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5/6/2020 Top 14 Geothermal Myths Debunked - Dandelion Energy

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Home » Blog » Top 14 Myths About Geothermal Heating & Cooling

Top 14 Myths About Geothermal Heating & Cooling

Dandelion EnergyMarch 9, 2020

Geothermal heat pumps are not nearly as complicated or expensive as some people think, and

they’re a lot more accessible than most people expect. In this blog post, we’ll break down the 14

most common myths about geothermal heating and cooling so that you can make an informed

decision for your family.

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Myth: Geothermal can’t be retrofitted to an existinghomeFACT: It certainly wouldn’t hurt to install geothermal from the get-go, but installing a new

geothermal system in an existing home isn’t difficult either.

Dandelion Geothermal connects directly with the ductwork that’s already inside your home to

distribute the heat and AC. As a result, the geothermal retrofitting process is not only possible,

it’s fairly straightforward.

Things can get complicated if you don’t have ductwork. Many geothermal systems, like

Dandelion, are only compatible with homes that use ductwork to heat or cool. Sadly, installing

ductwork can be complicated, invasive, and expensive. It isn’t practical for everyone, especially

people with more historic homes. If you don’t already have ductwork and you aren’t dead set on

getting it, Dandelion Geothermal probably isn’t right for you, right now.

Myth: Geothermal installation can take months or evenyearsFACT: It’s true that months may pass between your initial estimate and your final installation, but

the installation process alone shouldn’t take more than a few weeks, regardless of your installer.

Dandelion’s process from beginning to end currently takes roughly three months. The majority of

this time is spent on behind-the-scenes coordination, design, permitting, and planning work,

which takes place off-site.

Once all that is done, the actual installation process takes place in 3 stages — drilling, trenching,

and installing the indoor heat pump. Each phase of the installation can take anywhere from

about 2 days to up to 2 weeks to complete depending on geology, topography, weather, the

mobilization of heavy equipment, project design, and project layout.

Myth: Geothermal installation requires a large yard

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FACT: You may have heard that you need a large yard to install geothermal. That’s sometimes

true…but it’s also false. Let’s explain.

In order to get geothermal, you need to install a series of underground pipes below your yard

called ground loops. These fluid-filled pipes absorb the heat stored in the ground and carry it to

your indoor heat pump.

There are 2 main types of geothermal systems, and they’re differentiated by whether or not the

ground loops are positioned vertically or horizontally.

A horizontal ground loop requires A LOT of space. It’s installed over a wide area of land and

requires enough space to dig shallow trenches hundreds of feet long and 6-10 feet deep.

A vertical ground loop, on the other hand, is installed in one or more holes about 200 to 600 feet

deep in the ground, and each hole is only 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Most importantly, the drilling

rig has to be able to fit in the property and get set up. This type of geothermal system is ideal for

urban or suburban areas across the Hudson Valley and Capital Region where space is at a

premium.

Dandelion exclusively installs vertical ground loops.

Myth: Geothermal heating doesn’t work in coldclimatesFACT: Geothermal ground-source heat pumps have no trouble generating heat in cold climates

— as long as they’re properly sized, designed, and installed.

This is because the ground fifteen feet below the surface maintains a constant temperature year

round. This constant earth temperature is higher than average winter temperatures, and lower

than average summer temperatures. Geothermal works kind of like a fridge does, moving heat

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from one place to another to cool and heat, respectively. Have you ever wondered whether or

not fridges can keep food cold in, say, Florida? Probably not.

During summer, the geothermal system draws heat from the air in your home and transfers it to

the ground. During winter, it draws heat from the ground and transfers it to your home.

Air-source heat pumps do have their work cut out for them in colder climates, but they are still

capable of generating heat and warming the home. Ground-source heat pumps are more

efficient, but both options can work well even in cold climates.

Myth: Geothermal is too expensive FACT: Geothermal WAS once a luxury for only the wealthiest of homeowners, but it’s now

affordable for many more people.

What was once a very complicated and inaccessible installation process has been simplified to

be more efficient and affordable. Dandelion is proud to be leading the way in standardizing the

geothermal industry and making it more affordable for homeowners.

Traditionally, geothermal installation was a long and complicated process. Homeowners had to

make their own arrangements for contracting designers and installers separately, and are left on

their own to figure out how the permitting and payment processes work.

Dandelion is the future of geothermal installation. Unlike previous (and existing) geothermal

companies, we’ve vertically integrated all of those moving parts for your convenience. We have

our own employees who help you through every step of the process, our own proprietary

technology, and payment options that include loans and financing.

Dandelion’s own heat pump seamlessly connects to your existing ductwork to make the

installation process inside the home as neat and fast as possible. Outside your home, our own

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drilling rig uses sonic technology to effortlessly drill through bedrock to create space for the

ground loops.

There’s never been a better time to access all the financial incentives offered for renewable

energy makes geothermal installation even more accessible. Currently, the federal government

offers a 26% percent tax credit to homeowners who install geothermal this year. There are even

more incentives for geothermal on the state and local utilities levels. After several years, your

geothermal heat pump will save you enough money in heating and cooling bills that you break

even from your initial investment.

