geothermal etc.
My cousin installed geo and was bragging about how cheap it will be .
his first $1300 dollar power bill just showed up and he is pissed.
the installer said if the ground temp is not up the power will kick in to help.
his last bill was $178 befor the geo and now $1300 .
I can see how this thing will pay for itself in only 5 years ..... ya right.
Ok aside from the fact that something is very very wrong lets back up the bus over the dead carcass in the road.
First things first!!!!!
What is the transfer medium, glycol, water, alcohol?
Is the geothermal system a vertical loop with many drilled holes(280 feet deep) and transfer loops or a shallow dug trench typically over 1000 feet long 18 inches deep or more with a return loop?
Or is the system an open loop with well or creek water returning the water to its source? If so is the water returned to a deeper level for summer use and a shallow well for winter or heating exchange?
Oh well lets dip into the stupid part now!!!!!
Was a bentonite grout(with my favorite scam being thermally enhanceed grout used to fill the holes surrounding the loops if so uh oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
That is why one should always use mason sand as a transfer medium any way with pipe loops- or a semi open loop well system with a deep well.
They neglected to tell you that bentonite clay regardless of it percentage in the mix "is and always will be" a net insulator in regard to transfer of temperature
"Kelvins laws 1 and 2 of fluid thermodynamics are never wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
There may be air in the system, the loops may have a hole which can and will kill the pump or pumps.
If the shallow buried loop is less than four feet below the surface the benefit of the thermal mass of the earth is wasted as ground temperatures are 52 degrees or less at that depth.
If thermally enhanced grout was used to cover the shallow buried loop shame on the contractor=idiot.
Please let us know more;
Signed a concerned NYSDEC certified water well driller and pump installer.