Single-stage
Simple on/off operation. Often lower upfront cost, but wider temperature and humidity swings and less part-load efficiency.
GEOTHERMAL LEARNING CENTER
Understand the system before you compare the price.
Plain-language guides that connect equipment, ground loops, ductwork, controls and whole-home energy choices.
EQUIPMENT
Single-stage, two-stage and variable capacity
Capacity staging changes how closely the unit can follow the home’s changing load. It does not eliminate the need for proper sizing, loop performance, airflow and commissioning.
Two-stage
Runs at a lower output most of the time, with a second stage for heavier loads. A practical comfort and cost middle ground.
Variable capacity
Modulates across a broad range for quieter, steadier comfort. Ductwork and controls still have to match the operating envelope.
SITE DESIGN
Five loop concepts, five different feasibility questions
Our lite review can screen concepts. Final pipe length, bore depth, circuits, flows and pumping require a documented design using site conditions and equipment data.
Vertical bore
Deep, narrow boreholes exchange heat with the earth while preserving most of the usable yard. The small surface footprint makes vertical loops a frequent retrofit choice.
Installation, pros & cons →Horizontal slinky
Coiled polyethylene pipe is placed in engineered trenches to fit more pipe length into each run. Slinky fields can be useful when adequate open ground and excavation access are available.
Installation, pros & cons →Horizontal directional bore
A directional drilling system advances underground loop paths from compact entry and exit areas. It can cross beneath established surfaces while reducing continuous trenching.
Installation, pros & cons →Open loop / well
An open-loop system moves groundwater through the heat pump and discharges it through an approved method. Water quantity, quality and legal discharge are core design inputs—not afterthoughts.
Installation, pros & cons →Pond / lake loop
Closed-loop coils or engineered assemblies are anchored below the water surface, using the water body as the heat-exchange environment while keeping loop fluid isolated.
Installation, pros & cons →Ohio well context: The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Water Well Search can show nearby reported depths, static water levels, aquifers and logs where records exist. It is useful context for open-loop screening—not proof of yield, water quality, ownership or suitability at your property. Read our well-record guide.
BACKUP HEAT
All-electric or dual-fuel?
All-electric
A geothermal heat pump with appropriately designed electric auxiliary heat. Electrical-service capacity, control strategy and peak-load assumptions matter.
Dual-fuel
A geothermal or air-source heat pump paired with a combustion backup strategy. Fuel availability, controls, venting and program eligibility require review.
The real question
Which design serves comfort, resilience, emissions, operating cost and peak demand for your actual home?
DISTRIBUTION
Controls, ducts and CFM belong in the same conversation
Variable equipment cannot fix undersized returns, high static pressure or poor room balance by itself. The lite result shows a planning CFM range; field static-pressure measurement, room-by-room loads and Manual D turn that into a duct plan.
Open the airflow and controls guide →WHOLE-HOME ENERGY
Hydronics, batteries and generators
Hydronics
Radiant floors, fan coils, buffer tanks and domestic hot-water assistance can expand the design—while adding water temperatures, controls and storage decisions.
Open the hydronics guide →Batteries
A battery can support selected loads, but compressor starting, auxiliary heat and desired runtime must be modeled.
Open the resilience guide →Generators
Generator sizing should account for starting current, staged loads, fuel storage and transfer controls—not only the heat pump nameplate.
Open the resilience guide →The future engineering version is planned to accept Manual J/S/D files, AHRI selections, hydronic design inputs and third-party load-calculation uploads while preserving the assumptions from this lite review.