabilities. There are even versions of GHP that can do radiant floor heating. There is just no excuse to not go with it.

[@robertbogan225]

Can it produce electricity?

[@MrJramirex]

The reason why everyone doesn't have one is because the cost is ridiculously high. This is due to having no competition, no aggresive push by the government and excessive well drilling fees in some areas. How many common HVAC companies are around your area? Way too many in my case, how many of those do ground source geothermal? None in my case.

[@75Chopin]

I see u service north of NYC ? Like Bronx?

[@wgmskiing]

Using an electric hot water heater in this install makes no sense with a natural gas connection available. Gas hot water heaters are much less expensive to operate even if the capital cost is a little higher.

[@wgmskiing]

@Mykel Hardin I assure you that in Albany NY electricity is vastly more expensive than gas. More like .20/kwh. The only way to mitigate that is solar, further increasing the capital cost Gas water heaters can also be run simply if the grid fails. Most solar installs can't, and having a means of heating the house with the DHW tank is very handy.

[@haroldhenderson2824]

The price of Natural gas will go up and down, electricity ONLY goes up. If available, use gas to create heat (water heater).

[@mufflerbearingR32]

How Reliable is a system like this? Does it Require annual maintenance?

[@pb7379-j2k]

Nope. Very reliable

[@joestallings6993]

I built a house in 1984 and had a geothermal air to groundwater heat pump installed. It worked great and I've always been perplexed as to why it never became popular.

[@langer24106]

Joe Stallings one word: cost

[@joestallings6993]

It did indeed cost three times as much as a conventional heart and air system, and double what a heat pump would cost. But I was able to receive a sizable tax credit for the year that paid for most of it. I believe it's not popular because most people don't know what it is and are unaware it's even available.

[@haroldhenderson2824]

$ 8x more expensive (up front), payback (in savings) over 15-25 years, needs overhaul or replacement after 10 years, original installer goes bankrupt after 5 years. Don't know why it never caught on?

[@NintendoNinja81]

Am I the only one that saw the Tie-Fighter in the back ground?

[@ara3n]

Is this a closed system or open?

[@ArcherCanobra]

What is the cost

[@afonsoguimaraes5226]

gotcha*

[@teddaffin8509]

What company do geothermal I want to do that to my house

[@rossonmason9730]

Like to know what's the technical term used for these small set ups, looking in my area 40165

[@rosstrethewey9391]

Closed loop vertical borehole ground source geothermal system. Paired up with a packaged water to air ducted heat pump...hope that helps

[@johnames6430]

gotcha

[@saudworld2030]

Can you generate power from this system?

[@conqwiztadore2213]

House prices in Vancouver... 🤦‍♂️