Just looking for anyone that may have done a new construction or retro install in the last few years and has any info on the subject, we are in the process of building, and I'm stuck on which option to go with. My quote for a 92% efficient furnace with heat pump came in at about $14k, while a 5 ton geo unit and wells came in at about $33k, or $19k more. We will be building a 1750 sf ML ranch, with basement that will have in-floor heat. One advantage that the geo has over the furnace is it will also be the heat source for my in floor heat and water heater, so the efficiency savings also includes those two options. Anyone have similar set ups in a similar sized home in the Midwest? Also, do I understand the tax credit correctly? It’s a 30% credit on the total geo install, so in my case $33k or a credit of $9900, but is that in the form of a check for $9900 or is it $9900 off my taxable income? If it’s actually in the form of a check, then the system is about a $10k upgrade and the payback period is much sooner. Thanks for the input
Geothermal or heat pump
- Thread starter zach477
- Start date
With the tax credit its become a really popular option around here and there are not many guys that do it, so they are basically naming their price. The one quote i have gotten the guy specifically told me I could get it cheaper with somone else bc the units they sell are the most expensive units available. Actually 22k is for the unit, all the ductwork in the home, the electrical install portion, the electric heat backup, air purifier, and humidfier and then 4 vent fans for the bathrooms. The wells are $11k and thats 5 wells.
I like how he said most expensive not most reliable. It's not necessarily the same.
Get more quotes, preferable with a installer that will install a dual fuel backup not the electric option for that kind of money.
Check with some installers further away from your area.
The installer's in your area might have to much work, but other area's are not that busy.
And the biggest thing is to get a list of the systems they have installed and talk with the home owners and see how there design "sizing" and installs are working.
Get more quotes, preferable with a installer that will install a dual fuel backup not the electric option for that kind of money.
Check with some installers further away from your area.
The installer's in your area might have to much work, but other area's are not that busy.
And the biggest thing is to get a list of the systems they have installed and talk with the home owners and see how there design "sizing" and installs are working.
Also, if you have the room, check into having the lines bored instead of wells...A whole lot cheaper!
R
rmkMatt
Active member
Are you talking a traditional geo unit with water in the loops, or a direct exchange with refirgerant lines in the wells?
The price actually seems low to me unless they do their own drilling. I've bid a couple direct exchange systems which use much less of a hole in the ground compared to a traditional geo system, and just getting the holes drilled was close to 20k for our projects.
One more thing, if you're doing an energy audit to determine payback time, be very careful. I have done an audit that said it will pay back in 10-15 years, but the customer actually had three previous years of actual energy costs (Electric and propane) and our program did not match up at all with what it actually cost to heat and cool the house. This is a very extensive program and I couldn't believe how far off it was.
The price actually seems low to me unless they do their own drilling. I've bid a couple direct exchange systems which use much less of a hole in the ground compared to a traditional geo system, and just getting the holes drilled was close to 20k for our projects.
One more thing, if you're doing an energy audit to determine payback time, be very careful. I have done an audit that said it will pay back in 10-15 years, but the customer actually had three previous years of actual energy costs (Electric and propane) and our program did not match up at all with what it actually cost to heat and cool the house. This is a very extensive program and I couldn't believe how far off it was.
Don't bother doing a geo system if your going to bore the lines in. It will cost you in the long run.
As for the $2200 per well, that should be a little high.
My parents did Geo 4 years ago. They spent $16k on the unit and $1500 a well. They dug up their receipts (finally) so i got the guys that did their work to give me a bid. They are based about 50 miles outside of SF and like i figured (and you guys mentioned) they arnt as busy. The same well guys charge $1800 a well (including milage to SF), and the HVAC guys instal Geo-Tech units (which is what my parents have) and the bid for the same work, and same options came in at $18.5k. So still a spendy upgrade but a lot cheaper than my first bid. The only complants my parents had with these guys was the well guys pushed all the black dirt back in the pit first and left all the clay on top. The only concern i have is since this will be done in town, most my wells will be below the house, and settleing is a concern. I know someone that put a $800k home on a bluff off the river, 4 acres and they put the geo wells under the home. 8 months after it was complete the ground started to settle so bad the house actually started sliding down the hill. So bad that it is now not livable and the owners have been stuck in litigation for 3 years. I know my parents can heat and cool their home for about $80-90 a month in electricity, the used to spend $200+ a month in gas. Their home was built in 93 though and has original windows so a new construction is going to be much more effecient. They also upgraded from a propane 80% effecient furnace to the geo unit. Now, you can get a 92% with heat pump that can keep a nice sized home warm and cool for almost the same price as the extra electricity that the geo uses which makes the up front cost harder to swallow.
