The “Well Always Runs Dry” Home
“We know the worth of water when the well is dry.”
— Benjamin Franklin
The Homeowner’s HVAC, Humidity & Water-Supply Problems
“The 2nd floor of our home is constantly hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Our Geothermal HVAC system runs all the time and can’t keep up, the humidity in our home is excessively high, and our energy bills are too high.”
Previous Attempts to Resolve the Problems:
Spent $25,000 on a new in-ground well in an attempt to subsidize the limited domestic water production of the original well
Spent $20,000 on remediation for a “sealed crawlspace” that had not been properly commissioned from the start, all while not being able to properly heat and cool the home because of the limited domestic water supply.
The homeowner was in litigation with the original builder
What the Initial Home Energy Consultation Revealed
During the consultation, we learned that the home combined several complex building systems: an encapsulated roofline, three geothermal HVAC systems, in-ground wells serving the equipment and the home’s domestic water needs, and a crawlspace intended to be sealed. These systems had not been properly coordinated during the home’s design and construction, contributing to the problems the homeowner was experiencing.
The most striking discovery was that, for two summers, the homeowner could only do laundry at 1:00 a.m., when the geothermal systems placed less demand on the home’s limited water supply.
What the Diagnostic Testing Revealed
Testing showed that the site and available well capacity had not been properly evaluated for the home’s three geothermal heat-pump systems. The equipment was incorrectly sized, the ductwork was improperly configured, and the overall installation demanded more water than the well could reliably supply.
System 1 on the main level required 6 GPM, System 2 serving the primary suite required 4 GPM, and System 3 upstairs required another 4 GPM. Together, the geothermal systems required 14 GPM before accounting for any of the home’s domestic water needs.
The original well was labeled for only 10 GPM, and the well driller had not performed a drawdown test to verify its sustained capacity. Even that listed flow rate was lower than the geothermal systems’ combined 14 GPM requirement—and it did not account for toilets, showers, sinks, hose spigots, irrigation, or other household water use. The combined demand explained why the home repeatedly ran short of water.
The second well, which the homeowner paid for after the builder declined to address the problem, drew from the same underground water source as the original well. It therefore did not increase the property’s available water supply or resolve the shortage.
We knew it was a must to first accurately quantify the heating and cooling loads for the home and to compare those values to actual airflows being measured for each supply and return vent in each room. We were able to calculate how much airflow was required for each individual room and were able to size for appropriate ductwork accordingly.
We then performed a thorough evaluation of the presently-installed airflow distribution system (ducts and air handlers) and found egregious discrepancies when compared to best practices.
We also evaluated the crawlspace and had to share the unfortunate news that their $20,000 crawl space remediation had been in vain because the space did not have a defined thermal envelope, nor proper encapsulation. This would continue to result in exacerbated heat losses and gains as well as perpetual humidity issues. This finding further proved against the efficacy of the installed HVAC system.
Root Causes Identified by Home Energy Solutions
Improper Spray-Foam Insulation Design & Installation
Spray-foam insulation requires the correct product, volume, placement, and installation to perform as intended. Our evaluation documented deficiencies in all three areas and provided technical evidence that supported the homeowner’s case.
Improperly Sized Geothermal Systems & Ductwork
As an expert witness in the homeowner’s case, Home Energy Solutions documented why the existing geothermal systems could not function properly with the available well capacity. Our findings addressed the insufficient water supply, incorrect equipment sizing, and improperly designed and installed ductwork.
The report provided the corrective steps a qualified builder and HVAC contractor would need to take. The original 10 GPM well could likely have supported the home’s domestic water needs; the central problem was that the three geothermal systems required more water than the property could reliably provide.
The equipment and ductwork also failed to meet the home’s heating, cooling, and airflow requirements. Building-science consultation during design and construction could have identified these conflicts before installation and prevented the extensive remediation that followed.
The Outcome for the Homeowner
Home Energy Solutions gave the homeowner a technically supported plan for correcting problems that had affected the home for more than two years. Ultimately, the geothermal systems and ductwork had to be removed and replaced with appropriately sized heat pumps and a properly designed duct system.
Tyler Conner also served as an expert witness, explaining how the original HVAC, insulation, crawlspace, and water-supply decisions contributed to the home’s poor performance. His findings and testimony became important evidence in the homeowner’s case.
The homeowner prevailed and was awarded damages exceeding the amount originally requested.
