Geothermal
Geothermal heating and cooling for your home
Venture beyond the norm. Ground source systems are eco-friendly, long lasting and well suited to the Missouri climate.
What is a geothermal system?
A heat pump that uses the ground, not the air
The most common setup for homes in America is a furnace paired with central air conditioning. Just because it is common does not mean it is what works best for your home.
Geothermal systems are essentially heat pumps that rely on the temperature of the earth instead of the outside air, which is why they are also called ground source heat pumps. By drawing thermal energy from a few feet below the surface, the system warms your home.
You might expect the ground temperature to swing through the year. It does not — a few feet down it stays relatively consistent, which is how these systems lower heating and cooling costs by up to 70%.
Ways to install
Three ways to put a loop in the ground
Each has its advantages, and with any of them you get an advanced, energy efficient system that is good for the environment for years to come.
Vertical closed loop
The most common, and almost like drilling a water well. Your HVAC professional or utility recommends the tonnage needed, then we drill where the property best suits it. 150′ of drilling equals 1 ton of heating and cooling.
We place a bentonite plug every 45′ as required by DNR to safeguard the groundwater, dig between the loops to connect them, run them into the house to the unit and flush the air out of the system.
Horizontal
Works the same as vertical, except the required pipe is 200′ per ton. Excellent for existing homes with manicured lawns, or where there is plenty of topsoil and no rock.
We dig a header ditch to connect the loops, bore a header line to the house, run the lines to the unit and flush the air from the system.
Open loop
Another form of vertical ground source, which uses your water well for heating and cooling. You may need to upgrade your pump size to split the difference between household use and the demand from the furnace.
Boring the header line back to the house.
Service and installation
A system that outlasts two furnaces
Geothermal is a true investment. Where heating and air conditioning systems last 10 to 15 years, a geothermal system can last up to 25 years. That is exactly why it matters who installs it — done wrong, it only leads to frustration and wasted energy.
We know trusting a company with an investment like this can be stressful, so we offer estimates and references. At the appointment you can ask us anything about geothermal and we will help point you in the right direction. We have been drilling geothermal systems for almost twenty years.