TerraSource Geothermal DIY Nightmare
Please don't make the same mistake we did and buy a system from TerraSource aka www.geothermaldiy.com !!!!!! We had turnkey systems priced anywhere from $35-45K, which was out of our budget. We bought a system from TerraSource for $18K and paid approx $12K for the excavation and ductwork. It was a split system w/ a 3 ton unit in the attic and a 4 ton unit in the basement (Similar to the $45K system we priced if it worked). We did a reasonable amount of research online. We dealt directly with the owner of the company, Nick Reubel, who handled the design of our system based on plans we sent w/ heat loss calculations done. The system was shipped and the install went flawlessly. The first issue was that we never got more than 6 gpm flow to the 4 ton unit and 4 gpm flow to the 3 ton unit, which is barely enough to keep them running, forget about efficiency. Nick repeatedly informed me that the system was designed for a minimum of 12 gpm flow, but we should be getting 20 gpm on average. Next, the attic heat pump compressor began tripping off and the electric strips were running continuously. This led to $1000+ electric bills. I also noticed the well pump running continuously. I then figured out that TerraSource had designed "Make up Water" into their system, so you can't tell when there is a leak. I began troubleshooting w/ Nick Reubel on the phone and discovered that 1 of 8 loops was leaking. (Strange because I had air tested each loop after backfilling the trenches and all 8 loops held 40 psi air pressure). Nick sent me a crazy DIY pump contraption, a new loop that I would have to figure out how to bury, and a 20 gallon tub of highly flammable antifreeze (no MSDS) and the shipping company had no idea what was in the package. I put the new loop on my basement floor and added antifreeze back into the system and then received a bill from TerraSource for this equipment and was told I had to ship the pump contraption back at my expense?? Not even three weeks later my attic pump froze again and sure enough 2 more loops were leaking?? This is when I questioned Mr. Reubel about the merits of his system, he became very arguable and I have not been able to reach him since. He has even changed cell phone numbers. He even refused to respond to the Ohio Attorney General (TerraSource is located in Batavia, OH). The system barely limped along on 5 loops and to my dismay, we lost 3 more loops over the next 5 months!!! Here we are in December in CT with 2 babies and a system operating on 2 loops that only work when the temperature is above 40 outside. The rest of the time we're running on the electric strips that probably grey out half the neighborhood when they kick on. We sent a final desperate request to TerraSource 3 weeks ago with no answer back. We are going to have 3 wells drilled next week at a cost of $25K plus interior pump packs and purging and plumbing at a cost of $6K, so the DIY "deal" didn't really pan out. In hind sight, probably should have done more research, but this company is still operating from the premise that they can save you big money on a geothermal system. Here's what we have found out: The pipe that we buried is some type of pex piping. It is 3/4" outside diameter. We have 8 750' slinky loops. Based on friction loss, there's no way we could ever get 20gpm as promised. There was also no account for the head pressure going up to the attic heat pump, thus lowering flow even more. We have also discovered that this pipe is not approved for use in geothermal systems in CT. Every company that has come to give quotes agrees that it is the substandard pipe that has failed in the field. These loops are continuous, there are no welds in the field at all! We have had to refinance our house (at a worse rate than we had previously) in order to finance this fix... By not responding to us or the OH Atty Gen TerraSource has basically refused to take back their faulty system and refund any money to compensate us for our trouble. I have bought many products that ended up breaking and any reputable company has taken them back with no questions asked. TerraSource doesn't even have the decency to hear our complaint. Please don't make the same mistake we did by doing business with this company. Our only course of action now is litigation and as many internet posts as we can make. Stay away from www.geothermaldiy.com !!!!
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ctgeothermalOriginal Author
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