We’ll open with the good news: geothermal heating and cooling systems are celebrated for their reliability, longevity, and ease of maintenance. The bad news? Well, you might not have to face any – if you keep your system well maintained! Of course, even the greatest of geothermal systems can develop an occasional hiccup or, yes, even break down once in a blue moon. On those rare occasions, it’s nice to know the Alaska pros at Energy Efficiency Associates are here to help.
Before you pay us a visit, though, you might want to go through the following checklist – just to ensure that the problem isn’t easily (and inexpensively!) solvable without us. :-)
Check …
- The Thermostat’s Seasonal Setting. Can’t get warm? Can’t cool off? The problem could be as simple as having your thermostat set for the wrong season. If that’s the issue, reset it and see if that doesn’t straighten things out.
- The Thermostat’s Temperature Setting. A house that’s already attained the warmth or coolness of the thermostat setting won’t set off your geothermal system’s heat pump. Try setting the thermostat five degrees higher to restart the heating system in Winter – or five degrees lower to restart the cooling system in Summer.
- The Fan. A adequately maintained auto setting for the fan makes sure it operates whenever your geothermal heat pump cranks up or drops your home’s temperature. This helps boost the energy efficiency of your system generally.
- The Circuit Breakers and Power Switch. It happens more with more regularity than you’d think that the cause of a geothermal system fail is nothing more than a blown fuse. Or a consequence of the power switch – indoors or outdoors, depending on the kind of system you have – being somehow shut off!
- The Room Registers. Are your return grilles and supply registers open? If they’re closed, well, then no wonder you’re not experienceing the warmth or the coolness you’re after!
- The Filters. Here’s where periodic – and simple – do-it-yourself system maintenance undeniably proves its worth! If you aren’t switching out disposable air filters every three months, or vacuum-cleaning permanent filters every one to three months, your geothermal heating and cooling system may well be crippled by dust, dirt, and other airborne particulates working their way into the heat pump. A sufficient buildup will restrict air circulation, lower the heating and cooling capability of the system, send your utility costs skyrocketing, and trim a few years off your heat pump’s lifetime. Whatever else you do, maintain your air filters!
Okay. So you’ve run through the checklist, righted whatever needed righting, and your geothermal heating and cooling system’s still not running properly? Now would be the right time to call us. The specialists at Energy Efficiency Associates have a knack for fixing whatever might hobble a geothermal system – as scads of harried Alaska homeowners will tell you!