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Geothermal Systems

Allendale Geothermal System Installation

Heating and Cooling Allendale with the Power of the Earth

Geothermal systems—also known as water-source or geothermal heat pumps—use the earth to heat and cool your home. This gives homeowners in Allendale a chance to dramatically reduce their dependence on the power grid and the higher bills that often come with it. If HVAC efficiency in Allendale is what you’re after, it’s hard to beat these earthbound systems. But, installing them is a drawn out, complicated process best left to a geothermal professional. That’s why we suggest leaving your geothermal heat pump installation to the professionals at Allendale Heating Company Inc..

Our company has been installing geothermal systems in greater Allendale for 71 years. As true experts, we can help manage the entire process from system design to repair and installation. If you have any questions about geothermal heating, our HVAC experts are here and willing to answer them. To get started on the road to greener, cheaper power, we invite you to reach out to us at (616) 895-4949.

Call 616.895.4949 to schedule geothermal heat pump service in Grand Rapids or Allendale.

What's a Geothermal System?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could be like a farmer and live off the dirt? Well, when it comes to geothermal systems you can heat and cool with it! Although you experience some pretty extreme temperatures in Allendale, a few feet beneath the ground, those temperature changes are barely even noticed. This is because the ground’s temperature remains relatively constant throughout the year. During the winter months, the ground is warmer than the air above it. When summer hits, the opposite is true. This is where the idea for geothermal started.

A geothermal HVAC system uses a ground loop and a heat pump to warm and cool a home or business. A ground loop is an underground piping system filled with fluid. A heat pump, for those in Allendale that don't know, is a high-efficiency HVAC system that can take the place of both furnace and air conditioner.

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Step-By-Step Guide to Geothermal Heat Pump Operation

Below is an outline of how geothermal heat pumps work:

Heating

  1. Your thermostat detects temperatures below the set number.
  2. The home’s geothermal system turns on, restarting the flow in your ground loop.
  3. Heated by the earth around it, warmed liquid is pushed into your home.
  4. Your heat pump uses a blower to distribute this warmed air throughout your home.
  5. These steps repeat until the desired temperature is reached.

Cooling

  1. The home’s thermostat detects temperatures above the desired temperature.
  2. The above triggers your geothermal heat pump to start, sapping the heat from your air.
  3. Liquid in the ground loop is pushed into the ground, distributing heat into the earth.
  4. The now-cooled liquid is circulated back into your home.
  5. All steps repeat until the system reaches the desired temperature.

Geothermal systems can also double as alternatives to traditional water heaters. If this is something you’d like to learn more about, give our HVAC experts a call at (616) 895-4949.

Why DIY Geothermal Systems are Never a Good Idea

On the whole, geothermal system installations are quite complicated. There’s the design of the ground loops to consider as well as placement of sewer and gas lines. The heat pump must also be placed in the optimal position with connections throughout your home. Scheduling an excavator and ensuring the pipes are leak-free makes things more difficult. It’s an investment that can easily run $30,000 dollars. To ensure you get a system that’s properly designed and operating at peak efficiency, we suggest leaving things to a professional geothermal contractor.

Before signing anything, ask your contractor for a detailed report showing anticipated savings and operating costs. You’ll also want to make sure the geothermal company you choose is certified to join pipes together. What guarantees do they offer? Questions like this ensure you get a contractor in Allendale who will get you the results you want, but would be hard-pressed to achieve without experienced know-how.

Click here to learn more about AHC and why we're the best choice for geothermal installation in Allendale

Our Allendale Geothermal Services

Geothermal Installation

Geothermal installation is a large job that requires a highly skilled professional to get right. If you want to put in a geothermal system in Allendale, start things off with a call to Allendale Heating Company Inc.. We’ll ensure your new system provides the best in comfort and efficiency.

Geothermal Repair

While geothermal systems are lauded for their durability, they aren’t immune to issues. If your system has started acting up in Allendale, you need to get a hold of a technician you can trust. May we suggest calling (616) 895-4949 and talking to one of our HVAC experts?

