We've gotten a bit of a windfall, so we've decided to switch from fuel oil to a geothermal system.
Last year we paid CAD$3,000 for fuel, which isn't likely to go down next winter nor the winter after that.. Electricity bill will go up a bit (running the compressor for the heat exchanger), but we'll still be way ahead. Also our 200 gallon indoor fuel tank "expires" next spring, and that would've been a big production and expense to replace.
Oh, and because we had an official energy audit done, most of the improvements we make within a 9-month period will also get us a couple of thousand dollars in rebates from the provincial government.
We've mentioned it to a few of our friends, and I'm surprised at how many of them have a geothermal system too. They're totally happy with it.
Having the same hardware give us air conditioning in the summer is just a bonus.
This system will use our existing forced air duct work. I expect the footprint of the new system to be about the size of a refrigerator, half of the furnace we have now. This also means that our chimney will be mainly decorative.
And the insurance premiums will be lower.
Last Monday, the crew blew cellulose insulation (on top of the fiberglass batting) to bump our attic insulation up from R20 to R60.
This morning at 9 o'clock. My house is the white one on the left.
This is why I have not been diligent about mowing the lawn.
Red mud typical of the land along the Northumberland Strait.
They'll be going down 300 feet for the closed-loop piping, and it is estimated to take until 5 o'clock or so.
Unless they run into rock.
At the top they'll dig a sloping trench from 6 foot deep up to a bit below the dirt line at the bottom of the foundation wall. The rest of the equipment will be inside, so it'll be pretty much invisible from the outside, unlike a mini-split system.
That drill rig reminds me - I have a dental appointment in 10 minutes. Bye!
BTW - That dead flowering crab tree hanging from the hook is for the chickadees to perch on when the feeders are up.
Last year we paid CAD$3,000 for fuel, which isn't likely to go down next winter nor the winter after that.. Electricity bill will go up a bit (running the compressor for the heat exchanger), but we'll still be way ahead. Also our 200 gallon indoor fuel tank "expires" next spring, and that would've been a big production and expense to replace.
Oh, and because we had an official energy audit done, most of the improvements we make within a 9-month period will also get us a couple of thousand dollars in rebates from the provincial government.
We've mentioned it to a few of our friends, and I'm surprised at how many of them have a geothermal system too. They're totally happy with it.
Having the same hardware give us air conditioning in the summer is just a bonus.
This system will use our existing forced air duct work. I expect the footprint of the new system to be about the size of a refrigerator, half of the furnace we have now. This also means that our chimney will be mainly decorative.
And the insurance premiums will be lower.
Last Monday, the crew blew cellulose insulation (on top of the fiberglass batting) to bump our attic insulation up from R20 to R60.
This morning at 9 o'clock. My house is the white one on the left.
This is why I have not been diligent about mowing the lawn.
Red mud typical of the land along the Northumberland Strait.
They'll be going down 300 feet for the closed-loop piping, and it is estimated to take until 5 o'clock or so.
Unless they run into rock.
At the top they'll dig a sloping trench from 6 foot deep up to a bit below the dirt line at the bottom of the foundation wall. The rest of the equipment will be inside, so it'll be pretty much invisible from the outside, unlike a mini-split system.
That drill rig reminds me - I have a dental appointment in 10 minutes. Bye!
BTW - That dead flowering crab tree hanging from the hook is for the chickadees to perch on when the feeders are up.
