Whether you’re erecting a new home or enhancing your current home, the choice to install either a common HVAC system or geothermal heating and cooling can be a troublesome one. It’s almost never the case that Defiance residents don’t understand the advantages of geothermal. What’s to disparage, after all, about a system that heats and cools your home naturally without fossil fuels and combustion, that has only a handful of mechanical parts, that requires little maintenance, that can keep on performing efficiently for 30 to 50 years or better, and that can slash energy bills by as much as 70 percent or more?
No, homeowners’ initial qualms about going geothermal often have to do with these five fears:
- Fear of High Up-Front Costs.
- Fear of “Too Little Too Late” Return on Investment.
- Fear That the Technology Remains “Unproven.”
- Fear That Geothermal Heating and Cooling Might Not Be the Proper Alternative.
- Fear of Insufficient Dealer Support and Service.
Let’s examine these fears individually.
Fear of High Up-Front Costs. This isn’t totally groundless; geothermal’s up-front costs are high, especially where the installation of ground loops is concerned. But given the life of a geothermal system – strikingly longer than the life of standard heating and cooling systems, that’s for certain! – installing geothermal is an investment in long-term energy efficiency and comfortable living. You’d swap out a new boiler, for example, at least once before you’d find it necessary to fix or replace any component of a geothermal system. Furthermore, with an ordinary system, you’re paying for electricity from the grid or for oil to burn, and those costs are rising constantly. Geothermal energy is renewable energy that saves you money in the short term and boosts the resale value of your home in the long term.
Fear of “Too Little Too Late” Return on Investment. The return on investment in most geothermal systems is at least 10 percent. What this says is that, for every dollar you invest, you’ll save 10 percent per year for as long as you have your system. The savings will kick in as soon as it’s operational, too.
Fear That the Technology Is As Yet “Unproven.” As it stands, modern geothermal technology has proven itself over and over again in countless installations here in Defiance, across the nation, and around the globe since first introduced in the late 1940s. Circumstances such as the ever-growing demand for renewable energy and efficient, cost-effective space-conditioning systems have contributed to making the geothermal industry one of the fastest-growing in the 21st century. Clearly, a smaller and smaller number of homeowners are apprehensive about going with a geothermal system. They’re realizing that geothermal technology is far more efficient and trustworthy than old-fashioned high-efficiency gas furnaces and whole-house air conditioners.
Fear That Geothermal Heating and Cooling Might Not Be the Proper Alternative. Financial considerations are certainly relevant here. You’ll want to compare renewable-energy technology with that using traditional energy sources and weigh the general costs and ROI of each. Should your home occupy enough land area to accommodate the ground loops, geothermal will no doubt prove the most suitable alternative – for the reasons mentioned above.
Fear of Meager Dealer Support and Service. We can lay this fear to rest right here and now. Schlatters Plumbing Heating & AC is a respected Defiance geothermal dealer, installer, and service provider. We’ll work hand in hand with you from the get-go, and we’ll be there to take care of your geothermal system’s every maintenance and service demand for as long as you own it.
All you really need fear is not being able to enjoy all the comfort, efficiency, energy-bill savings, and contentment a geothermal heating and cooling system provides. Contact the geothermal experts at Schlatters Plumbing Heating & AC today!