Do you remember how hot it was during John C. Fremont Days?
Well I remember. It was definitely warm. After the parade, our wilted family gathered for dinner at my Aunt Joey's and Uncle Mel's house. It was nice to get out of the “heat” and into the “cool” of their kitchen.
My cousin and I sat “chatting” at the kitchen table while we waited for the rest of the family to make their way in from a quick dip in the pool. It was nice to just sit there in the cool of the house and replenish some of the day's lost hydration. The smell of ham heating in the oven and the freshly baked rhubarb pies sitting so pretty on the table made me wonder Š how does my aunt cook so much stuff and have a “cool” kitchen?
Mostly I was thinking of eating the rhubarb pies, but honestly, my oven heats up the whole house. I would never bake pies and ham on a hot day like that and then add dozens of wilting bodies to the mix. The air conditioner would be working like crazy to keep up with the heat. But as I said, it was really pleasant and “cool” sitting in their kitchen.
Of course, I mentioned how I couldn't wait for dessert and how comfortable it was in their house after such a hot afternoon in the sun. My uncle took that opportunity to explain the advantages of their heating and cooling system - a ground source heat pump. Mel is a strong advocate for this type of heating and cooling system. It cost them more up front but the system has more than paid for itself in the 17 years they have lived in their 2,100-square-foot home. My aunt and uncle really like the constant temperature that is maintained in their home and Joey is convinced that it is a much cleaner operating system.
The thing that really interested me was that the cost of operating the geothermal heating and cooling system is only $12 to $15 per month. And on that hot day in July I was truly comfortable in their house with two ovens cooking food.
Their closed loop piping system operates on four wells that were drilled 150 feet below their home. One of the questions I asked was, “Who installs these systems?” I thought for sure you would have to bring some expert in from a faraway location, but nope. We have experts right here in town who install geothermal heating and cooling systems. Getzschman's did the work for my aunt and uncle. I was curious about the maintenance and repair costs. My aunt and uncle have had to replace one small motor in the years they have operated the geothermal system. Also during our conversation I learned that the new Trinity Lutheran Church located at 16th Street and Luther Road is heated and cooled with a geothermal system that includes 110 wells. This system saves the church thousands in heating and cooling costs each year.
I wanted to learn more about geothermal heat pumps so I checked on the Internet and found that these systems are durable and highly reliable. They contain fewer mechanical components, and all components are either buried in the ground or located inside the home, which protects them from outside conditions.
In case you are wondering, this isn't just for new home or building construction. Most geothermal units are easy to install, especially when they are replacing another forced-air system. The geothermal heat pump is certainly something to consider when you are replacing a broken furnace or air-conditioner. The upfront costs are more than a traditional heating and cooling system, but the savings on fossil fuels is tremendous.
Saving energy helps preserve the environment, and locally, helps Keep Fremont Beautiful. Check out these systems for yourself. The U.S. Department of Energy has information on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energies and I am sure local professionals have more information as well. And by the way, the rhubarb pie was delicious.
Sue Reyzlik is coordinator of Keep Fremont Beautiful.
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