Posts Tagged ‘mechanical contractor’
Florida ground geothermal
I get asked quite a bit about saving money on wells by simply using the ground (or shallow ponds) as a geothermal source in Florida. The fact that this practice is successful in other parts of the USA can weigh heavily on building owner's minds. The math of the situation in Florida is that the sun beats down heavily on the ground at our latitude. As sun bather's know, the angle of the sun on one's body has a lot to do with how much solar heat one takes in. This hurts the geothermal situation in two ways. First the ground (or surface water) absorbs more heat at the very time of year we want to get rid of heat. Second, amount of heat buildings in Florida need to get rid of increases too. I actually tried out the saying that one could fry an egg on the sidewalk at the peak of summer sun. It did indeed cook and make a mess. A 35 foot deep lake is reported to contain a bottom layer of stratefied colder water, but anything less is going to be dominated by the sun in Florida. Unlike northern climates, our winters are not that cold so heat buildup in ...
Maximum Quality, Minimum price
Repair or replacement of air conditioning systems in Florida. From chillers down to multiple DX split systems, contact us for details. If you are interested in geothermal-We do geo thermal right!
geo-thermal vocabulary
Aquifer--an underground body of water. Closed System--geothermal system which has a closed loop of water flowing around the building that has never been in the aquifer or lake. Cooling Tower--large outdoor machine that cools water by making mist. Geothermal--also known as geothermal. A system of using the earth's temperature to benefit heating/cooling of buildings ( or electrical power generation). Heat Pump--air conditioning unit that heats and cools in about the same way using DX. DX--conventional refrigeration system used for cooling buildings. Heat Exchanger--engineered product designed to transfer temperature from one fluid to another (air is a type of fluid). Open System--a geothermal system in which water from the earth flows through the heat pump system. This is often isolated using a heat exchanger, but still considered an open system.Sustainable--capable of existing over long periods of time without complications. Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)--a device that makes motors turn lots of different speeds instead of just one. Also known as a variable speed drive (VSD). Guy Van Meulebrouck PEconsulting engineerguy@guyvanmconsulting.com10947 US 98 NorthLakeland, Florida 33809-1087 Want permission to reprint this article? Please email with your: name, title, company, the publication you are reprinting, the parts of the article you are reprinting, and your contact info.
Geothermal Myths
1. Geothermal is completely sustainable. (Depends). Geothermal in Florida uses the stable temperatures of the earth to benefit (not eliminate) mechanical cooling and heating processes. There will always be electricity needed for compressors and pumps ( in Florida). As geothermal grows in popularity, the effect on the ground water temperatures remains to be seen, but the vastness of the Floridian aquifers and the fact that they drain out into the sea has to be factored in. Geothermal in other parts of the country can be completely sustainable. 2. Geothermal is always the best system. (false). Geothermal has an undisputed advantage where heating and cooling occur at the same time. Cooling towers, for example can boast better performance during Florida winters. Multiple ductless systems at times have the advantage. Geothermal is not as conducive to high outside air as other types of systems. 3. Well drillers are experts who should be allowed to do their own thing. (False). While well drillers are the local experts on the aquifer systems, they are not engineers and have no workable knowledge of interfacing the well pump with the controls or the connected equipment. 4. Variable Frequency Drives solve all pumping problems. (false). Used correctly, VFD’s are powerful ...
What is Geo-thermal?
What is Geo-thermal? Geo-thermal is a process of using the stable temperatures within the earth to benefit heating and/or cooling processes. In some parts of the world, where there is volcanic activity (relatively near the surface), geo-thermal means boring deep down into the earth and pumping very hot water to drive power generation. This is not the same thing as geo-thermal in Florida. In similar parts of the country, geo-thermal can mean boring 1000 feet deep to pump out reasonably warm water to use in selected heating processes. This is not the same thing as geo-thermal in Florida. In many parts of the country, geo-thermal means burying large quantities of piping just below the surface of the earth or below the surface of a lake. Water is pumped through these pipes and used by heat pumps. This is not the same thing as geo-thermal in Florida. Geo-thermal is Florida is taking reasonably cool water in the state wide aquifer system and pumping it through heat pumps, which heat and cool buildings and pools. The water is returned back into the aquifer. It is easy to read or hear of geo-thermal being used successfully in one part of the world and assuming that is what people are ...
maximum comfort, minimum costs
commercial air conditioning repair/replacement-get maximum comfort at the minimum cost. Let a licensed engineer assess your particular needs, obtain three qualified contractor bids for you (all based on the exact same scope of work), and then represent you throughout the contract negotiation and construction process. The costs for the engineering are typically more than made up from savings obtained by three competitive bids and from unbiased representation during construction/repair. Email me about your air conditioning problems and I can get you started with an assessment or a referral to a local engineer.
salt air problems
Salty ocean air can drift a mile or more inland. Since Florida has so many miles of coastline, this presents a common problem in air conditioning equipment. Regular untreated fins on air cooled air conditioning equipment have a hard time with salt. It corrodes the aluminum in the outdoor condensor coils. Outdoor air cooled equipment winds up wearing out in half it's expected life. While all coil coatings boast perfection, few deliver it. Expertly applied brand name coatings can cost almost as much as the equipment by the time all is said and done. Geothermal has an advantage here. There are no outdoor aluminum fins. Instead, a smaller and more durable stainless steel plate and frame heat exchanger resides outside in it's place. The heat exchanger can be insulated or easily housed to provide additional salt protection. Naturally, heat exchangers and pumps are quieter than air cooled condensing units or air cooled chillers.
