Troubleshooting Your Furnace

Posted on: 7 October 2015

Buying a house can be a stressful experience. With all the different options, locations, and price points, it is easy to see how many buyers will have to settle when searching for the perfect home. Fortunately, building a home ensures you receive the perfect house for you, your budget, and your needs. Since heating and cooling encompasses half of your home's total energy usage, incorporating an innovative, eco-friendly system into your initial design plans is smart. If you are beginning new home construction, consider a geothermal heating and cooling system. Using this guide, you will have a better understanding of the installation process and learn how going geothermal can save energy and money.

Geothermal: Explained

While surprising to hear, geothermal HVAC works in a similar manner as your refrigerator. This important kitchen appliance removes heat from its interior before transferring it into your kitchen. In comparison, your geothermal system transfers heats from the ground into your home or vice versa in the opposite seasons.

The movement occurs through the ground heat exchanger, which is a series of underground pipes. When you need to heat your home, heat is pulled from the ground's constant temperature of 55 degrees and transferred through the exchanger into your home. In the summer, the opposite occurs. The system moves heat from the home and into the ground.

Geothermal: Installed

Installing the ground heat exchanger may seem complicated. However, the initial stage of building your home is a great time to get your geothermal system into the ground. Of course, the overall design of the ground heat exchanger will depend on the following factors:

• Lot – If you are building a home on a smaller lot, you may not have sufficient space for the ground heat exchanger. In addition, underground irrigation systems or utilities may affect the design of your ground heat exchanger. Your HVAC technician will need to inspect your lot before designing a system that works with your lot's layout.
• Soil – Installation will also depend on the quality, consistency, and volume of soil. Proper soil conditions increase the effectiveness of geothermal heating and cooling. If your home's lot contains soil with large amounts of rock or plant roots, the system will be more difficult, and expensive, to install.

Installation, equipment, and supplies for a geothermal system can cost an estimated $42,000. While this may seem like a large expensive, the benefits of this innovative system ensure you are making a smart investment.

Geothermal: Benefits

There will be many expenses associated with the construction of your new home, but the benefits of geothermal heating and cooling will offer you a large return on your investment. Geothermal heating and cooling benefits your finances, your home, and the environment in the following ways:

• Increased Home Value – Incorporating eco-friendly, energy-efficient options into your home increases its overall value. In addition, the geothermal upgrade is an appealing option to potential buyers if you ever need to sell the home.
• Energy Efficient – Energy Star certified geothermal heat pumps are 45 percent more energy efficient compared to standard options. Also, investing in an energy-efficient geothermal system will offer you a tax credit at the end of the year. Ask your installer if your system qualifies.
• Financial Savings – Reducing the amount of energy your household uses benefits the environment, but it also benefits your bank account. Since geothermal uses the ground's temperature to condition air inside your home, you will pay a reduced amount on your monthly energy bills.

Building a home may seem stressful, but it can be a worthwhile experience with smart, energy-efficient upgrades. Using this guide on geothermal heating and cooling, you will understand how this upgrade can benefit the environment, your home, and your finances. For more help selecting the right HVAC system for your new home, work with an experienced company like Universal Refrigeration.