Save Money with a Waste Oil Furnace

What is a waste oil furnace? A waste oil furnace is a homemade (or purchased) burner than can save money by burning waste oil instead of home heating oil. Waste oil is the oil that is discarded when you change the oil in your car. Crank case oil usually has to be discarded in accordance with strict local regulations (that is, you can’t just toss it out or out it on the ground because of the pollutants in the oil), but when you burn it, it can create a substantial amount of heat. So you solve two problems at one: You dispose of your waste oil efficiently and legally, and you generate heat at almost no cost.

You save a lot of money with a waste oil furnace. Right now, the price of a gallon of home heating oil is very volatile but has been hovering between $3 and $4 a gallon, and it may go up substantially at any time due to supply issues. Compare that to waste oil, which many auto garages still give away for free or for pennies a gallon. You spend as much carting your own waste oil to the legal dump as you will obtaining waste oil to burn in your waste oil furnace.

Waste oil furnaces have two benefits:

They produce a significant amount of heat at very low cost. They burn waste oil that would normally be sent to a dump or landfill that creates minimal pollution. Basically a waste oil furnace recycles crank case motor oil so that you get two uses out of it; one use is crank case lubrication, the other use is heat for your home or garage.

You can build your own waste oil furnace for very little money if you are mechanically inclined. Many plans can be found online for building a waste oil furnace, but a good place to start is Mother Earth News magazine, which for many years has provided plans for all kinds of do-it-yourself money-saving devices that increase self-sufficiency. You can find plans for building your own heater by going to motherearthnews and typing "waste oil burner" in the search box.

If you feel nervous about building your own waste oil furnace or feel confident about building one but not about installing one safely in your home, you can purchase a waste oil furnace for between $2500 and $7000 depending on the size of the furnace and which manufacturer and distributor you choose. Keep in mind that the initial cost of the waste oil furnace will be quickly offset by the drastic reduction in heating costs. You will be saving money with your waste oil furnace almost immediately, especially if you current burn home heating oil. A single winter’s home heating oil costs can exceed $3000 easily, so if you buy a waste oil furnace on the lower end of the price range you will see savings the very first year.

Many people save money with a waste oil furnace by installing it in their garage, but although it might seem counterintuitive, waste oil heaters do create smell and mess when used to heat your residence. Waste oil burned in a correctly designed waste oil furnace burns cleanly and without smoke and smell. Many good distributors and manufacturers of waste oil furnaces can be found online. Check out wasteoilboilers.

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Why my Radiant Heating Supplies is better than Yours Radiant

Different radiant heating supplies are needed depending on the system’s type. There are two major types of radiant heating systems that you might want to consider for your home: electric or hydronic. Both of these types of solutions can be used for many different solutions and require different supplies for the installation.

Obtaining the proper radiant heating supplies depend on the solution that you are looking for. If you are looking for indoor solutions for warming your home, then you have several things to choose from. If you are thinking about creating the spa feel in the bathroom by adding a towel warmer and a floor warmer, you can. The cost for a towel warmer can run around $700 and for the warming system in the floor $400-$900. Warming the bathroom is a favored system. You can also enjoy heated windows and area warmers for spaces like under your desk or a rug too.

The heated windows warm to 100 degrees when you stand near them and they can run approximately $2500. The area warmers differ depending on what you are looking for and the size of space you are hoping to warm. The prices for the area warmers range from $80-$700.

You can also enjoy outdoor heating that require radiant heating supplies. You can enjoy heating your driveway so you don’t have to shovel anymore. The snow will melt as it falls. These systems run around $15 per square foot. You can also run radiant heating supplies in the gutters or the roof. This makes for a warmer home and you don’t have to worry about the roof caving in during the heavy snows.

The hydronic radiant heating system is favored more than the electric system but the radiant heating supplies are much more expensive. If you are interested in doing a bathroom, then with an electric system you can expect to spend less than $1000. For a hydronic system, you will have to pay $4000 or more.

Although the hydronic radiant heating supplies are favored, they can take up to 8 hours to warm up and they can consume energy if left on for long periods. They also raise the floor slightly which can cause problems if remodeling. Electric heating mats are placed under rugs on the floor so you don’t have to pull up the floor to install them. They also only take less than an hour to warm up. There are many other differences between hydronic and electric radiant heating systems that you might want to consider prior to making a decision that is right for you.

