Re: $ Oil VS $ LPG
Bob, they are 3 standard wells that have no casings and are capped after the piping is run in them (I have a closed loop system). But with 40 gallons per minute it would be no problem to have a "pump and dump" system. These are where you actually use the well water and then dump it back into the ground ... you would just need a discharge site or another well to dump the water back into. The closed loops are a bit better because you don't have to worry about mineral deposits in your system, but we have both types of systems at the church and both work well.
My 3 wells were dug about 10 feet away from the house and about 10 feet away from each other. The piping is baffled so there is a small amount of water that runs through the pipe at each well giving it ample time to return to the ground temperature before going back to the house (oh, and the pipe is filled is an antifreeze mixture). It is a total closed loop system with a 1/10 hp pump that circulates the water from the ground to the heat pump.
Nick, yes, the system can be forced air or water and it can also be used to "superheat" your domestic hot water. When my unit is running I get "free" hot water with my hot water heater serving as a storage tank.
It is no larger that a typical gas or oil burner ... maybe a bit smaller. It is quiet and convenient (and very maintenance free with the only thing needing done is cleaning the filters on a regular basis). It makes a nice, even heat and cooling - it is not blasting hot or cold air out the registers, which means you do not get a quick recovery and it works best and most efficient when you set it on a temperature and leave it there.
I will also tell you that my electric bill would be considerably smaller, but my finished basement is very damp. Since the Geothermal is a dry heat and cooling, I leave the fans run all the time so I am always circulating the dry air upstairs into the damp basement, forcing the moist air upstairs. It works well and saves having to run a dehumidifier all the time, but it does add about $15 - $20 to the electric bill every month.