After this payback period, your geothermal heat pump essentially pays for itself. In the long

term, installing geothermal to heat and cool your home pays dividends over the unpredictable

but increasing costs of nonrenewable energy sources like fuel oil, natural gas, propane, and

coal. But even if you plan on leaving your home in the short-term, geothermal still adds equity

into your home.

There won’t be any additional unanticipated costs, either. Dandelion includes two warranties

and a remote 24/7 monitoring software system with each of our installed heat pumps, so you

don’t need to worry about out of pocket maintenance expenses during the payback period.

Installing geothermal is only marginally more expensive than replacing your furnace and AC, and

you’re no longer paying for frequent maintenance, repairs, or heating fuel.

Myth: Geothermal only works with ducted homesFACT: Geothermal heat pumps come in two forms: water to water, and water to air. Water to

water systems are only compatible with homes that have radiators or radiant floor heating. Water

to water systems tend to be less popular because they can only provide heating, not AC, but

they definitely still exist.

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The more popular geothermal heat pumps are water to air systems because they provide

heating, AC, and even a supplemental supply of pre-heated warm water. Water to air systems are

only compatible with ducted homes that use forced air heating and/or central AC, and they are

the likely root of the misconception that geothermal is only for ducted homes. Dandelion

exclusively installs these water to air heat pumps for homes that already have ductwork for

heating and/or AC.

Myth: Geothermal is only for heating, not ACFACT: Technically, it’s true to say that water to water geothermal systems can only provide

heating, but they aren’t the only type of geothermal out there. It would be false to say that all

geothermal systems can only produce heating, because water to air heat pumps are also

geothermal systems.

Water to air systems are three in one: they produce heating, AC, and even a supplemental

supply of hot water. In fact, geothermal is even more efficient at cooling than central AC is!

Dandelion exclusively installs water to air heat pumps in homes that already have ductwork for

heating and/or AC.

Myth: Geothermal heat pumps require too muchmaintenance and break down all the timeFACT: The Dandelion Geothermal system is designed to require as little maintenance as

possible.

Unlike conventional HVAC equipment like condensers, all parts of a geothermal HVAC system

are underground or indoors and well-protected from the elements. Conventional HVAC

equipment frequently suffer seasonal weather damage and are more likely to require regular

maintenance and repairs by a professional.

However, there are some key things to ensure the system continues to run well:

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Every three to six months: change the air filters. If you run the fan continuously, have pets, or

live in a dust-prone environment, you’ll need to change your air filters more frequently.

Every five years: have a qualified service technician perform a basic inspection of the system.

Myth: My area has a lot of bedrock, so I can’t installgeothermal FACT: One of the biggest misconceptions about geothermal is that having shallow bedrock,

ledge or shale could make it more costly or impossible to install geothermal on your property.

Not only is it possible, it’s often faster and easier for our crews to drill into solid rock to install

geothermal.

During the drilling and installation process, hard bedrock actually helps stabilize the bore hole.

This means that we can skip the steel casing reinforcements that are usually necessary for drilling

into soft soil and clay, and finish the job faster than normal.

Bedrock also transfers heat easily, so your ground loops are able to transfer heat between the

ground and your home even more efficiently than otherwise.

Myth: Geothermal only heats your home to 55°FFACT: To debunk this myth, let’s explore exactly how geothermal heat pumps work using the

vapor-compression cycle.

The purpose of a heat pump is to move heat from where it is, to where we want it. For a heat

pump to move heat, there must be a difference in temperature between where the heat is (the

ground), and where we want it to go (your home). The heat pump is the middle man in a system

containing a low temperature sink, a high temperature source, and the heat pump itself. The heat

pump moves energy from the source to the sink using a ‘working’ fluid (refrigerant). The working

fluid is inside the heat pump and it is the fluid that the heat pump directly works on.

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Geothermal heat pumps have 2 main parts:

1. Buried pipe systems (called ground loops) that circulate heat transfer fluid, which connect

to…

2. A heat pump inside your home (usually in place of your traditional system)

Step 1

The ground fifteen feet below the surface maintains a constant temperature year round. This

constant earth temperature is higher than average winter temperatures, and lower than average

summer temperatures. In upstate NY, it’s usually about 50-55°F.

The underground loops circulate a water-based fluid to facilitate the transfer of heat between the

ground and heat pump. The fluid is pumped through the ground loops where it absorbs heat

from the ground.

Step 2

The water-based fluid enters a heat exchanger where it exchanges its heat with a cooler

refrigerant. That’s because heat naturally flows in one direction– from warmer spaces to cooler

ones.

As the refrigerant absorbs the ground’s heat, it boils, evaporates, and becomes a gas.

Step 3

The evaporated refrigerant enters a compressor, which raises its pressure and temperature by

squeezing the gas into a smaller space.

Step 4

The hot refrigerant passes through the indoor unit’s heat exchanger (also called a condenser),

where it transfers its heat to the indoor air. The warm air is blown through the home’s ductwork.

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After the refrigerant gives away its heat, it’s returned to a high-pressure, liquid state. The liquid

refrigerant is pumped into an expansion valve, where its volume increases and pressure

decreases. This cools down the refrigerant’s temperature and turns it into a liquid/vapor mix.