Installing radiant heating supplies for an electric system is easy. The first thing you will do is lay the electric roll on the floor and then apply a layer of thinset cement on top of the electric roll. You will then lay down your carpet or tile and connect the heating roll to an electric circuit. Installing hydronic radiant heating supplies is a little more involved. First, you will need a polyethylene vapor barrier to lay over the compressed ground. You will then add a form of installation and then a wire mesh or metal lath over the insulation. The metal lath is easier for the installation because it helps hold the tubing that is included with hydronic. This is because the tubes are filled with water and the tubes are attached easier with the lath. Once finished with the tubing and all of the hydronic radiant heating supplies, you can lay the flooring you desire.

There are a few differences with hydronic and electric radiant heating solutions because they require different radiant heating supplies that vary greatly in price range. It is important to thoroughly research both options prior to making a decision.

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Propane Stoves for Home Heating

Most of the people chose propane stoves for home heating do so for relaxation. Propane is a clean and effective method of heating your house, office, workshop, or any privileged space quickly and easily. Although the price of propane does ups and downs with the seasons, so the gas does tend to be pricier during the bitter winter time, the high efficiency of propane stoves means you end up spending less in the long run than sticking with a poorly working wood burning fireplace or electronic heating. Additionally, propane is a great deal safer than traditional heating fuels like gasoline or kerosene, so the safety of your family and home are taken into consideration.

Why we are using propane stoves?

Many people all over the country are using propane stoves for home heating simply because of the quality of the material. Propane has a chemical make-up designating it a hydrocarbon and is usually called liquefied petroleum or LP Gas. This chemical is created through both crude oil refining in addition to natural gas processing. In its hydrocarbon state, propane is nontoxic, but is still identified with the same odor as natural gas in order to detect any leaks. Most individuals are used to using propane to fuel outdoor grills or camp stoves, but will be most pleased at the results when using propane stoves for home heating.

Since propane is vaporized and not liquid, the material is a lot safer to keep on hand than gasoline or other liquid fuel products. Furthermore, many quality programs and systems have been set in place, including Gas Appliance System (GAS) Check. This award-winning system has been used in homes around the country in order to ensure all appliances including heating stoves that utilized propane or natural gas as a fueling source are free from leaks or blockages that can potentially cause problems.

Not for everyone - depends on your location

Although natural gas and propane work in similar methods, many areas of the country do not have access to natural gas lines or running a natural gas line is simply out of your budget. Instead, consider having a propane tank placed or buried on your property in order to heat your house using a propane stove. Set up a schedule with your neighborhood propane supplier and have the company fill your tank regularly to prevent you from running out of fuel. It should be noted that all tanks containing propane should be stored outside. Avoid storing propane tanks in garages, out buildings, storage buildings, or sheds to prevent any problems from occurring.

Other applications

In addition to using propane stoves for home heating, you can use propane to as the fuel of choice for a hot water heater. Just as propane can effectively and efficiently heat your home, the gas can also heat your water in the same manner. Furthermore, propane will ensure your hot water stays hotter longer compared to electric water heaters that can cause your showers to turn cooler quicker.

If you make the choice to use propane stoves for home heating, save money by hooking the system directly to your preexisting vent work. The switch from natural gas, wood burning stoves, or electric heating is quite easy and will take a minimum amount of work from a qualified workman.

Making the switch to using propane stoves for home heating will be worth it in the end, as your family can enjoy toasty nights instead of frigid ones when winter comes knocking. Regardless of your situation in the country, whether winter lasts a couple of days or the majority of the calendar, you will have peace of mind knowing that you are ready whenever Jack Frost decides to come around.

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Probably the Best Wood Stove Ever

We're sometimes asked what the best wood stove is. Since most quality stoves performances are similar, it used to be a tough question. That was before Carl Johnson’s JUCA stove came to our attention.

Created more than 30 years ago and manufactured near Chicago, sold to tens of thousands households with nearly no advertising, Johnson's stove is based on a brilliant, unique design that probably makes it the best woodstove ever. A JUCA woodstove burns so cleanly and so steadily that it produces almost no creosote, very little ash (similar to, or even better than, a standard pellet stove), and no toxic byproducts. Plus, being capable of producing a constant 140,000 btus per hour (as much an average gas furnace!), it is incredibly efficient and economical. (In fact, standard JUCA stoves have been tested that produced over 500,000 btus... think that's enough for your split-level?)

This wood stove is so incredibly clean that you can even cook in it or operate it with the door open: something no one would ever consider trying with a conventional wood stove.

Why do we consider the JUCA to be perhaps the best wood stove in the world today? What makes it different than any other wood stove? The answer is the non-airtight design of the JUCA stoves.

