Is Geothermal Right for You?

With a difficult economy, many people are looking for ways to save money and stretch every dollar. You may have seen geothermal mentioned as way to save money in your quest to do the same. What exactly is geothermal and how can it help you?
First, it helps to clarify what we mean by geothermal in a residential setting. Geothermal energy production is the process of capturing heat from very hot spots in the earth and converting this energy to electricity. Generally, it is only suitable for large applications. In contrast, a geothermal ground source heat pump helps you to use electricity more efficiently. It does not, however, create electricity. When discussing geothermal for residential use, it is this concept that is being addressed in almost all instances -- you might be an exception if you live next to a volcano.
Basically, a geothermal heat pump pushes water or antifreeze through a lattice of high-density polyethylene pipes installed in your yard. The pipes are generally buried about five feet below the surface and are looped back and forth over a large area. The typical home will need between 1,000 and 2,200 feet of pipe. If you have a small yard the loops can be run vertically but this greatly increases the cost of the system. During the winter, the water or antifreeze circulates within the pipes, captures the Earth's heat and brings it back to your home. Once inside, a compressor and a heat exchanger aggregate the energy and transfer it for distribution via ductwork like a traditional furnace. The system works in reverse during the summer. The heat in your home is transferred to the pipes where the heat is absorbed by the Earth. This process works in much the same way a refrigerator functions.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal heat pumps are the most energy efficient systems for heating and cooling. This greater efficiently translates into a 30% to 40% cost savings -- with some people reporting even greater savings.
Before jumping into the geothermal arena, it helps to assess how long you will remain in your home. The up front cost for a heat pump system is pricey when compared to a traditional HVAC system and staying long term helps recoup this cost. A typical system will cost about $2,500 per geothermal ton with the average house needing two or three tons. This translates into $5,000 to $7,500. The cost for excavating or drilling is an additional cost which can range from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on the difficulty and needs for your particular situation. Thus, a pre-geothermal home with a $200 per month electric bill would require about fifteen years to recoup the installation costs. This example assumes a $15,000 complete install cost with a 40% savings after the system is operational. Typically, there are state and federal tax credits available to help blunt the installation costs. In short, if you intend to move soon, a geothermal unit does not make economic sense.
However, there are additional reasons to consider a geothermal heat pump. First, it is much more environmentally sound. By utilizing the Earth's natural heat, you are reducing your usage of coal or nuclear power and their attendant pollution problems. Second, geothermal systems are mechanically more simple than standard HVAC systems. As a result, maintenance costs are much less as there are fewer parts to break or malfunction. Finally, the system is much quieter than a standard heating and cooling system.
If you intend to stay in your home for a few years, a geothermal system is a great economic move and a wonderful conversation piece. Hopefully, you can install a system soon!!!


Learn more about Geothermal Heat by visiting www.nothernairplumbing.com today!

Posted by WebDrafter.com, Inc. with permission.

Article independently authored by Matthew Eddington. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Northern Air Plumbing & Heating.