Geothermal Maintenance

Unlike a traditional furnace or air conditioner, geothermal systems don’t require yearly maintenance. We still advise getting it serviced every few years, however. This will ensure it runs throughout the more extreme weather Allendale throws your way.

Choose Us for Geothermal Installation in Allendale

Geothermal heating systems can be retrofitted to existing homes or installed during the construction process. The process can also be adjusted to better suit the needs of you and your building. Regardless of where you’re looking to start, you can trust the geothermal experts at AHC to provide the utmost professionalism and customer support. Not only do we provide complimentary quotes on system installation, but we will also outline why and how the system can save you money. Don’t have enough to pay for it upfront? Check out our discounts and financing offers.

Our HVAC company has been proudly serving the Allendale and Grand Rapids area since 1953. This experience has equipped us with the knowledge needed to handle almost any sized geothermal task, including new system installation and bi-annual maintenance. To see the difference a locally-owned company can make, we invite you to reach out to us at (616) 895-4949. We look forward to adding your name to our family of happy customers.

Geothermal FAQ

Outdoor temperatures fluctuate with the changing seasons but underground temperatures don't. Four to six feet below the earth's surface, temperatures remain relatively constant year-round. A geothermal system, which typically consists of an indoor unit and a buried earth loop, capitalizes on these constant temperatures to provide "free" energy. In winter, fluid circulating through the system's earth loop absorbs stored heat and carries it indoors. The indoor unit compresses the heat to a higher temperature and distributes it throughout the building. In summer, the system reverses, pulling heat from the building, carrying it through the earth loop and depositing it in the cooler earth.

Unlike ordinary systems, geothermal systems do not burn fossil fuel to generate heat; they simply transfer heat to and from the earth to provide a more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly method of heating and cooling. Typically, electric power is used only to operate the unit's fan, compressor and pump.

The three main parts consist of the heat-pump unit, the liquid heat-exchange medium (open or closed loop), and the air-delivery system (ductwork).

A geothermal system is three to four times more efficient than the most efficient ordinary system. Because geothermal systems do not burn fossil fuels to make heat, they provide three to four units of energy for every one unit used to power the system.

All heating and cooling systems have a rated efficiency from a U.S. governmental agency. Fossil fuel furnaces have a percentage efficiency rating. Natural gas, propane, and fuel oil furnaces have efficiency ratings based on laboratory conditions. To get an accurate installed efficiency rating, factors such as flue gas heat losses and cycling losses caused by oversizing, blower fan electrical usage, etc., must be included.

Geothermal heat pumps, as well as all other types of heat pumps, have efficiencies rated according to their coefficient of performance or COP. It's a scientific way of determining how much energy the system produces versus how much it uses. Most geothermal heat pump systems have COPs of 3-4.5 (WaterFurnace's E Series is rated up to 4.7). That means for every unit of energy used to power the system, 3-4.5 units are supplied as heat. Where a fossil fuel furnace may be 78-90 percent efficient, a geothermal heat pump is about 400 percent efficient. Some geothermal heat pump manufacturers and electric utilities use computers to accurately determine the operating efficiency of a system for your home or building.

No. Geothermal systems are virtually maintenance free. When installed properly, the buried loop will last for generations. And the other half of the operation—the unit's fan, compressor and pump—is housed indoors, protected from the harsh weather conditions. Usually, periodic checks and filter changes are the only required maintenance. (Note: WaterFurnace has developed a geothermal unit—the ES Split—that is so rugged and quiet, it can be placed outdoors when that's the best solution).

Geothermal systems work with nature, not against it. They emit no greenhouse gases, which have been linked to global warming, acid rain and other environmental hazards. WaterFurnace provides an earth-loop antifreeze which will not harm the environment in the unlikely event of a leak. And much of the WaterFurnace product line uses R-410A, a performance-enhancing refrigerant that will not harm the earth's ozone layer.
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