Conventional wood stoves were originally designed to burn very hot for short bursts. In an attempt to create a steadier, even heat (as opposed to a blast of heat that left rooms too warm followed by a chill when that blast wore off), stove manufacturers began to make wood stoves more and more airtight.

Airtight woodstoves do burn longer and more progressively, but they also trap creosote in the chimney pipes and emit toxic gases into the open-air. The airtight design also makes the conventional woodstove fairly inefficient: most of the heat is lost up the chimney.

If a conventional wood stove used a heat exchanger to make use of that lost heat, so much creosote would be created that the stove would become dangerous to operate. Inefficiency is therefore built in to airtight wood stove design as a safety feature.

What makes the JUCA such an exceptional stove is that, by using a design that makes maximum use of normal air flow (instead of an airtight design), an aggressive heat exchanger can be built into the stove so as to capture almost all of the heat produced without any creosote buildup.

Because the JUCA is so efficient, it is also not subject to the stringent standards and codes that apply to traditional wood stoves, and it can burn much larger pieces of wood than a conventional stove, slowly releasing the energy as heat over long periods of time.

Another benefit of the best wood stove is cost-effectiveness. A $1900 JUCA stove can produce as much heat as an average gas furnace (about 140,000 btus per hour) at a fraction of the cost, and runs on a renewable energy source instead of expensive fossil fuels.

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Pellet Stoves: Great for Alternative Fuels

Pellet stoves are perfect for any individuals looking to lower their heating costs without sacrificing their homes and their families to winter’s harsh chills. As energy prices keep increasing, more and more homeowners are choosing to steer clear of traditional energy methods such as electricity, natural gas, or liquefied propane gas, and look to alternative fuels. These alternative fuels can range from dried corn kernels to cherry pits, but one of the most popular forms of alternative fueling is a sawdust based product pressed into the form of a pellet. Burning pellets are clean burning and highly efficient for heating rooms or homes of all sizes.

Looking much like traditional wood burning stoves, pellet stoves are perfect for homeowners who want to continue a historic feel throughout the home. Just like the stoves used to heat your grandparent’s, great-grandparent’s, or great-great-grandparent’s homes, pellet stoves are produced in many traditional styles, including the old fashioned “potbellied” stove that is generally thought to be the epitome of a heating stove. Just like with wood burning stoves, pellet stoves are produced in a wide variety of styles, from the sleek and modern creations to the elegant, old world styles.

Pellet stoves are fueled by pellets, tiny bullet shaped dry fuel buds that are made from compressed sawdust. Because the pellets are made from wood, they burn quickly and easily without a great deal of smoke or soot. This favorable aspect of pellets ensures your home or the stove itself is blackened by soot or smoke, which is common with traditional wood burning stoves, coal furnaces, or wood burning fireplaces. Since pellets are compressed sawdust, there is no danger to your family or pets by storing the pellets in your home. Also, these pellets can be stored inside a building, whereas liquefied propane gas (LP gas), kerosene, or natural gas must be stored outside due to safety concerns. This is an excellent attribute of pellets, as you can easily refill your stove without having to venture out into the chilly winter weather.

If you are interested in installing a pellet stove into a preexisting home or space, the installation process is quick and easy. Pellet stoves do not require a chimney and only require a small hole to ventilate the stove to the outdoors. Most stoves are equipped with special vents to ensure the stove vents without issue or potential danger. Furthermore, most pellet stoves come with an internal fan to distribute the hot air instead of allowing it to remain inside the heat box. This feature is not included in similar wood burning stoves, but it can be purchased as an extra. An internal or external fan will allow the air to be evenly distributed throughout the entire heating space, and is critical for large, spacious rooms.

Unlike wood burning stoves, those stoves that run off wood based pellets require fueling only once a day, or even less depending on the capacity of the stove and the temperature chosen on the setting. Wood stoves and wood burning fireplaces often require wood be added every couple of hours, so pellet stove owners find themselves able to do other things than fuel their stove. Furthermore, the usual smell associated with burning wood and the smoke from burning certain types of wood, wet, or “green” wood is virtually nonexistent in stoves that burn pellets. This allows pellet stoves to be used in more homes, especially those with small children or residents that have allergies or asthma that can be bothered by wood smoke. Furthermore, the exteriors of the stoves are safer than other variations of heating devices, since the heat is not radiated to the outside of the stove, preventing small hands and fingers from being scorched.

