Frequently Asked Questions

The Dandelion home geothermal system includes:

• The Dandelion Air heat pump. The Dandelion Air is a two-stage, water-to-air geothermal heat pump with built-in performance monitoring. See the heat pump’s technical specifications for more detail.
• A new 50-gallon preheated water tank
• A Nest Thermostat
• Indoor and outdoor installation
• Each system comes with a 10-year product warranty, which includes a 3-year labor allowances package, and a 3-year workmanship warranty.

The cost of Dandelion’s geothermal heating and cooling systems are comparable with traditional HVAC systems. However, the major benefits of geothermal is not having to relay on purchasing expensive heating fuels, and dealing with deliveries. More information on pricing can be found here, but please remember that each system is custom designed to each home’s needs. To get a personal estimate, take our 30 second survey.

• The Dandelion Air is a two-stage, water-to-air geothermal heat pump with built-in performance monitoring.
• The heat pump is designed for homes that distribute heating and air conditioning using central ductwork and vents.
• Our system replaces a home’s existing furnace and air conditioning units. Once installed, the Dandelion Air will meet all of the home’s heating and air conditioning needs, as well as provide supplemental hot water.
• Typically, the Dandelion Air is installed wherever the furnace was previously located. The Dandelion Air feeds into the home’s existing ductwork.

See the Dandelion Air’s technical specifications for more detail.

Dandelion homeowners have a hard time picking one favorite benefit of having a Dandelion home geothermal system. Below are some direct quotes from homeowners sharing what they love most about their Dandelion system:

SAVINGS

• “We paid nothing upfront and paid less our first year than we paid each year for oil.” -Scott S, Ballston Spa
• “The system has a great return on investment; it pays for itself. We’ve eliminated fuel oil costs, system maintenance costs, and oil smells. We also appreciate the bonus of the more cost-effective hot water.” -Bob C. Canaan, NY
• “We like checking the panel each day to see how much it cost to run the system.” -Kristan A., Gansevoort, NY

COMFORT

• “The house has never been warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Our friends even commented on how much more comfortable our house has been since the air is distributed evenly.” -Scott S, Ballston Spa
• “What I love most about the system is that it is a steady heat. The house feels warmer. My parents even commented that the house feels warmer when they came for a visit.” -Kristan A., Gansevoort, NY
• “The system is much quieter. We no longer need to turn up the TV in the living room when the furnace comes on.” -Sean D., Poughkeepsie, NY
• “The geothermal system gently hums when the heat kicks in, as compared to the giant roar the oil-burning furnace produced. No more competing with the furnace just to hear the TV.” -Anonymous Homeowner, NY

CONVENIENCE

• “We will never run out of oil again and we no longer needing to call around to get prices on oil delivery.” -Matt V, Fuera Bush, NY
• “It is a pleasure to no longer worry about the oil company coming on time. This was especially important this past winter, when many people experienced missed deliveries and ran out of oil.” -Susan M, Rhinebeck, NY

INDEPENDENCE

• “Now I have an 100% clean energy home. I produce my own power (with solar) and heat my home with high-efficiency geothermal.” -Bob Connors, Canaan, NY

SAFETY

• “We don’t need to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning.” -Matt V. Feura Bush, NY

AIR QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENT

• “Our favorite part is knowing that we are doing something good for the environment.” -Terry L., Albany NY
• “Our geothermal system came with a humidifier and better air filters than we had before.” -Bob C. Canaan, NY
• “We love the central humidification. Not having to fill humidifiers every couple of days is great.” -Sean D., Poughkeepsie, NY

The system requires a new air filter every six months. Switching out the air filter takes less than two minutes.

The lifespan of the Dandelion Air is 20 years. The lifespan of the ground loops is 50+ years.

The Dandelion Air comes in four heating capacities and two sizes:

• 3-ton: 21.5” x 25.5” x 58”
• 4-ton and 5-ton: 24” x 29” x 60”

The local installer will determine the best-fit size for your home using the data they collect at the Site Survey.

The first step is to take this brief questionnaire to see if your home qualifies.

The Dandelion Air two-stage compressor allows the system to achieve even higher levels of efficiency when the home doesn’t require the full force of the system.

The heat pump produces heat at two levels of intensity:

Stage 1 = Partial load

Stage 2 = Full load

The system operates at Stage 2 to bring the home up to the desired temperature. Once the home has been brought to the homeowner’s desired temperature, the system will switch to Stage 1, and continue to run on its partial load setting. This two-stage system allows the home to maintain a steady, even temperature efficiently, in terms of both energy and cost.

A water-to-air heat pump is a heat pump for homes that use forced hot air heating (homes that distribute heat using ductwork and vents). Water-to-air heat pumps, like the Dandelion Air, can provide both heating and air conditioning.

This type of heat pump does not work for homes that use radiators to distribute heat. Homes that use radiators will typically require a water-to-water heat pump.

Few things are as critical as making sure a home’s heating system works reliably day after day, year after year. The Dandelion Air’s monitoring system enables top performance, reliability, and savings.

The performance monitoring system:

• Automatically tests the Dandelion Air’s performance. First, the system is tested at the manufacturer. Second, the system is tested in the home when the install is complete. This ensures a proper install and a system with optimal efficiency.
• Flags any issues that arise with the Dandelion Air’s performance. This enables installers to proactively respond and troubleshoot any problems using data.
• Is compatible with the Nest Learning Thermostat. This allows for added insight and control over energy usage and savings.
• Is connected to the cloud via a cellular gateway, with wifi backup. This enables the Dandelion Air to receive software updates and continue to get better over time.

Read about how geothermal heating and cooling works here.

Most home geothermal installation reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7 tons per year. This is equivalent to removing almost two cars from the road each year your system is up and running.