Bartels Heating & Cooling Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Geothermal Installation’

How Geothermal Systems Improve on Energy Efficiency

Monday, March 28th, 2022

We’re proud to offer geothermal HVAC solutions for local homeowners. We install new systems, provide repairs and maintenance, and replace geothermal systems. If you’re considering going with a geothermal heat pump in Hamilton, OH for your year-round home comfort, we can help you find the best type of system and loop configuration to match your property. You might have thought that geothermal energy wasn’t in your reach, but you may be surprised!

We recommend geothermal systems for a range of reasons: they have excellent environmental benefits, long service lives, low maintenance requirements, quiet operation, and general reliability. But the benefits that attract most people’s attention to these systems is their potential for energy savings and a short payback period. 

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Can You Add Zone Control to a Geothermal System?

Wednesday, August 20th, 2014

Geothermal heat pumps become more and more popular every year as homeowners discover their energy-saving efficiency and reliable performance, regardless of the temperature outside.

Homeowners have also learned about the advantages of installing a zone control system for their heaters and air conditioners. Zoning permits them to manipulate which rooms in a house receive conditioned air. This allows for a more comfortable environment and also saves energy.

But can geothermal systems and zone controls go together? Yes. We’ll explain further below.

For the answers to all your question about geothermal installation in West Chester, OH, call up the experienced team at Bartels Heating & Cooling. We’ve served Southwest Ohio with heating and cooling solutions since 1973.

Zone Control IS Compatible with Geothermal Heat Pumps

There is no reason that a zone control system can’t work for a home that uses a geothermal heat pump for its heating an cooling. The reason is that zone controls operate in a way completely independent of how a geothermal system operates.

Installers create zone control by attaching dampers hooked up to individual thermostats into the air ducts. The dampers can open or close off a room vent to airflow. As long as your home uses ductwork to distribute air—no matter the type of heater or air conditioner—you can install zone control for it.

The reason this works for geothermal is that geothermal systems operate just like any other heat pump when it comes to their interior parts. The underground loops use the ground for heat exchange, but the indoor components use the air. The conditioned air, either heated or cooled, is sent into the ventilation system with a blower fan, as with other heat pumps. The geothermal loops have nothing to do with the ventilation system where the zone control dampers are installed.

So you can add zone control to any heating or cooling system, geothermal or standard air-source, as long as it uses ductwork to distribute the conditioned air.

Although zone control is easiest to fit into the ventilation system during new heat pump installation, existing ducts can undergo a retro-fit for zoning at any time. If you have a large home with rooms that often do not need heating or cooling, you should investigate zone control as an excellent energy-saving option. Contact Bartels Heating & Cooling for help with zone control. You should also contact us if you are interested in geothermal installation in West Chester, OH. We can take care of both installations at the same time, and you’ll have double the energy-efficiency benefits.

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Will Geothermal Installation Really Save Money?

Thursday, July 31st, 2014

Here at Bartels Heating & Cooling, we are strong supporters of using geothermal power to heat and cool homes. We often advise that our customers look into installing a geothermal heat pump, not only because it is beneficial for the environment, tapping into a clean and renewable source of energy, but also because it will benefit their bank account in the long run with efficient performance that surpasses most other home comfort systems.

Geothermal heat pumps require more installation work than standard air-source heat pumps, and not every property is suited to them. However, if you find that geothermal installation in Hamilton, OH is ideal for your home’s heating and cooling needs, you should definitely give the idea serious consideration.

But Can I Really Save Money This Way?

Yes! We’re aware that geothermal heat pumps have higher upfront costs to install: they require drilling, digging, and more labor and materials than standard air-source heat pump installation. However, the payback period is short; you will start to save money on your utility bills during the first year, and depending on weather conditions and the amount you use your heat pump, it can take as little as 5 years to return your initial investment. When you consider that on average the loops of a geothermal system can last for more than 50 years, the savings you’ll receive will pay for the cost of installation 10 times over.

You don’t have to take our word on this: the information comes direct from the U.S. Department of Energy. Because a geothermal system uses the stable heat of the earth for its heat exchange, instead of the constantly changing temperature of the air, it performs more efficiently. The U.S. DOE has found that heat pumps on the coldest winter days have efficiencies of 300-600%, as opposed to air-source heat pump efficiencies of 175-250%.

To make sure that you receive the maximum energy-saving performance from a geothermal heat pump, you must have an experienced contractor handle the installation work. Technicians with the proper training will know the right place to bury the ground loops and the correct loop configuration that will allow the system to perform at peak efficiency. The geothermal technicians will also do the job fast and cause as little disruption to your daily life as possible.

Call Bartels Heating & Cooling to get started with geothermal installation in Hamilton, OH. We will send a geothermal specialist to look over your home and property to determine if a ground-source heat pump is ideal, and how best to install it. If geothermal is the right path, you can trust to our NATE-certified technicians to handle the installation work fast and right, leaving you with decades of clean, reliable, and money-saving heating and cooling.

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Geothermal Heating Guide: How Geothermal Works

Monday, March 11th, 2013

As its name suggests, geothermal heating systems use the thermal energy of the ground beneath your property to heat and cool your home. If you’re looking to replace your system with an energy-efficient, year-round, eco-friendly alternative to conventional heating and cooling systems in West Chester, OH, look no further than geothermal installation with Bartels Heating & Cooling. We offer comprehensive services that will not only get you up and running, but will also maintain your system for years to come. In this post, we’d like to introduce you to the basics of geothermal, so that you can make smart decisions when it comes to your home. For more information, call Bartels today!

So how does geothermal work? It is basically a heat pump attached to a set of underground piping. While your system setup will vary according to your home and property, the basic components are the same. Your geothermal system will either be installed using a relatively shallow, horizontal bed of piping, or a set of deep vertical wells, with piping as deep as 100 feet. It all depends on the soil composition of your ground, as well as where your home sits on your land. The underground piping is typically made out of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which circulates a water or water-refrigerant mixture. This is known as the “earth loop.”

The geothermal heat pump inside your home pressurizes the refrigerant and circulates it through the underground loop. During the heating season, the piping absorbs the thermal energy of the underground piping and brings it back up to your home, and your heat pump then creates warm air to be dispersed through your ductwork. The great thing about geothermal is that it also works the other way. During the cooling season, it reverses this same circulation process to air condition your home. The whole system relies on the consistently moderate temperature of the earth.

A geothermal system is an excellent way to heat and cool your home. More and more homeowners are making the switch to this simple, innovative, and eco-friendly home comfort solution. Call Bartels Heating & Cooling today for more information! 

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