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Why Pellet Fireplace Inserts Economic and Environment Friendly

With skyrocketing gas prices and growing concerns about depleting oil reserves, pellet fireplace inserts offer a better and safer alternative for heating solutions. Pellet inserts are more economic and convenient than gas, oil or electricity for heating solutions. Pellets are not the normal form of wood and no trees are cut to make pellets. These pellets look much similar to rabbit food. These products are made of wood such as sawdust, wood shavings, walnuts, peanut shells and other biomass wastes.

After going through the processes of grinding, compressing and extrusion, the pellets get their final shape that we use as fuel for stoves and fireplaces. Size of theses pellets varies from 3/8 inch to 1 inch. Generally, the pellets for fireplace are available in 40-50 pound bags, which make them portable and convenient to handle. Some stoves also use corn in place of wood pellets (and some can use both).

Refueling

Using pellet fireplace inserts has many advantages. Unlike other heating appliances, you do not have to add fuel every while. The model of fireplace you choose and your heating requirements decide the frequency at which you have to refuel the fireplace. However, in any case, the frequency for inserting pellets in the fireplace is much less than the equipment’s using other fuels. You may have to refuel every day, if you need more heat; on the other hand, if the heating requirements are modest, biweekly refueling is more than sufficient.

Procedure for refueling pellet inserts is convenient. All you have to do is to pour the pellets into a hopper. Depending on your stove or fireplace, the capacity of the hopper ranges from 35 to 130 pounds of pellets. The auger, a cock-screw shaped device regulates the movement of pellets towards the fire chamber. Using wood pellets instead of other traditional form of fuel offers you a perfect combination of traditional grandeur with contemporary convenience. You need not worry about the quantity of fuel burning. The appliances that use fireplace inserts come with sophisticated computers and circuit boards for controlled insertion of pellets. These electronic accessories and the thermostat regulate the amount of fuel or pellets required.

Pellet fireplace inserts are highly efficient and less polluting. They may produce 10000 to 50000 Btu of heat per hour depending on the model you select. Distribution of heat takes place through forced air system. Some of the models burn wood pellets so efficiently that even a small hole in the wall is sufficient to expel fumes outdoors dismissing any requirement of installing the chimneys at all. Two types of mechanical air supply systems are used to expel the air out of home. In the forced air draft system, air is forced into the combustion chamber with the help of a fan. On the contrary, induced draft system works just the opposite way. It exhausts the air from the combustion chamber with the help of a fan.

When you compare the price of pellet inserts and that of other alternatives, you should also count the price of installing a chimney. Using pellet fireplace inserts means that you do not require installing chimneys. Hence, these are less expensive than other form of fuel. However, as burning wood pellets is comparatively new concept, it is advisable that you find a reliable supplier of pellets in your area, before buying any appliance that use Pellet Fireplace Inserts. However, you need not worry because you can use corn as an alternative for pellets if you run out of pellets.

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Passive Solar Homes Basics

Passive solar homes are heated directly from the sun. Both heating and cooling can happen as well as other energy uses can come from the sun. And, it works all year round giving you the ability to live in a comfortable climate no matter what season it happens to be.

Basically, there are two solar modes of heating: passive and active. With a passive solar design, the house is constructed to use the natural movement of heat and air to heat or cool the building. It will maintain a comfortable temperature throughout it. It uses little or even no mechanical assistance to do this. Through the types of construction features the home has, the house is able to use solar energy. It uses such things as a local breeze and the various features of the landscape like shade trees and windbreaks. It takes these types of energy, collects them and then provides them with no switches or controls at all.

In an active solar home, there are mechanical devices such as pumps and fans to move the heat that has been collected to storage or from the storage throughout the home to use it.

Is This Right For Me?

More than likely, you will need to use a professional, skilled builder to help you to get your home safely into a passive solar home, you should be able to understand just what the home will look like as well as how it will work. In passive solar homes, you’ll need to take special care with several areas. In doing so, you’ll be able to achieve the solar powered help that you need effectively.

The basic things that you’ll need in the design of your home will include the right orientation, the right overhangs and shading, the right amount of insulation, careful selection of windows as well as thermal mass. Sounds like too much to worry about? Scientists and builders have been building these homes for some time and with careful planning they work just right without much thought to it.

If you would like to improve your current home into a more passive solar home, you can do so by taking advantage of the overhangs and shading and insulation. Of course, you really can’t change the orientation of your home, though. And, you’ll need major construction to replace the windows correctly.

What about Thermal Mass?

