Troubleshooting Geothermal Heating - Troubleshooting Heating Systems

Troubleshooting Geothermal Heating

By Shawn Bryan

Heat Inadequate
If you're having trouble with your geothermal heating, the first order of business is to check the thermostat. For optimal results, it should be set higher than the current room temperature. If set lower, it will not recognize to switch the heater on. Make sure the selector switch is set to "heat," rather than to "cool" or "A/C." If using a programmable thermostat, check to make sure the batteries are working.
Test For Power
If the geothermal heating system still does not come on, you need to check to make sure the heater is getting power. The easiest way to check this is to switch the thermostat over from auto to "on." This should boot up the fan. If the heater comes on at this time, you know the system is getting power. If not, check the fuse box or the circuit breakers to see if a breaker has tripped or a fuse has blown. If fuses are blowing or breakers tripping on a regular basis, consult a professional electrician to see if something should be wired differently.
Water Supply
Geothermal heaters depend on a water supply in order to run correctly. If this water supply isn't freely flowing, it could cause problems. Check the filters and clean them if necessary. A clogged filter cause cause the safety switches to trip, cutting off power to the heater.
Conductive Heat Loss
With geothermal systems, it is important to make sure that heat loss isn't occurring through the ducts. If you have ducts running through open areas such as the attic, it will benefit you to make sure these ducts are insulated. If the entire attic (or similar area) is uninsulated, you should consider insulating the whole room to prevent as much heat loss as possible.

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