You want geothermal heating and cooling system for your home. We have discussed a few options for financing in our previous post. But, how do you get the best value for your money? The answer of course is to find the most experienced, trustworthy contractor in your area. Remember, these are the people that you will rely on for years to come in servicing your system and keeping it running at its most efficient.
You will need an HVAC dealer to size and install your geothermal heat pump on the inside of your home. You will also need a quality geothermal loop installer to do the outside work and bring the piping in to your furnace.
Some important things to consider in choosing the right contractor:
• The United States Dept of Energy states “because of the technical knowledge and equipment needed to properly install the piping of a geothermal heat pump system, installation is not a do it yourself project.
• Don’t assume that all installers do work of equal quality.
• Make sure your furnace installer has done a thorough heat/loss calculation on your home. This will take into consideration all factors –home location, number of windows, number of doors, depth of insulation, and other factors in determining the size furnace and loop field you will need.
• Quality HVAC dealers run a detailed, computerized heat/loss program to determine size of loop and furnace that will most efficiently run in your home. If your HVAC dealer says “I can eyeball that” or “from my experience I believe your house needs a 4 ton” –Run away…far, far, away!Demand a quality loop contractor. Most loop contractors sub out to the homeowner or HVAC dealer and it can be your decision which loop contractor you would like to employ.
• Check both the HVAC and Loop Contractor’s qualifications (IGSHPA – International Ground Source Heat Pump Association) and affiliations. Years in business, years in geo, number of installations, and customer testimonials are also very important.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most loop contractors are a wealth of information. Take a little time to do research online, jot down some notes and then spend time getting comfortable with your installer.Consider using Yoder Geothermal for your loop installation if you live in Ohio, WV, or western PA. They come highly recommended as professional and knowledgeable in the geothermal industry and have installed more than 5000 geothermal loop systems.
Hope these suggestions are helpful. You’ll be glad you did your “homework” as you enjoy a new, properly sized and installed, efficiently running, geothermal heating and cooling system.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!
Becky
