Many of you have noticed and wondered about what's going on in our yard. I don't blame you; it looks like we've had moles on steroids wreaking havoc on our lawn. The aftermath has left us with a muddy mess. It hasn't been lovely, I must say, but the results are proving to be worth it.
When we bought this house, we knew heating it would cost a small fortune. We had to think of ways to save and make the heating bill work in our budget. Many things like insulating walls, a new roof, spray foam insulation in the attic, resealing the windows, and insulated window treatments will all be helpful, but an energy-saving heating system is a must. After talking with some colleagues who have studied many different heating systems, Jack decided to install a geothermal heating and cooling system. A geothermal system uses heat that is stored naturally in the earth, condenses it, and uses it to heat and cool the house.
Installing a geothermal system is very labor-intensive. My father-in-law graciously gave of his time and skills to help us install the pipes. They have to be buried six feet deep, and we had over 3,000 feet of pipe to install. Several friends came to help with the monumental task. It took more than two weeks of intense work days to put it in place. The stress from it made it feel like roof week all over again.
After it was installed and the ditches were covered, we had to fill the lines to test it. To our disappointment, the pressure gauge dropped. We thought could only mean one thing: it was leaking. Our hearts sank. We were tired, and the days were only getting colder.
After a few days we noticed that the pressure had stabilized. We figured out that it could only regulate after adjusting to different temperatures and when the air cleared from the lines. Finally the day came when we turned the system on. We had heat! Glorious!
Since then, we have been quite cozy. We have actually had to turn our thermostat down several times to get to a comfortable temperature. We are very happy with the results so far.
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| A rainy October makes for a muddy mess |
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| Home Sweet Mud Pit |
