More and more owners of home pools — be they new or existing — are converting the heating systems from gas to geothermal, which is creating new opportunities for plumbing contractors. While going the geothermal route may appear more expensive initially, over time operating costs are less expensive because they are more efficient, and bring advantages when selling a home.
“Geothermal systems extract heat energy from the relatively constant temperature of the earth (50-55 degrees F) rather than the outside air, which can dip to well below freezing in the winter,” says Joe Parsons, chief operating officer of EarthLinked Technologies Inc. “Refrigerant within the system is compressed into a hot gas and then routed through a titanium-walled coil where it exchanges heat with the pool water. The most efficient methods use the geothermal system to maintain the pool temperature around 85 degrees throughout the season.”
EarthLinked Technologies, based in Lakeland, Florida, manufactures geothermal renewable energy systems, which replace pool-heating systems run by gas and earth loops, used to capture the energy beneath the ground. These products are combined with titanium pool heat exchangers that are integrated into the pool filtration and circulation system.
The operating conditions for geothermal includes the desired water temperature, indoor and outdoor design conditions, occupancy, months of intended operation, and the current method of conditioning to the pool.
“Our engineers, in conjunction with the installing contractor’s agent, select the most appropriate and cost-effective solutions,” Parsons says. “Once approved, our equipment is shipped to the home.”
ADVANTAGES OF GOING GEOTHERMAL
Parsons says the biggest advantage of going the geothermal route is the long life span of the equipment and the predictable operating efficiency. “The cost savings associated with using geothermal versus alternative pool heating applications are clear,” he says. “The EarthLinked systems installed in Manjimup, Australia, for an aquatic center, showed efficiency numbers four to five times greater than fossil fuel fired systems.”
The advantages for commercial operators and homeowners are similar.
“The family aquatic center in Manjimup used multiple systems and was designed to operate on commercially available electrical power (400 volt/3 phase/50 hertz),” says Parsons. “Residential applications generally use a single unit designed to operate on residential electrical current, and can also include hybrid designs that provide ancillary benefits of using heat otherwise wasted as well as possible air conditioning. This provides progressive-thinking contractors with an opportunity to get into an underserved market.”
INSTALLING THE SYSTEMS
Scott Roberts, owner and president of Robert’s Service Company (RSC) in Austin, Texas, and a partner in 360 Comfort Solutions, has been installing geothermal systems for residential pools for the past 22 years. His firm is a combination contractor/geothermal equipment dealership.
For a new pool, explains Roberts, separate contractors install the geothermal loop and the pool. The pumping system for the pool and piping connections are standard, with the exception that the water is circulated through the geothermal heat exchanger.
“The installation requires very few specialized parts,” says Roberts. “We’re able to tie into the piping for an existing pool system and can use the connections in place with the heating system. We work closely with pool contractors, as they are ones who size the piping, select the filtration systems and pump systems. We typically tie into their designs. We have the software to size the heater based on whether it is an outdoor or indoor pool and the climate where it is located.”
Plumbing contractors require some specialized training to install geothermal systems.
“It’s just standard plumbing,” Roberts says. “It’s actually easier than standard plumbing as most of it is PVC piping. The highly technical side is in the sizing of the system and installation of the geothermal system. For those entering this market, they need to be trained and certified to install geothermal systems. From there it’s pretty straightforward piping diagrams for the pool side of it.”
EarthLinked recently came out with a combined heating/cooling system for the home and pool, which RSC is looking forward to installing. Currently, the company can install a geothermal heating system for a pool within one to two days.
“This does not require any specialized tools,” says Roberts. “We do other types of heating and cooling and we have standardized brazing torch kits, vacuum pumps, and everything else needed for air-conditioning and geothermal installation. On the plumbing side we have reciprocating saws, pipe wrenches and other standard equipment.”
RSC is looking forward to entering the market for municipal, commercial and institutional pools. “It’s a viable market,” says Roberts.
SELLING TO HOMEOWNERS
Homeowners, says Roberts, understand that the up-front costs of going geothermal are higher.
“However, the cost savings and maintenance of the system is going to be considerably lower than what they have with most gas heating systems,” Roberts says. “It’s a long-term investment that lasts three times longer than the average gas pool heating systems, which do not have a real history of longevity. With geothermal you’re dealing with a controlled environment as opposed to dealing with great fluctuations of temperatures, and the system itself is more reliable because you are dealing with a consistent temperature between the loop and the pool.”
Roberts foresees more people going the geothermal route as they will be able to combine home and pool heating and cooling.
“It’s just one system and it’s becoming more economical to install,” he says. “An advantage for markets in Texas and states where it can get very hot in the summer is that geothermal is able to chill the pools. It’s an unusual notion, but with a reverse cycle, you can switch the system into cooling and keep the water at a moderate temperature. This is something you cannot do with a gas heating system.”
While cost savings are a good selling point, Roberts notes that many people choose geothermal for environmental reasons.
“They are more aware of the environment and want to treat it in a friendly manner by going a sustainable route that uses renewable energy,” he says. “This is definitely a driving factor in the Austin area, as well as other parts of the Southwest and southern California.”
