4-Ton Horizontal Geothermal Installation in Bridgeport, NY

Challenge

This customer was looking for an efficient method to heat their new-construction home; where bringing in natural gas or using other fuels were not optimal.

Solution

This was a new construction 4-ton horizontal-style direct expansion geothermal system we installed in Bridgeport, NY.  This system was an ideal choice, as the front yard was still under development as well as the rest of the home.  The cost of bringing natural gas to the site was so outrageous that even knowing little about geothermal and its potential applications, the customer came to us for a solution.  We noticed that the site exhibited extremely ideal conditions for DX, even though the front yard was full of standing water, we were able to see the potential for harvesting energy in the winter and storing the home’s waste heat during the summer months.

We excavated 4 -125 ft. trenches and installed a single 250 linear ft. copper ground loop in each, accompanied by a re-saturation system and a common impressed cathodic current protection system to protect the copper from corrosion.  The excavation was completed in two days.

On the inside of the home, a 4-ton direct expansion compressor unit and refrigerant-to-air air handler served the forced air heat and air conditioning of the entire home, including the basement.  This compressor unit also was ordered with domestic water heating capabilities, where an annual average of 25%-50% of the domestic water heating is generated by the waste heat of the compressor unit itself (based on usage and demand).  Because of the lack of local natural gas and the customers resentment towards propane or fossil fuel in general, we recommended a heat pump water heater--which the customer elected to supply and install themselves (already having a local plumber on site).  We were happy to make the necessary modifications to the customer-supplied water tank and install the geothermal capabilities to it.

A fully web-based, remotely-accessible thermostat was installed; in conjunction with a remotely accessible data monitoring system, which logs and reports system temperatures, refrigerant pressures, and electrical consumption in 5 minute intervals.  Because of concerns of the structure being located in a potential flood area, the controls were custom-programmed to send the owner a notification if the basement floor becomes wet.  The peace of mind generated by being able to view this information and control the home’s HVAC while on vacation via mobile application is invaluable.