"Best Buy" Geothermal Furnace

"Best Buy" Geothermal Furnace ENERGY Alternative Fuels 32-1-15 Saving money was the big reason Gerald Inglebret installed a combination oil and wood furnace when he and his wife Annette built their home in 1979. However, after a few years, he found himself using very little wood while burning 600 gal. of oil a year. When he heard about geothermal heat 20 years later, he recognized it could be a way to not only cut heating bills, but reduce cooling costs as well. They turned to a local heating contractor who specialized in geothermal installations. "It cost a little over $10,000 in 2001, which included a new furnace, air conditioner and a pre-heater for hot water," says Inglebret. "Our heating costs since have averaged only $200 and cooling less than $100 a year. At today's fuel oil rates of more than $3/gal., we would be spending $1,800 a year just on heat." The Inglebrets' only cost is for electricity to power a pump and a fan. An antifreeze and water solution in 1,200 ft. of plastic pipe buried 7 to 8 ft. deep in the front yard provides the heat. When pumped through their heat pump furnace, heat is pulled out and transferred into the plenum of the original oil and wood furnace for distribution through the air vents. The system also heats hot water for the home. In the summer, warm air from the house is drawn back through the heat exchanger, transferring heat to the liquid solution in the pipes. As the warmed solution is pumped back through the pipes, the heat is dispersed to the earth. Annette Inglebret notes that the air coming out of the vents feels cooler than expected from a traditional furnace. The difference is due to the geothermal produced air being drawn off at 72¦. "It brings the heat in the room up a little slower, but there are no flames or fumes," she says. The Inglebrets further reduce their costs by taking advantage of an off peak hours program from their local electric cooperative. If demand is too high, electricity to their geothermal system can be shut off. So far, Inglebret says, service has rarely been interrupted long enough to start the backup oil furnace. "When we installed the new geothermal system, we had 70 gal. of fuel oil left in the tank," he recalls. "Seven years later, there are still at least 6 in. of fuel oil left." Even though their co-op recently raised rates, the Inglebrets say their costs remain low. "For the first 28 days of November this year, we spent $34.20 to heat the house and about half that to heat water," he says. "Even at the lower rates and lower fuel oil costs, the system more than paid for itself in five years." Inglebret points out that a geothermal system can be installed in holes drilled into the earth if there isn't sufficient room to lie horizontally. Either way, the system is expected to last a long time. "The pipes are guaranteed for 50 years, but are expected to last 200 years," he says. "Even the heating system is expected to last 5 to 10 years longer than a traditional furnace." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gerald Inglebret, 18195 Hwy 44, Lime Springs, Iowa 52155 (ph 507 937-3429).

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