Comments on: Smart Homes Use Geothermal Heat Pump Systems http://SolarJoules.com/geothermal-heat-pump-systems-for-the-home/ Save Our Planet: Alternative Energy Solutions Forum Wed, 26 Aug 2009 04:47:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: C Meyer http://SolarJoules.com/geothermal-heat-pump-systems-for-the-home/comment-page-1/#comment-236 C Meyer Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:17:30 +0000 http://SolarJoules.com/?p=142#comment-236 The "Hot Water Lobster" should be viewed with extreme caution. Whether one saves energy or not would be very site and user dependent. The physics behind it actually indicate very little potential for savings. When you read the post, it has many more "salesman" type claims than facts to back any of them. This system uses natural convection currents to re-heat the water cooled by lack of insulation on the pipes to this distant location. The claim is savings via constant incremental heating vs. burst heating of cold water. There are circumstances where this may be economical. There are no tests or situations where the fanciful claim of payback is described for review. If this is true, show use numbers we can verify. The one thing that WILL pay off. The one thing that WILL work is not fancy and not near as expensive: Insulate the hot water lines running to all hot water outlets. Cheap. Effective. Long lasting. There is more science that can describe why the "Hot Water Lobster" is a sales gimmick than there is to show it saves money to make that $180 pay off. The “Hot Water Lobster” should be viewed with extreme caution.

Whether one saves energy or not would be very site and user dependent. The physics behind it actually indicate very little potential for savings.

When you read the post, it has many more “salesman” type claims than facts to back any of them.

This system uses natural convection currents to re-heat the water cooled by lack of insulation on the pipes to this distant location. The claim is savings via constant incremental heating vs. burst heating of cold water.

There are circumstances where this may be economical.

There are no tests or situations where the fanciful claim of payback is described for review.

If this is true, show use numbers we can verify.

The one thing that WILL pay off. The one thing that WILL work is not fancy and not near as expensive:

Insulate the hot water lines running to all hot water outlets. Cheap. Effective. Long lasting.

There is more science that can describe why the “Hot Water Lobster” is a sales gimmick than there is to show it saves money to make that $180 pay off.

]]> By: Tony http://SolarJoules.com/geothermal-heat-pump-systems-for-the-home/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Tony Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:56:37 +0000 http://SolarJoules.com/?p=142#comment-203 <p>I recommend this easy and Inexpensive solution to saving water, time, and energy; install a Hot Water Lobster instant hot water valve under the sink farthest form your water heater and you will have instant hot water throughout your entire home. It saves a lot of water that's normally wasted down the drain while waiting for hot water. The savings in water and energy easily recoups the initial $179.95 purchase price! More impressive is the convenience of instant hot water!</p> <p>The Hot Water Lobster uses no electricity and is pump free, so it creates no noise. It is made in the U.S.A., has a 10-year warranty, and can be easily installed in under 10 minutes.</p> <p>Check it out at:<br /> hotwaterlobster.com</p> EDITORS NOTE: If anyone has any first hand knowledge of this device your input would be appreciated. This is a new one and we are not sure if it's for real or not. I recommend this easy and Inexpensive solution to saving water, time, and energy; install a Hot Water Lobster instant hot water valve under the sink farthest form your water heater and you will have instant hot water throughout your entire home. It saves a lot of water that’s normally wasted down the drain while waiting for hot water. The savings in water and energy easily recoups the initial $179.95 purchase price! More impressive is the convenience of instant hot water!

The Hot Water Lobster uses no electricity and is pump free, so it creates no noise. It is made in the U.S.A., has a 10-year warranty, and can be easily installed in under 10 minutes.

Check it out at:
hotwaterlobster.com

EDITORS NOTE: If anyone has any first hand knowledge of this device your input would be appreciated. This is a new one and we are not sure if it’s for real or not.

]]> By: brian http://SolarJoules.com/geothermal-heat-pump-systems-for-the-home/comment-page-1/#comment-143 brian Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:50:21 +0000 http://SolarJoules.com/?p=142#comment-143 I live in central Minnesota and have installed a Geothermal system, the house is in town and I have a 95' by 150' lot. Because of lack of land I had 4 175' vertical wells drilled in my front yard which are about 8' to 10' apart by a well contractor for a total cost of $6,400, the system is required to be approved by the USDA and installed by approved well contractors to prevent ground water contamination. My system is a closed loop system which uses a food grade antifreeze solution, It will never lime up or pollute the water supply. Up here the earth is 60 degrees all the time. The water loses about 5 degrees to heat my house and when it was minus 15 degrees the cost for me was probably $30 a month . It uses less energy than 10' of electric baseboard to heat my 2000 Square Foot House. I found my unit to take 2300 Watts the compressor unit cost around $8000 but $800 was for a hot water heating loop built into it. The unit is made in the USA in Appleton Minn. Go to Econar.com for a tour of how it works. In the summer it cools the house with no problem because the system is designed for the cold Winters here, which takes more energy to heat than cool. The system is approx. 350% efficient compared to 250% from heat pump systems. I have figured it will take about 7 years to pay back the loan on my system. I would recommend people to think about their energy systems while energy is still "cheap". Brian H. Willmar Minnesota I live in central Minnesota and have installed a Geothermal system, the house is in town and I have a 95′ by 150′ lot. Because of lack of land I had 4 175′ vertical wells drilled in my front yard which are about 8′ to 10′ apart by a well contractor for a total cost of $6,400, the system is required to be approved by the USDA and installed by approved well contractors to prevent ground water contamination. My system is a closed loop system which uses a food grade antifreeze solution, It will never lime up or pollute the water supply. Up here the earth is 60 degrees all the time. The water loses about 5 degrees to heat my house and when it was minus 15 degrees the cost for me was probably $30 a month . It uses less energy than 10′ of electric baseboard to heat my 2000 Square Foot House. I found my unit to take 2300 Watts the compressor unit cost around $8000 but $800 was for a hot water heating loop built into it. The unit is made in the USA in Appleton Minn. Go to Econar.com for a tour of how it works. In the summer it cools the house with no problem because the system is designed for the cold Winters here, which takes more energy to heat than cool. The system is approx. 350% efficient compared to 250% from heat pump systems. I have figured it will take about 7 years to pay back the loan on my system.
I would recommend people to think about their energy systems while energy is still “cheap”.
Brian H. Willmar Minnesota

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