geothermal with propane boiler backup

David G · Mar 2, 2014

I am looking at reducing my heating costs by installing geothermal, but am concerned about my standby generator handle it. The issue is the resistive heaters.

I am thinking about putting in a 95% boiler, using it to provide hot water with an indirect heater, and to also provide supplemental heating so the geothermal does not need to be oversized so much.

showcrop · Mar 2, 2014

That sounds like the way I would want to do it if I were installing geothermal. I would want a means of providing the supplemental heat by oil, wood, natural gas, coal, anything but a electric.

Dale in Nw wa · Mar 2, 2014

Well you could always get a backhoe then get some of the 4 in black flexable coulvert dig down to around 7 ft deep put in black pipe then back fill it. do this in a large area useing a lot of pipeing. in summer you install a small blower and blow hot summer air through the pipeing hook in in to house and you gt cool air out the end then in winter reverce air flow warm air from ground after a few years this works better. Google Geothermial greenhouses there is some in Denver area growing date year round Dale

old · Mar 2, 2014

I have an air to air heat pump and so far the emergency heat has never been used so a back up generator is not a problem unless maybe you have less then a 7.5KW unit. Going geothermal even less likely the emergency heat would ever come on and a heat pump sure as heck uses a whole lot less power then resistive heat does

hanovertom · Mar 2, 2014

I had a geothermal system installed 3 years ago to replace my Propane furnace. Have horizontal loops, not a well. So far, I have only had the Circuit breakers for the emergengy heat on once to see if it worked. Not sure where you are, I am in Ashland VA, just N of Richmond.

MSD · Mar 2, 2014

Why not keep it simple and install an LP furnace as backup? Cost more than the heat strips but wouldn't draw much current to run. Would be cheaper than a boiler system also.

Ray · Mar 2, 2014

I've got a 3.5 ton geo unit with my old fuel oil furnace as a backup,but I never need it.It's been 6 years now and the oil furnace has never came on except when I test it.I'm in central ohio and it gets pretty cold.I've got one of those full house generators that comes on automatically when the electric goes off.I think it's 18000 watt.

johnlobb · Mar 2, 2014

Go to heatinghelp.com. Dan Holohans website is a jewel for info on steam and wet heat. They have a"wall" where anyone can ask questions and heating experts answer, kind of like here.

DH in Carolina · Mar 3, 2014

What does it use during defrost cycle???

massey333 · Mar 3, 2014

I put a system like that in after we froze our field up in a winter like this.Very happy with it and cheap to use.

IH2444 · Mar 3, 2014

(quoted from post at 09:46:38 03/03/14) What does it use during defrost cycle???

Now don't confuse them with the defrost cycle thingy.

old · Mar 3, 2014

I do not know how much it uses with the defrost but the whole unit as per paper work say can be run on 6.5KW so a 7.5KW gen set would be more then enough to run it

Rick Kr · Mar 3, 2014

David,
My geothermal has a 20kw electric backup. The electric only comes on when the temp is below 5F, which is not that common in Mid-Michigan. Usually only two weeks or so a year. Most of the time, it will work fine without the electric on.

If the system cant keep up, it will shutdown the furnace. I ran it for three days straight without the electric backup turned on when it was -10F and couldnt get the furnace to shutdown.

This is a closed loop, ground source system.

Rick

geothermal with propane boiler backup

David G

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showcrop

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Dale in Nw wa

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old

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hanovertom

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MSD

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Ray

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johnlobb

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DH in Carolina

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massey333

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IH2444

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old

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Rick Kr

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