Over these past few years, new technologies have developed for home utility infrastructures, such as solar panels, smart home appliances, and many more. These advancements are meant to benefit us by easing our workload at home, and perhaps, saving us more money on our bills. One of the most intriguing developments has been the introduction of geothermal heating systems into numerous households, which is a promising alternative to the systems we currently use today.
Of course, with all heating and cooling systems, as well as your other indoor air needs, experts are needed to help install, maintain, and repair them over time. At Argent Heating & Cooling, we’ve provided customers throughout the Washington D.C. area with the best air quality and indoor comfort year-round. These include services such as routine maintenance plans for retaining the upkeep of your indoor air appliances, sustainable geothermal heating repair that keeps your alternative heating system at the perfect output, or indoor air quality evaluations that can help determine the effectiveness of your HVAC system.
Below, we provide a few facts you should know about geothermal heating systems:
Fact 1: Like a Refrigerator, but for Your Whole House
One of the most essential things to understand is how geothermal heating systems work. The easiest way to describe it is by comparing it to your refrigerator. Refrigerators remove heat from the inside and sends it to the surrounding area outside of it. In contrast, a geothermal heating system transfers the heat from outside your house to the inside of your house.
This is done through a series of looped underground pipes filled with either water or antifreeze solution, absorbing the heat and flowing it back to your house, and then cycling back again. The pipes connect to a geothermal pump, which works simultaneously as a furnace and an air conditioner. This allows it to work during hot and cold seasons.
During the warmer seasons, the pump removes heat from your home and sends it outside. While in the colder seasons, the liquid absorbs heat from the ground outside, which is brought back to your home to be distributed by the pump through forced-air or hydronic systems.
Fact 2: It is a BIG Investment
A geothermal heating system is going to have very high initial costs, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 in overall costs. This is because the difficulty of performing a geothermal retrofit involves many different variables, such as your properties soil condition, plot size, current system configuration, site accessibility, and the amount of overall labor and equipment required. You may also need modifications to your ventilation system and numerous excavations. Even while a newly built house will cost less to work with, geothermal heating systems cost around 40% more than widely-used HVAC systems.
Fact 3: Other Challenges Next to the Cost
Beyond the initial costs, there are some other issues to be aware of. Geothermal heating systems are relatively new to the market and very few businesses offer to install and service them affordably. Of course, we at Argent Heating & Cooling are one of those few businesses within the Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and Maryland areas that provide them, keeping your budget in mind first. In addition to that, it requires the expertise of HVAC technicians, both to install and maintain. Finally, its installation is also a cumbersome task, as it may require a certain amount of drilling and digging on your property in order to fully install.
Fact 4: Experience Major Benefits
While a geothermal heating system includes a high initial investment and other challenges to overcome, its value may outweigh these aspects. Firstly, it’s cheaper to operate and maintain than our modern HVAC systems, specifically around 30-60 percent for heating, and 20-50 for cooling. Secondly, it is very low-maintenance, as most of the components are either indoors or underground, which means they are likely less affected by the elements. The system components also last a long time for the same reason as well, with the indoor parts lasting around 25 years, while the underground pipes lasting around 50 years, compared to the 15-year average life span of traditional HVAC systems.
Argent Heating & Cooling: Expert Geothermal Heating Repair in the Washington D.C Area
There is a lot to consider when it comes to getting a geothermal heating system, both in terms of costs and benefits. The central differences lie in whether you value long-term investments such as installing one into your home. Whether or not you do, you can trust the services of Argent Heating & Cooling of the Greater Washington D.C Metro area. We have over three decades of experience in HVAC services, including specialty jobs such as installing radiant heating systems, indoor air evaluations, and reliable geothermal heating repair. We use our industry contacts to source the highest-quality materials for our customers, allowing them to purchase the best appliances for their home at quality prices. All of your heating and cooling needs are covered when you come to us. Contact us today at (703) 281-6300 to schedule an appointment and get a free estimate on one of our services.