Update and Refresh Your Home - Bathroom Remodeling

Renovations for the home are really common today. Sometimes changes are needed to fit a growing family, while older homes need work to be up-to-date and functional. While renovation costs can become burdensome, did you know that not renovating could cost you more?
Many real estate experts speculate that the bathroom is one of the most important factors determining the resale value of your home and one of the top concerns of potential homebuyers. Bathrooms can positively affect the value of the house by their luxurious features. While every bathroom has a sink and bath tub and toilet, not all of them have whirlpool tubs, recessed lighting or extravagant features such as heated tile.
While the bathroom can be the most influential factor in a prospective homebuyer's decision, unfortunately in used homes it is often a negative factor. The bathroom is one of the rooms that is hidden and can be closed off by a door, and unlike the living room or kitchen it is not visible and can often be ignored and not renovated until it is very out of date. The fact that bathroom renovations also tend to be expensive can influence a purchaser's decision to pass or buy a home.
Bathroom renovations do not have to always cost a lot of money. Simple renovations still have a high return on investment. A coat of paint or removing that rust pink wallpaper can have a really great impact on the overall appearance of the bathroom. If there is seventies-era inspired avocado colored tile in your bathroom there is still hope as some companies specialize in painting tile. A change in color to white, black, or neutral is something that is more modern and will stay up to date longer. Changing light fixtures can also improve and modernize the bathroom, and can even be an energy efficient way to save money in the long run. If your bathroom simply needs a quick update try replacing bathroom towels or simple accessories as an easy fix.
Bathroom remodeling is much easier today because there are products made for do-it-yourself homeowners. Products like tile or wood floor paneling can be purchased and installed for little or no heartache. While all these changes would impact the appearance and the value of your home, more drastic changes would have an even greater impact. Gutting the bathroom and installing new shower units, toilets, and sinks would create an entire new bathroom that can increase the selling price and probability of selling your home.
A return on equity estimator calculated that a modest bathroom remodel would have a 102.2 percent return! While many of our investments are negative right now, a return over 100 percent is huge, especially when it comes to the value of your home. For easy fixes and updates your local hardware store is always a good source of information, as is a professional installation company. Ask questions and get the most out of your home!

Contact www.northernairplumbing.com to update your bathroom and receive a free estimate!!!

Posted by WebDrafter.com, Inc. with permission.

Article independently authored by Matthew Eddington. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Northern Air Plumbing.

Is a High Efficiency Furnace a Good Choice?

If you are in the market for a new furnace, you have undoubtedly heard of a high efficiency furnace. But just what make a furnace highly efficient and what are the advantages over other types of furnaces?

A high efficiency furnace is a furnace that converts most of it's fuel into heat that is then circulated through your home. In order to be categorized as such, the furnace must convert at least 90% of the fuel to heat. Lesser conversion rates will earn the furnace the label of mid-efficiency or standard efficiency depending on the exact conversion percentage. Many models of furnaces greatly exceed the 90% minimum and furnace with greater than 92% efficiency are called ultra high efficiency furnaces. This percentage measure of efficiency is called the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating.

The greater efficiency is generated by how the furnace works. Furnace efficiency is increased in large part by losing less heat heat via water vapor and heated gases. A high efficiency furnace will recapture the heat from water vapor before the vapor is emitted out the flue. Additionally, efficiency is increased by replacing the pilot light with an electric ignition, as well as an improved heat exchanger and draft fan.

The drawbacks to these furnaces are that they cost more to install. A mid-efficiency furnace will cost roughly $2,000 installed depending on where you live. In contrast, a high efficiency model will cost approximately $3,000 installed and an ultra efficient model will likely cost $500 on top of that. However, with greater efficiency comes less use of fuel and lower heating bills. More efficient furnaces can save you up to 20% on your heating bill and, as a rule of thumb, expect to take three years to make up the initial greater cost in monthly savings. To maximize your savings, be sure to maintain the rest of your furnace system. Clogged air filters, holes in ducts and other broken parts reduce efficiency regardless of the sophistication of your furnace.

However, high efficiency furnaces are not for everyone. If you live an a relatively mild area where your furnace rarely runs the additional cost would not be justified. However, if you live somewhere like Minneapolis where the outside temperature can remain at sub-zero temperatures for days at a time, it makes a lot sense to consider upgrading. That said, no matter how cold your climate may get it does not make sense to invest in an upgraded furnace if you plan to move soon. Depending on the size of your utility bill, this break point is likely around the three to five year mark. If you intend to remain in the house for less than three years, a mid-efficiency furnace is probably a better bet as you will not have time to make for the higher install cost with a high efficiency furnace.

Finally, another advantage of better efficiency is that they are more comfortable. These furnaces tend to keep the home at a more even temperature and moderate temperature fluctuations that can occur with lesser efficiency furnaces. Only you know how valuable this benefit is when working out whether to upgrade or not.

In short, the higher the efficiency rating, the better the product. But you need to consider what is best for you. Hopefully, this information gives you a good jumping off point for exploring your specific needs.

For more information and guidance about high efficiency furnaces, visit Norther Air Heating & Plumbing at http://www.northernairplumbing.com. Their site has information about improving your indoor air quality.

