This is not a vent board or any other kind of therapy. Before you hit the POST button, ask yourself if your contribution will add to the level of discussion going on.
Important notes on articles:
- Please do not copy entire articles into your post; rather, provide links to them.. We are now links-only for ALL Internet publications. If only a small portion of the article pertains to your post, Fair Use allows you to copy those one or two paragraphs, provided you cite the author's name and the publication for which he writes. Otherwise, put a link in the HTTP Link box.
- Even if you're copying a reference to an article, provide a link to the page from which the article came. We're trying to cut down on duplicate topics, and the posting process will check the link to your article to see if it's already being discussed on this board. At the very least, you'll save yourself some grief on the boards.
- If your first reaction after reading the article you're going to share is the author is uninformed / stupid / a jerk / all of the above, it's not worth sharing with anyone. Not every article needs to be discussed. The more the hair-pulling articles are discussed (e.g. ESPN Page 2), the more the authors will write hair-pulling articles.
Post being replied to
Doubt their claims by braille
We had geothermal before we down-sized. It is virtually impossible to have a “zero” electric bill from geothermal alone because the system requires electricity to run the pumps and blowers. Our typical winter electric bill for a 4,000 sf Home was $200; still a bargain but not free. Ask for a 12 month utility bill history; your realtor should be able to get.
One other comment. Geothermal heat never “feels warm”. You won’t stand on the heating vent to feel the heat. It’s a very gradual warmup unless you use the emergency electric heat, which defeats the purpose. My wife found it impossible to feel warm enough.
I would buy a home with geo again, but I wouldn’t spend the upfront money to install a system.