Geothermal in Burtts Corner

After the first winter, the owners wanted to reduce their energy bills. The first winter cost them $4,200 with an oil furnace. After the installation of the water source heat pump their heating bills dropped to $1,100 a year, even after adding over 305 square metres of living space and cooling in the summer.

The owner was told that his well would have sufficient flow to meet the 18 litres/minute the heat pump needed. When the heat pump was first started it ran the well dry so they had to drill the well down another 9 metres (total depth of 49 metres) to have sufficient flow. People considering a water source heat pump should have their well tested FIRST to make sure it can supply enough water to meet the needs of the heat pump and domestic needs.

After caulking and sealing the house they reduced the air leakage by 10% to achieve an Energuide rating of 78. With the help of EcoENERGY and EfficiencyNB, the owner received $4,800 in grants and a $10,000 interest free loan to make the upgrades. The owner estimates the heat pump will pay for itself in 4 years while providing a comfortable temperature year-round.

This particular heat pump has a “passive” cooling feature that pumps cold water through a heat exchanger in the air ducts. It is considered passive because the refrigeration cycle does not have to run, which saves electricity while still providing cooling.

Geothermal Installation

Since our initial meeting with the owner, the system continues to work extremely well. As the owners had hoped, the system was paid for within the first 4 years of operation. There have only been a couple factory-installed plastic valves replaced with brass valves. They are very happy with their system, hindsight confirms it was a sound decision both ecologically and economically!