Geothermal Heat Pump Reviews and Ratings

I received the following email the other day from a lady in Pennsylvania.  She is considering a geothermal heat pump in Pennsylvania to make her home more energy efficient.

I want to thank my friend Keith Key with Waterfurnace Geothermal for his assistance.

Question:

"I know you are a proponent of geothermal heating, and we are interested in installing geothermal heating in our home.  However, I don't know how to choose a brand or a contractor.  Is there a significant difference between the brands or a brand that you would recommend over another brand?  

Also, do you have any suggestions about how to go about finding a reputable installer?  I would like to ask friends for personal recommendations, but I only know of one person who has installed geothermal heat in a new home.  My home is nearly 100 years old.  I do have central heat and air, but my house heats and cools very unevenly.  Any help that you can offer would be greatly appreciated."

Answer:

1.)    There are many good brands of geothermal heating and cooling equipment out there. If your contractor is trained well and satisfies their customers, then chances are he has selected a brand that best serves you as well. This goes beyond price, a reputable brand will offer training for the dealer and demand that the contractor measures up to their standards for quality, installation and service. In short if the dealer takes care of you through service, then he is probably using a quality brand of geothermal equipment.

2.)    The best way to find a choice of geothermal installers in Pennsylvania these days is through the web. I am familiar with the WaterFurnace site, www.waterfurnace.com. There one could locate recognized dealers in their area by simply providing their zip code.

After she list her choices, then she can investigate how well they conduct business. Chances are all of these dealers install conventional heating and cooling as well as geothermal systems. So she can ask for references.  

If the dealer has a reputable job with his “standard” or “non geothermal” customers, then chances are he will likewise have quality installments of geothermal systems as well. Nothing beats an experienced geothermal dealer and I would weigh in how long he’s been in business and how many systems he installed.

3.)    She needs to find a contractor that will address all of her needs. A complete survey of the house will be necessary due to its age and problems with her air delivery system. It will take investigating but she will have to have her priorities addressed.

Other than installing geothermal systems, the contractor should perform load calculations to determine the exact size of equipment she needs. It’s easy to understand why one would not want a system that’s too small but over sizing the system is likewise wasteful, unnecessarily expensive AND less comfortable. Comfort systems are like clothes – it must fit.

I have been in the energy consulting business and energy efficient home design for 20+ years.  When it comes to geothermal heat pumps in Pennsylvania, I honestly have to go with Waterfurnace geothermal.  They are a worldwide company and provide great customer service.

Thanks and God bless!

Phillip Rye

Tags: geothermal heat pump reviews, geothermal heat pump pa, geothermal heat pump Pennsylvania, best brand geothermal heat pump