Any recent experience with these folks?

I got a quote recently from them and also a local contractor.  Of course the local guy was twice as much, obviously he is offering his services, including sub-contracting some work to an electrician and a plumber.  I am not trying to start a discussion about professional installers vs DIY guys, or proper installation etc.

I am just wondering if this geothermaldiy.com option is worth exploring.  Yes I know there will be a lot of work to install the system, its not a strict plug and play system.  But are the components high quality?  Is performance sacrificed due to the plug and play nature of the design?  Is the heat pump a quality piece of equimpent?  Are the fittings top quality?

I have searched this forum and found little feedback on this.  I know they used to be ARIT but I would like to hear about experiences with the new geothermaldiy.com entity.

Thanks

If you have the skills (electrical, plumbing, design, HVAC and excavation) than by all means have at it. If you pull it off, consider becoming an HVAC contractor - money to be made if you can competently install geo. 90% or so of licensed HVAC can't or won't.

As for geoDIY, last I checked it looked like private labeled Waterfurnace equipment. Whether it is their top stuff is an open question.

That there is little here about it may be a clue as to its success and popularity.

They spec'd an ES049 Florida HP, 4 tons.  I am not sure how good those units are.  That is the kind of quesiton I am looking for answers to.

The fact that not much is mentioned on here doesn't necessarily mean their product isn't successful, but it could.  I tend to believe that geothermal is very black box and large in scale for your average do-it-yourself type person, including myself.  But, that doesn't mean that geothermaldiy doesn't offer a good product, and that is what i am trying to determine. 

Florida Heat Pumps are as good as most on the market. I have one in my house and I have installed probably 10 more. I wouldn't hesitate to install one again.

I went to the site and they have made a lot of improvements since I was there last. The install manual is good and they have greatly improved the procedure for flushing.

As stated above, if you have some basic skills, you could probably end up with a fairly good install. There are enough really bad DIY jobs out there which don't hardly work at all that I hesitate to recommend DIY to anyone.

It really depends on your level of skill and confidence. As far as the product they supply, I see no problems.


Keep us informed what you decide to do. And how it works out.

Somebody out there may know the answer to this but, I believe, they used FHP equipment at the Bird's Nest, Water Cube and the Olympic Village in Bejing.  I read where a FHP dealer from Oklahoma went to China to consult with them on proper installation of the geothermal.   I just assumed they went with FHP because of the consultant's background.

Regarding installing the geo system yourself, we've had enough horror stories in Texas with installs completed by people who were supposed to know what they were doing that I would walk around a DIY job like bad water.  Something that is planted in the ground  has to be absolutely, positively done correctly.  It makes me think of something HR Halderman told President Nixon when he asked Halderman what they could do to fix the Watergate problem and Halderman said, "Mr President, when the toothpaste is out of the tube, there is no putting it back."

The material they are providing is basically the same as what you would get from a contractor.

What is not included ?   labor, excavation, tools,  payroll taxes, liability insurance, health insurance, vehicle insurance, employee benefits, licensing,   overhead, warranty, training, vehicle expense, workers comp premiums, shop and office expense,  and of course some profit.

Not trying to be sarcastic or condescending,  but in most cases material is not the major cost of any job.

I went back and looked at the DIY site when I had more time. In their install manual, it shows two heat pumps sharing the same ground loop which is OK. The problem is the heat pumps were hooked in series. This is would be a major mistake. This gives me reason to not think very highly of them.

For what it is worth.

Most HVAC contractors are not currently qualified to install geothermal. Not because it's rocket science, but because they just don't know. You could do something that they can't, the question is wether it will be less expensive or simply strip you of competant help and warranties. For cross check on your guys, try Pete at radiantmax (they use Econaire which is fine as well).
Good luck,
Joe

As much tinkering as I've ever done with stuff. I'd be afraid of doing this kind of thing DIY (aware the commentary is about the quality of the kit, not whether it's a good idea). If I was single, well then, I'd be the only one living with the mistake and the cold. If you have a wife and kids, you might want to ask them how they might feel about freezing this winter.
There are some things that are plenty of home improvements you can do that that are good for DIY. Start with them to lower your installed tonnage requirement. Then have the geo-installer size you for that. That's how I'd try to save money on an install.
Seneca's DIY scale
Program the VCR -- Paint -- Replace Dry wall -- Install your furnace -- Install your own Geothermal system -- Laser Eye surgery -- Mission to Mars
I think it's somewhere in there.

This brought a smile :)

I'd bump the VCR to the notch above paint

Yeah, some optometrists might bump it past laser eye surgery as well. It's kind of funny, TiVo has the same core capability as a VCR, and despite it's better recording format and capacity, the real reason TiVO sells for more than a VCR - it avoids making you think.