One of the exceptional features about passive solar homes is thermal mass. It is any construction material that will allow a passive designed home to collect, store and distribute the suns energy. This feature actually puts into motion the working solar home. You can learn more about the types of materials used in thermal mass throughout the web. For now, just know that it is one of the methods that allows a solar home to be solar home.

passive solar home Bottom Line

So the bottom line is if you want a passive solar home you should just build it the right way. In these homes, you’ll need to take the same basic materials that you will use in a traditional built home and just rearrange them in a better, more energy efficient manner so that you are working with the Earth for your energy needs. While it may sound crazy, when a home is properly positioned, is well insulated and has the right positioning of windows and overhangs, you will find that it is a money saver for sure. A passive solar design is an exceptional choice if you are building a new home or working on updating the old if you are looking to lower you energy bills.

Indeed, today more than yesterday even, prices for energy just keep rising. You’ll find that not only are the gasoline prices for your car skyrocketing but so are those for your heating. This makes it quite difficult to care for your family during those cold winter months. But, with the use of passive solar homes, you may just find that you can save money by rebuilding that home of yours. Even if you do not plan to go to that extreme, there are many benefits to this type of heating. Not only is it less expensive, it is completely safe for your family and for mother Earth. This makes it an exciting choice for many people.

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Parabolic solar steam boiler

A solar steam boiler is a hot water system that uses a parabolic solar dish to collect and focus ordinary sunlight to heat water. A single large solar steam boiler can heat up to 1000 gallons of water per day. A solar steam boiler system usually also includes an automated computer tracker to follow the sun through the sky so as to maximize the amount of solar energy that can be collected.

A – Collector dish/steam generator

B - sun tracking unit

C - electric generator/storage unit

A solar steam boiler can be used to heat the water in an ordinary hot water tank by replacing the standard heating element with a solar heat exchanger connected to a 44 inch solar collector. The heat exchanger and dish kit combined cost right around $1,500 USD. Since keeping water hot is usually the greatest electricity drain on an average household, recouping the investment in a steam boiler unit is not difficult, and in fact, the price is roughly equivalent to that of a typical tankless system.

A solar steam boiler can also be used to heat pools and spas, and the solar heated water can be stored and then circulated throughout at home by means of fan radiators or in-floor tubing for gentle and efficient year-round home heating. A 14 foot solar collector can keep a solar steam boiler generating 1000 gallons of solar heated water per day.

A 14 foot solar steam boiler kit designed to heat a home and provide all the hot water for that home costs just under $11,000 USD. While that cost may seem prohibitive for existing construction, for new construction it is actually quite competitive, and the savings on utility bills over time make it an excellent choice. An 8 foot solar steam boiler kit designed to heat up to 500 gallons of water per day can be purchased for just over $3,000 USD. All of the kits, parts, and specifications for solar steam boilers and heat exchangers can be found at Cost is not the only factor to consider when looking at a parabolic solar steam boiler system. Environmental issues are crucial, and in fact, some installations may qualify U.S. buyers for an environmental tax rebate. Self-sufficiency and the ability to keep a house warm and functional off the grid are important considerations, especially with today’s energy costs and concerns.

People interested in building where public utility services are unavailable or very expensive, and people with existing homes who live in areas where the utility infrastructure is aging and unreliable will appreciate the independence and security that a solar steam boiler system provides.

Last but not least, solar steam boilers provide gentle home heating that is very desirable in today’s market, especially for people who have allergies that are aggravated by forced air systems. A 44 inch dish that heats water for a standard hot water tank is something almost anyone can afford and the change is easy and quick.

Best of all, a solar steam boiler connects a household to a steady supply of renewable energy that is absolutely free: sunlight. Going solar brings peace of mind along with all the hot water a home could possibly need, and that’s something that is truly priceless.

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Outside Wood Stoves: Safer Heating Solutions

Outside wood stoves have made a comeback as preferred heating solutions and they are going to stay here for a long time. The reason being, they are safer, less expensive, and more ecofriendly than several other heating systems. Outdoor wood stoves are available in a large number of pre-fabricated kits and assembled stoves for different applications.

Working of Outside Wood Stoves

The working of outside wood burning stoves is very simple to understand. First, the wood fire of the stove heats the water. This heated water is then pumped into the house through underground pipes. Internal heating system of the house uses this hot water to heat the home. Outdoor wood stoves can be used with most home heating systems. Whether it is a forced air furnace heating system or a radiant floor heating system, a radiant baseboard system or any other type of heating system, outside wood burning stoves are compatible with most home heating systems. Control of the inside temperature is done by a thermostat.

