When the Laforge family built their 2,000 square foot home in 1977, they opted for an oil furnace feeding a ducted heating system. Later they added a wood furnace, with the aim of harvesting their own fuel from their nearby woodlots. This arrangement worked well for them for many years, but as the Grand Falls, New Brunswick residents aged, the hassle and effort of cutting, piling and transporting the wood fuel became a hassle. On top of that, their wood furnace offered no cooling in the hot New Brunswick summers, and Mrs. Laforge was concerned about being left at the property alone because feeding the wood furnace was becoming increasingly difficult.
I am 63 and not in shape to cut wood and I wanted my wife to have a good heating system if she was left with the house alone.
– Bert Laforge
In light of their changing lifestyle, the Laforge family decided to upgrade their heating system. After considering all of their options, the couple chose a Nordic® R Series water to air heat pump. This heat pump provides ducted heating in the winter and reverses in the summer to provide air conditioning – a first in this household. Finally, the R Series heat pump uses its built-in desuperheater to preheat domestic hot water.
To install the R Series heat pump, the existing heating system needed to be modified. First, the old wood furnace was removed and the ductwork was modified. This is often required in a retrofit heat pump installation because geothermal heat pumps produce a lower temperature heat, which requires larger ductwork for adequate heat distribution throughout the home. In this case, the ductwork needed to be enlarged to keep the Laforges comfortable in the coldest and hottest temperatures.
The outdoor energy supply source also needed to be installed, and the Laforges went with a closed ground loop, which involves burying plastic piping in the ground to act as a heat source in the winter and a heat sink in the summer.
The end result for these homeowners was a warm home that does not require the constant work and labour of wood heat in the winter time and stays cool with central air conditioning in the summer time. For this family, it was the best possible move for their future, as they planned to remain in the home for many years to come.
We love the comfort and how it works. Great product and helpful. We recommend this product and our in ground loop was the best choice for us. Thanks Nordic!
– Monique and Bert Laforge
Learn More About Geothermal for Hassle Free Heating – Download the Project Snapshot
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