I'm seriously thinking about installing an open loop geothermal system, especially with the 30% rebates currently available and a potential reoccurring rebate from net metering. ( I know, it doesn’t make sense, but Virginia recently pass a law that will require the electric regulations to define net metering so rebates go to geothermal owners as if they were generating solar)


My current air source HP and propane system is 20 years old, so it's about time for an upgrade. Here's my situation:

•I have a well that produces 25 gallons per minute.
•The water quality is pretty decent, but iron levels are at 2.5 ppm. I have a well chlorinator that handles the iron while keeping chlorine under .5ppm

My main question is: Are these open loop systems better now than they were decades ago in terms of handling scaling? I know they have the highest efficiency, but I’m wondering if the improvements in technology have made them more reliable over time.

In particular, I’m looking at the Waterfurnace Synergy3D system since it can produce hot water, hydronic and force air.  The idea being that it could heat a future spa or small pool in addition to the house.

Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences!

I’d need to install a discharge well and run 300’ of pipe to it.

Thanks!

closed loop only unless you have money to burn

I sold a few million dollars of WF on open loops and I won't sell it again

I had a closed loop.  
The guy who owned the house before me was an AC guy.  He installed it.
It may have been the reason he killed himself…it was nothing but trouble.
YMMV.

Closed loop only. And don’t fill it with tap water. Get a water company to bring good clean water.

Had a knowledgeable installer out.

He made some good points.

Really need to go with the most efficient Geothermal units to make it payoff and the most efficient units are variable speed.  They run a long time at less than full capacity to get that efficiency.

That long runtime also means the well pump is running a lot and pumping water from 200’ isn’t free.  It eats into the efficiency.

So while a closed loop isn’t as efficient, it isn’t as far off as it seems.


He only installs closed loops.  


My problem is that when I built the house years ago I went first class on insulation.  I don’t think there’s a payback vs an efficient air source heat pump.

Whatever you save is going to be spent running the well pump.

The installer should be able to run a report showing the payback vs a traditional air to air unit.

There may be tax credits and energy efficiency credits that could affect that, too.

OP I don't know a ton about it yet, but I do know people who do.

https://www.energydynamicsinc.com/

The man who started it, Lyle Darnell is my good buddy, and he passed it on to his son a few years ago, and I can tell you those guys are GOLD, straight-up good honest and principal'ed folks, i'm sure if you gave them a call, even if you don't buy from them, they'd be happy to give you some solid advice.

Brandon Darnell or one of his guys is who you want to talk to, tell 'em Lyle's buddy Jack said to give 'em a call.

Lyle keeps trying to talk me into a system for our place but I just don't have the cheese for it this year, 119 year old place and I got a lot of other stuff to fix before upgrading that system.

Good Luck!

Fill a pond with the well. Run a loop in the pond.

waterfurnace makes the best systems but I would have to hate you to sell an open loop to you

This is correct. You want a closed loop and above all zero iron in the pipes which is common sense. But at my former employer we had a commercial customer with a large geothermal system that ran iron pipes because they wanted a rustic appearance. Instead they got rust and a large filter and self created failures and repairs. They refuse to repipe.