Safer Heating with Outside Wood Stoves

Any wood stove, whether they are inside wood stoves or outside wood stoves, are safer than other heating systems that use gas as fuel. With the appliances that use gas, you have to be careful that nobody leaves the gas on and makes you breath harmful fumes. On the contrary, outside wood stoves keep you safe from the risk of igniting the gas in the air and starting a fire. You can expel out the unwanted smoke with the help of a pipe that goes either through the ceiling or through wall. Indoor wood stoves have a remote possibility of fire accidents because of incorrect handling of the stove. However, the outside wood stoves eliminate the possibility of an indoor fire. They are safer and cannot cause any fire, because of their total separation from the elements, and their self-contained design.

If you want to heat your home efficiently, and economically as well, there is no other better option than the outdoor wood stoves. These stoves are most common in rural areas. Wood is less expensive than any other fuel. These stoves use renewable energy and are cost effective than other heating systems. Even the upfront cost of outdoor wood stoves is lower than the heating systems based on coal, gas or electricity.

Outside Wood Stoves are environment-friendly heating systems. Environment experts recommend that if it is possible to use wood as fuel in heating systems, then no other fuel should be used. Wood is a renewable resource, while it is not the case with coal and gasoline. Furthermore, experts are of the opinion that the greenhouse effect, that causes global warming, is the result of large and unnatural amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Wood fire saves us from this dangerous pollution because it does not produce large amount of carbon dioxide.

Selection of outdoor wood stove depends on your house exteriors and the proposed usage. The landscape and space available are major factors that determine the selection of outdoor heating stoves. You should carry photographs of your outdoor space to show the retailer and take their help for selecting the right outside wood stoves for your home. Never hesitate in asking about waterproofing and long-term warranties when selecting your outside stove.

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Heat Pump Delivers Geothermal Efficiency without Excavation

A new heat pump developed by Hallowell International is helping to bring geothermal energy efficiency and savings to existing construction and older homes. Until very recently, the cost of retrofitting existing and older homes for geothermal heating and cooling made upgrading to a geothermal system impractical if not impossible.

With a retrofitted geothermal heating and cooling system, extensive trenches have to be dug for geothermal underground pipes, and some existing homes simply don’t have the yard space required even when the homeowner has the money to install the system. A conventional high-efficiency heat pump that uses air can still help older homes lower heating and cooling costs, but the savings aren’t nearly as great as with geothermal.

However, the Hallowell Acadia new heat pump costs 40% less to use than other above ground heat pumps, and provides heat for less than one third of conventional electric resistance heat (that is, any heating system without a heat pump attached). This puts the new heat pump well within range of geothermal savings without the need to actually install a geothermal system. The Hallowell Acadia heat pump also uses a specially developed 410A refrigerant that does not damage or degrade the ozone layer, so it is environmentally friendly over and above its energy savings.

The new heat pump created by Hallowell has another advantage over geothermal beyond the more affordable installation costs. A major drawback of geothermal heating and cooling systems has always been that they work better in the winter in areas in which the temperature does not fall below 30 degrees.

The new heat pump designed by Hallowell includes a second compressor built that kicks in at very low temperatures to make the refrigerant inside much colder and more able to absorb very cold air. This means that the Acadia, the new heat pump by Hallowell, is actually 200% efficient down to temperatures as low as 15 below zero! The good news then is that cost of the new cold-air heat pumps is about one third that of installing a comparable geothermal system in an existing home. The bad news is that the new heat pump is about twice as expensive a conventional high-efficiency above ground heat pump.

To calculate the cost-effectiveness of installing a new heat pump like the Hallowell Acadia, take 30% of current heating and cooling costs and subtract that from what you are paying for heating and cooling now, then divide the cost of the new heat pump by that number.

So for example, if you are currently paying $3000 per year to heat and cool your home, subtract the $900 (approximately) that you would pay with the new heat pump installed, for a projected savings of $2100 per year. If the new heat pump costs $4,000 (a new geothermal system costs between $10,000 and $15,000 on average so that$4,000 is an entry level cost), you will recoup your investment within only two years.

Cleary, over the long haul, such a system is much, much cheaper than installing a conventional heat pump that costs $2,000.

The new heat pump designed by Hallowell is relatively new, but as more high-efficiency above ground models are developed and come on the market, the price will likely go down. Since heating and cooling are the two biggest energy demands a homeowner faces, this is definitely a welcome bit of good news.

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