It’s been sort of a tough week in these parts. The process of installing geothermal heating and cooling has unfortunately coincided with the storm of the century! (I think this is our fifth one so far, and it’s only 2011.) Also, I just didn’t realize how incredibly disruptive and complicated this installation process would be. Combine that with two snow days off of school and two wild children to entertain 24/7, and basically we’ve been incarcerated in a freezing cold, loud, chaotic environment. And it’s February, the longest short month.
This morning we woke up to a decided nip in the air. We are at a difficult point in the process– yesterday they carved our old furnace up into chunks and hauled it away. Then they hooked up the new gizmo ( furnace isn’t the right name for it), but the geothermal part isn’t ready yet, so it’s running on electric auxiliary power. Turns out that even of that we only have half, as they are also using it to keep their machines from freezing outside in their tent. (Before we started this project they assured me that working in the winter would be fine and that we’d have no disruption in heat. But apparently it depends on what you mean by “disruption.”) The bottom line is that this morning it was 56 degrees inside and 7 degrees outside and no one wanted to get out of bed. Every heating vent in the house is briskly blowing cold air.
I felt very like my pioneer forebears, kneeling before our 1831 fireplace and trying to coax a fire out of newspaper and large logs (i.e., no kindling to speak of). I was struggling with this not very successful process, when Elias appeared beside me, whispering “I have croup again” in a horrible strangled voice that confirmed his self-diagnosis. I gave him several medications in a row and got him stable. Then went back to making a fire and brewing hot cocoa in order to lure Isaac from his slumbers.
I really could use fingerless gloves to key with at this moment.
Is this all a big, BIG mistake?
Why are we doing this?
Last summer, our air conditioner died and our furnace has been on the brink of death since we bought the house. Indeed, it’s lasted longer than we expected. So faced with the prospect of losing the furnace mid-winter, and not having any good options, we started trying to figure out what to do.
I’ll give you the real numbers so you can see the process of deliberation. Replacing both furnace and air conditioning came in at around $10-14,000. There’s a $1500 tax credit– if you go with higher efficiency models, on the higher end of the price range. So let’s put that route at roughly $12,000 after the tax credit. Then look at geothermal. The cost there is $25,000, but it also includes whole house humidity control and two new hot water tanks. (These extras are things we would’ve wanted or needed to add to a conventional system eventually probably a $1-2K expense.) BUT there’s a 30% tax credit, with no cap. So now you’re comparing $17,500 to $12,000. Then look at the fact that with geothermal you no longer pay natural gas bills to heat your home. Ours, even post-insulation, were running $2,500 a year. So now you’re looking at a 2-3 year return on investment for the difference in cost, in a house you intend to live in for the next 30 plus. I called our accountant and ran through all this with him. He gave it the thumbs up. And remember, doing nothing was not an option. And we have lots of land and already have the duct work, two key things that geothermal requires. So geothermal made sense to both of us.
I tried to research it thoroughly– I read Consumer Reports, read articles online, consulted with my Uncle John. Everything was pro-geothermal as a sound long-term decision. I tried to get different bids, but here this is a problem. There are not many companies doing just residential geothermal. There are lots of HVAC companies out there who have tacked on geothermal because people want it, but actually have no idea what they’re doing. Ben got in touch with one company through a colleague of his, and that guy came out and proved to be much less clear on things than I was. We got into a discussion about closed loop versus open loop systems and honestly he was clueless. Obviously he intended to act as a contractor and farm the whole project out to someone else, including a water well driller.
When I found a company that looked like the right one, who did only residential geothermal and had all their own crew and specialized equipment, I got in touch with the BBB. This company has an A rating with them. I called references of people who had had it done in the last year, by this company, and whose houses are roughly like ours. They raved about how great it was to have geothermal and how successful it’s been and how much they loved the company. The man we met with was very nice, competent and professional, and his long black pony tail and diamond stud earrings actually endeared him to me more. He seemed like someone I could work with and could trust.
Then, at some point after we signed the contract but before the work began, Ben and the kids were out for a nature walk and ran into a random guy on the path. They got to talking and before you know the guy had eviscerated the whole concept of geothermal and gotten Ben all in a tizzy. The guy said that he personally installed it in buildings in Charleston, SC, and it was a total mess. “It’s a line item for millionaires,” he declared. “And it won’t work– you just won’t ever be as warm or cool as you want!” Ben came home in an apoplectic state and launched a shot across my bow of how my liberal views and political correctness led us astray and how it’s all going to cost a mint, and not work, and it’s all my fault. AND I make him eat organic food against his will! Or words to that effect. At which point I mentioned that no one put a gun to his head when signed that contract and handed over the deposit. A spirited debate ensued. I may have used some salty language. I expressed an interest in punching this random guy in the woods, and punching Ben for listening to him. Then we made up and went on with dinner in a peaceful fashion. I like to think I won, but it remains to be seen.
So, fast forward to now. We are at grave risk of Ben being right, which would be a horrible state of affairs! We are cold. We have equipment all over the place and heaps of snow and mud. We have loud projects going on in the basement, and every part of the basement is taken up with tools and large chunks of metal along with all the usual laundry and boxes and summer furniture. Yesterday there was an alarming moment when they were boring through the basement wall to connect the system. This drill was coming from maybe 30 yards away and hitting the wall underground at maybe 8 feet deep. (The boys and I came down to watch the show.) As they did this boneshattering work, a sudden pool of water appeared at the far corner of the room– a leak in the dyke it looked like. And then when they punched through the wall at last, a huge gush of mud and water came pouring into the room. At that point I went back upstairs, shaken to the core, thinking they’ve destabilized the foundation: our entire house is going to fall into a sink hole of mud– and then freeze.
As it stands now, they’ve neatly repaired and rebricked the hole downstairs. They are very calm and reassuring in their portrayal of the process. The hot water portion of the system is working great. But the cold air is still blasting from every portal. Apparently today, or at the very latest tomorrow, they will get the whole thing done. They assured me and assured me that it will be warm in here soon. It’s like when there’s a fly ball you look to the outfielder to see if it’s in or out of the park. I look at these people and they inspire confidence. I think this is all going to be a success in the end.
Still, prayers would be welcome.
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