Step 5

The cooled refrigerant ends the evaporator, a heat exchanger coil where the refrigerant once

again picks up heat from the ground and evaporates into a completely vapor phase before

returning to the compressor.

The cycle continues until your home reaches the temperature set on your thermostat.

This process also works in reverse to cool your home!

Myth: Geothermal can cause radon in your homeFACT: Geothermal installation by itself should have no impact on radon levels inside the home,

for better or worse.

If you have any concerns about radon in your home, we recommend you contact a mitigation

professional.

Myth: Geothermal heat pumps can absorb all the heatfrom the earth’s interiorFACT: We’ll let you in on a secret. Geothermal heat pumps actually source heat from the solar

heat that is stored in the earth’s crust, not from the magma in the earth’s interior. Technically

speaking, so-called geothermal heat pumps are something of a misnomer because they’re not

using geothermal energy in the traditional sense.

In fact, the heat source that they draw from ultimately comes from the solar energy that is

beamed down onto the earth’s surface and stored beneath the frost line, not the geothermal

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energy that is produced inside the earth’s core.

Even though installing geothermal ground loops a few hundred feet into the earth may feel like a

lot in human scales of measurement, this is nothing compared to the actual radius of the earth

and planetary scales of measurement. It’s safe to say that your geothermal heat pump won’t

absorb any of the heat from the earth’s interior, much less all of it.

Geothermal heat pumps essentially use a relatively small volume of earth close to the surface as

a “battery” which stores warmth from the summer. That stored summer warmth can then be

pumped into our houses in the winter. As an added bonus, in the summer we can actually pump

heat back into the “battery” to use next winter (and cool our homes in the process!).

You don’t expect solar panels to swallow up all of the sun’s energy, and geothermal heat pumps

won’t either. So, as long as the sun shines (which is expected to happen for the next five billion

years), geothermal heat pumps will be just fine.

Myth: Installing geothermal heat pumps uses fracking FACT: If anything, geothermal heat pumps help to prevent fracking. Fracking, or hydraulic

fracturing, is an invasive and environmentally-irresponsible drilling process that’s used for

extracting hard-to-reach natural gas or oil from below the surface.

Conventional HVAC systems rely on natural gas and oil to produce heat despite the fact that

these fossil fuels are becoming increasingly depleted. As a result, energy companies are

resorting to more and more desperate measures to find natural gas and oil through fracking.

One way to resist fracking is to stop using natural gas and oil to heat your home. Geothermal

heat pumps are a renewable alternative to conventional HVAC systems that perpetuate our

reliance upon fossil fuels and fracking.

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Myth: Geothermal runs on electricity, so it’s notrenewableFACT: Geothermal heat pumps DO use electricity, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad for the

environment. In fact, the U.S. EPA has called geothermal heat pumps “the most energy-efficient,

environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for heating and cooling buildings.”

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to reduce your carbon footprint completely; however, it’s definitely

possible to reduce it significantly.

For example, you might not be able to stop driving entirely, but you’d still be cutting back on

your carbon emissions by driving an electric or hybrid vehicle instead of a conventional gas-

fueled car. Similarly, geothermal heat pumps might still produce a small carbon footprint, but it’s

still far smaller than the carbon footprint produced from burning large quantities of fossil fuels in

your home every year.

Geothermal heating and cooling produces 75% to 85% less carbon dioxide emissions than gas

and oil produces. For example, a 1,500 square foot house in Westchester, NY heated with oil

burns 750 gallons per year, which equates to an output of about 17,000 pounds of carbon

dioxide. The same house heated with geothermal technology uses 7200-kilowatt hours of

energy, equivalent to roughly 4,500 pounds of carbon dioxide. That’s a yearly reduction of

12,500 pounds of Co2, the equivalent to removing one car off the road for an entire year.

It’s also possible to go completely carbon neutral on your home heating and cooling by coupling

your geothermal heat pump with a renewable electricity source, such as solar or wind energy

generated on-site.

Even if your home isn’t a good candidate for solar or wind, NY state allows consumers to choose

how their electricity is produced, so you can still opt into community solar programs.

Is geothermal right for your home?

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Now that you know the truth about these common myths, read more about exactly how

geothermal heating and cooling works here!

SEE IF YOUR HOME QUALIFIES

GEOTHERMAL FAQS GEOTHERMAL MYTHS

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Copywriting Sample – Marketing Intern at Dandelion Energy, March 2020

One of my contributions at Dandelion included copywriting for the website blog. I strove for an informative, straightforward writing style that worked in many relevant key words in a natural way. I never lied to website visitors or made them feel like they were being “marketed to.” This approach to copywriting helped Dandelion feel more credible and transparent in the eyes of potential customers, which helped us generate more organic web traffic and build brand loyalty.

But I’ll just let the numbers speak for themselves. My blog post on debunking geothermal myths is the first result for the Google search term “geothermal myths” and the second result for “debunk geothermal.” In other words, according to Google search engine rankings, Dandelion Energy is on par with well-respected organizations like National Geographic and the Department of Energy.

Take a look for yourself!

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