Testimonials
Geothermal Installation with a Horizontal Loop
I began my research into geothermal heating/cooling in early 2007. I originally contacted BRC Mechanical in the fall of 2007. At that time, I met with Nancy Dalgard and got my first quote for a geothermal system. Due to a number of events (including my late approach), I did not proceed with a conversion that year. I did stay in contact with Nancy over the winter and into the spring. I continued researching this area to gain more knowledge and to see who BRC Mechanical’s competition was. I found a variety of options; from a “do it yourself” approach, which I definitely did not even want to contemplate (and given what I know now, I am glad I did not do) to other, more conventional competition. At the end, I went back to BRC Mechanical.
The reasons were simple – all I ever got from them were straight-forward answers, not pressure, no gimmicks (like $3,000 credit for my used furnace – turns out the quote was $3,000 higher than BRC’s).
I put some high requirements in front of BRC and they delivered on every one of them. They were able to accommodate my late booking and split the outside work for early December 2009, with full conversion the first week of January 2009.
Through the entire process everyone involved was very professional and honest. I was always comfortable dealing with every BRC Mechanical employee. They were very polite, careful and clean when performing the work in the house and we appreciate their efforts.
One of the biggest benefits of working with BRC Mechanical came after the installation. That is when I realized how many things have to be done in the right order in order to qualify for the available rebates.
BRC Mechanical did everything by the book – at the end that meant I got all of my rebates, actually exceeding the original dollar estimate. We did run into a couple of glitches during the rebate submission process, and again, BRC Mechanical was there to help get through them quickly and efficiently.
I have no qualms recommending BRC Mechanical to others, and have in fact been promoting them at every opportunity. They made the entire experience very comfortable.
As for the geothermal heating system itself, I have a 4 ton NextEnergy system with a closed, horizontal loop (my property is literally on a gravel bed, making it less efficient than some other properties). The system was switched on January 6, 2009 and everyone in the household noticed the difference. I have heard geothermal heat described as “gentle heat” – I don’t believe that describes it correctly. My immediate reaction was that geothermal heat is like a “warm summer breeze” – and I have felt it a few times outside this summer as well, so I know that comparison is right.
As much as we had a very harsh winter, I do not believe the system ever had to kick into the second stage – definitely no electric backup, which feels very dry and “dead” in comparison. In the summer, the system has had no problems cooling the house and even though we have not had a
hot summer, those few muggy days posed no problem for the system.
What I have never heard before is that geothermal system has health and comfort benefits. My mother-in-law had throat cancer and as a result she used to wake up every morning with serious cough. The first morning after we switched the system on, she woke up and coughed a couple of times – that was it. We believe this is due to the fact that geothermal system does not dry the air out, the increased moisture made it more comfortable for her. My wife has also noticed a difference – I virtually stopped snoring at night. Again, the change was immediate – the first night is when we noticed the difference and the experience has been consistent for all of us since.
As for my property, I have a 2,600 sq ft all brick ranch style bungalow, with a fully finished basement. My average propane heating cost was around $3,500-$4,000 per year. I had a 60,000 BTU Carrier Infinity furnace, which did concern everyone (since I had a very efficient system). BRC Mechanical and other vendors I spoke with told me to expect to pay about $150-$200 per month in added electrical costs. I again am proving that I have a very efficient house – my average cost increase so far is about $100 per month, with definite differences between the winter costs (about $150 per month) and summer (about $50 per month).
I am very pleased with my geothermal system and have no plans to go back to propane – my tank is gone and the only propane on my property is in the portable propane tank under my barbeque. And again – BRC Mechanical has made this change as smooth as possible.
If you would like to contact me, please feel free to reach out via e-mail.
Regards,
Daniel Galecki
Geothermal - what an amazing concept. Both my husband and I were somewhat familiar with this type of energy. We had a "water furance" in our home when we moved in more than 20 years ago. However, the compressor failed and at that time it was extremely expensive to repair and we ended up going back to an oil furnace.
We first starting thinking about a new furnace sometime early last spring and we went to the Spring Home Show in Kitchener. My husband really wanted to get an alternative energy system other than oil, propane or gas (we have absolutely no access to gas lines). My husband also was not impressed with the rising cost of home heating fuel. We talked to a few respresentatives at the home show and learned more about the home energy audit (REEP) and talked to a representative from the REEP office and booked a home energy audit. This was also a chance for us to get air conditioning cheap as we haven't had air for over 20 years and with the summers getting increasingly hotter, it was an added bonus.
We had the energy audit done and our energy advisor gave us a list of several geo-thermal contractors to choose from. We phoned and had representatives from 2 companies give us quotes and were not happy with one of the responses. We then phoned BRC Mechanical for another quote and I am really glad we did.
From the moment we met Nancy and Bob, it just seemed like the right fit. They couldn't do enough. We asked lots of questions and when they didn't have the answers, they contacted Next Energy for the answers and told us to feel free to contact them as well and they responsed fairly quickly and answered all of our questions. They were in constant contact with us during the entire process, from paperwork for the warranty as well as for the hydro rebate, OPA rebate and RST rebates to coming back and checking on the system a couple of weeks later and have followed up with a few phone calls and emails.
We had the horizontal loop installed in our front yard. We had to dig up our driveway and most of the front lawn, apologized to all of our neighbours for the mess, but promised that by next summer, they wouldn't even know that we had a mess. Our driveway has been a mess most of the winter, especially when we had the early January thaw, but we look forward to June- July when we can fill it in and re-landscape the front yard.
Without a doubt, BRC, Nancy and Bob, made the process easy, extremely pleasant and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone who was considering investing in their heating and or cooling systems.
In closing, we have had the geothermal installed since July of 2007 and couldn't be happier. We are still gettng to know our geo, but in general, the air conditioning was great and we used it right up until the the end of October. The heating so far this winter has been amazing. It is quiet (we don't even have to turn up the television when it cuts in) energy efficient and no rising oil prices to worry about.
Thanks to Nancy and Bob and BRC Mechanical for making the process easy, fun and as stress free as possible.
Sincerely,
Jerry & Betty Lockie