Is a Tankless Water Heater a Good Idea?

With the cost of energy on the rise, many of us are looking for ways to save on our monthly electric or gas bills. In your search for ways to stretch a dollar, you may have heard of a tankless water heater.

A tankless water heater, whether gas or electric, is designed to heat water only on demand. Basically, water leaves your water line and enters the heater and flows around a heating unit en-route to the point of utilization without every being stored and given the opportunity to cool off again. The key feature is that the heater does not turn on until it senses that a hot water tap is being opened. In short, the water is heated as part of the delivery process and only when it will be used immediately. This is in contrast to a typical tank water heater that holds gallons of water (40 gallons is typical) in a constantly heated state. Even if you are not home for the weekend, the tank heater is diligently heating the water to your desired temperature and then heating it again as it cools off. The tankless water heater only heats water once and that is where the savings come into play.

The difficulty is that the savings can be dramatically higher or lower depending on your specific situation. However, as a rule of thumb, a household should realize a 30% savings on energy related to hot water usage. This might work out as follows:

• Tank heater cost per month - $50
• Tankless cost at 30% reduction per month - $35
• Savings per month - $15
• Savings per year - $180

$180 per year is nothing to sneeze at but a tankless system might not make sense depending on a few other variables. If you live in a very cold climate, it takes more energy to heat the water. The baseline water temperature in Phoenix is much warmer than in Fargo, N.D. If you live in Fargo, your savings would be less if all other things are equal.

Additionally, it costs about $700 for an installed tank water heater but two to three times that amount for a tankless system. This translates to roughly $700 - $1,400 additional dollars out of your pocket. At a $180 yearly cost reduction, it will take 3.5 to 8 years to recover the additional expense and begin to save money. If you plan on moving in the next few years, a tankless system makes absolutely no sense. Additionally, if you have a gas system, you will need to modify the gas lines feeding the heater and this can be very costly. Of course, this cost is not a concern if you are looking at installing in a new home.

Taking this as a whole, we can conclude that vacation homes or families with low hot water usage generally would not benefit economically from a tankless system. However, if you are a large family with the attendant high frequency showering and laundering, it may be a good fit for you.

However, there are other non-economic reasons for installing a tankless system. Tankless systems last twice as long as tank water heaters and they don't fail catastrophically. It is not uncommon for a tank system to fail and spill all forty or so gallons of water into the home. This volume of water can do tremendous damage in short order - destroyed drywall, ruined carpet, damaged electrical systems, etc. The cost to repair this damage can run upwards of thousands of dollars. The tankless system avoids this and provides you with peace-of-mind knowing that you don't have a potential hydro-time-bomb in your utility closet.

Another major reason for people electing a tankless system is avoidance of the "shower frigid dance." If you have ever been halfway through a shower and had the hot water give out, you know what I mean. With a tankless system, you have unlimited hot water since the water is being heated on the fly and not from a stored container. No more waiting for the tank to heat more after your teenager took a fifty minute shower while the dishwasher was running.

Also, a tankless system is much smaller than a tank system. If your heater is in an inconvenient spot or a tight space, a tankless system might be able to help you out.

Finally, people that are eco-conscious will choose the tankless system as well. Even if the energy savings is low, every bit counts. And with the twenty year life span of the tankless system, there is less pollution and energy used manufacturing yet another water heater at the ten year mark when a traditional system would fail.

Whether a tankless water heater is a good fit for you depends very much on your particular circumstances. However, with a little research and thought you may be able to save money and have more comfortable shower!

For more information and guidance about water heaters, visit http://www.northernairplumbing.com. Northern Air specializes in plumbing, heating, air conditioning, air exchangers, water softeners, radiant heat, and more.

WebDrafter.com Designs site for Northern Air Plumbing & Heating

Northern Air Plumbing & Heating is proud to announce the design of their website from WebDrafter.com.

Northern Air provides residential and light commercial services specializing in plumbing, heating, air conditioning, air exchangers, water softeners, radiant heat, and more.

To learn more about our products and services visit www.northernairplumbing.com.