Need a new system and am CLUELESS

[agbowers832]

hello! i moved into a home w a geothermal heat pump. I was super excited, but then it turned out it had MAJOR issues and will be way too expensive to fix. so, we need a new unit. i know nothing, so please forgive all of the questions. what exactly is an HVAC and how is it different from all the other a/c stuff that's out there? Or are they all HVACs? Also, i am looking around and i know about american standard, lennox, rheem, and trane. Please let me know if there are others that are better, or if any of these is not great. i am interested in an energy star rated unit (would like the tax credit), i need it to both heat and cool, and i would like the option to install an air cleaning system later (i know trane has that, do others?). i live in hammond, la my house is about 3,000 sq feet, 1 1/2 stories. if anyone has any recommendations or information, I would greatly appreciate it!

Allison

[udarrell]

Where is Hammond, Iowa; what area of Iowa?
I did a number of searches - nothing.
Locate it on the map for us. What major city is near?

HVAC is an acronym for Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning. - Darrell

[big sky hvac]

HVAC stands for: Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning. It encompasses basically all of those things related to heating, cooling, & indoor air quality. Are you looking to get away from the geothermal heat and go to a conventional forced air spilt system?(furnace & A/C) Have you considered just replacing the heat pump unit itself and use the loop system you already have? Unless you have some serious loop issues, I would just replace the heat pump. The majority of the expense of a groundsource heat system(geothermal) is already in place with the loop & pumps etc. If you decide to go a different route, i.e. spilt system, there are several options for equipment and iaq. How major are the problems?

[big sky hvac]

Where is Hammond, Iowa; what area of Iowa?

I think it's Hammond, Louisiana

[tigerdunes]

Hammond is in Louisiana.

allison

Before I chucked a geothermal system, I would definitely want to know more info about what is wrong with it and cost to update and/or repair.

IMO

[Todd S 2]

Hammond is in Louisiana.

allison

Before I chucked a geothermal system, I would definitely want to know more info about what is wrong with it and cost to update and/or repair.

IMO

I agree with tiger, find out what is wrong first. You have a very expensive system just to throw it away. They are the very best, if installed properly.

[pauls heating &]

did you get a home warranty when you bought the house ???
if so it should cover the repair/replacement

[pecmsg]

hello! i moved into a home w a geothermal heat pump. I was super excited, but then it turned out it had MAJOR issues and will be way too expensive to fix. so, we need a new unit. i know nothing, so please forgive all of the questions. what exactly is an HVAC and how is it different from all the other a/c stuff that's out there? Or are they all HVACs? Also, i am looking around and i know about american standard, lennox, rheem, and trane. Please let me know if there are others that are better, or if any of these is not great. i am interested in an energy star rated unit (would like the tax credit), i need it to both heat and cool, and i would like the option to install an air cleaning system later (i know trane has that, do others?). i live in hammond, la my house is about 3,000 sq feet, 1 1/2 stories. if anyone has any recommendations or information, I would greatly appreciate it!

Allison


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[agbowers832]

thanks so much for replying! I am actually really glad to hear you all think we should keep the geothermal. EVERY single repair person we've had to look at it says we need to scrap it. I think it's because they're not very used to them. The last guy that came, though, seemed really good and he made a lot of sense. This is what he found: At least 2 gas leaks (R-22) , one in the coil, one someplace else that I forget. There is also a water leak and we don't really know where it is. He said it could be underground. However, we do have a part of the yard that is always flooded, so my husband and I think we're going to have him look and see if that's where the leak is. anyway, because of the leak, the system was running w/out water. ours was apparently not installed with the emergency shutoff valves for when the water is not getting into the system. Because it was running w/out water, the compressors are burnt out. He also said it was poorly installed. It is in a small closet area in the attic. He says you should be able to access it from all 4 sides, but it can only be accessed from 3 sides. It is also very close to the ceiling so there is not room to install the emergency heat strip that he said most units have. What do you all think? Is it worth it?

thanks so much!! I love the idea of a geothermal heat pump, and I would hate to replace it, but we have to consider cost.

Allison

[chuckcrj]

Wow, if the repair guy is telling the truth you do have MAJOR issues and should start over with a new system of your choice.

A good contractor should be able to give you cost of operation from a heat load calculation on different types of systems. That will give you some data to help in your decision of a system.

Be sure to get 10-15 references from the contractor and then contact those customers and find out if they are satisfied. This would also be a good idea for the guys telling you this one is shot so you know you can trust them.

[udarrell]

I think it's Hammond, Louisiana
Thanks, tigerdunes & Big Sky HVAC, I found it, not too far from the Capitol Baton Rouge, LA.

Summer Design 93-DB, 77-WB 48% RH.
New Orleans is 92-Dry Bulb & 54% Relative Humidity (RH).
At those peak conditions, you ought to be able to put a pretty good heatload on the evaporator coil.

I agree with the other posts, a knowledgeable tech could probable fix the geothermal unit. - Darrell

[Daltex]

Don't scrap it yet. As previously stated, the ground loop is the major expense of your system. Find a geothermal tech to come look at it. I'd call each company asking if they install them. If so ask for references of the installations they've done. You need a specialist to determine the problem before you scrap it. I could be a simple to repair leak.

If the leak can be repaired then it's a no brainer to just replace the unit with a new geo. If not easily repaired then read pecmsg's doc he posted.

As you know, you are in a high humidity level so oversizing your system would be the worst thing you could do. Insist on a load calculation and get a variable speed blower.