Mechanical Heating and Cooling Components of Geothermal System Installed- Phase 3 Completed!

From Wednesday, June 9th through Saturday, June 12th, our building was mechanically configured to support the new geothermal system. Workers from Beta American Services based in Oakland, were very busy installing a heat exchanging water furnace and air handler A/C system, re-routing refrigerant lines, as well adjusting the air ducts throughout the building. This new system is much more efficient than the old air conditioning system, as the “reversing” ability of the ground source heating/cooling system, makes for a less energy-demanding transition between seasons.

Equipment galore!


The new water furnace contains a heat exchanging unit that takes heats out of, or puts heat into, the well water. It is located in the basement and receives water via an underground pipe directly from the well. (Read about the well installation in the previous blog post.) For cooling in the summer, the well water goes into the water furnace and is cooled. Any additional heat taken out of the building by the air handler is passively absorbed by the water and flows back into the well. So, the well water acts as a coolant as cool water continuously comes into replace it and warm water leaves the building taking the warm air out of the building. In the winter, the function of the heat exchanging water furnace reverses as the direction of the refrigerant reverses. It will take heat out of well water and raise the temp to approximately 68 degrees and return cold water back into the well while the air handler, in conjunction with the blower, will blow hot air through the building. The reversibility of the furnace handles both cooling and heating needs with the same ground source water. The earth then absorbs the warmed or cooled water after it is sent back to the well, returning it to its original ground temperature of approximately 55 degrees.


The equipment in the basement including the heat
exchanging water furnace and heat pump


The new air handler, or air conditioning system, does the actual heating and cooling of the building’s air from the water and circulates it around through the air ducts. It was installed on the second floor and is connected to the blower (located right next to the handler) and to refrigerant lines from the water furnace. Bart Andersen, mechanical consultant to Beta American Services, explained that the old air handler was removed because of its use of old refrigerants that are harmful to the ozone layer. The new one utilizes refrigerants that have been molecularly restructured and no longer contain chlorine salts so it will not cause harm to the sensitive atmosphere. The old air conditioning compressor unit that was located outside was removed and the refrigerant lines were rerouted to the interior of the building.


The new air handler located on the second floor.

In addition to the installation of the new water furnace and air handler, fine tuning of the air ducts took place throughout the building. This is done to ensure that the amount of air that comes out of the vents is balanced depending on the size of the room, amount of heat transfer, and other factors. This guarantees the optimum level of comfort throughout the year.

Our new system should be up and running within the next 1-2 days after the final mechanical hook ups and all tests are completed. The system is innovative, energy efficient, and highly dependable. The current fossil furnace may only need to be used a few days a year as a backup under extreme cold circumstances. We are so excited that the system is almost completed and are looking forward to experiencing the benefits of ground cooled air, not to mention some relief from the heat!