GEOTHERMAL & GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

Submitted by Sean Welsh, Energy Senior Resource Educator

A ground source heat pump is a high efficiency heat pump system which generates 100 percent of a home’s heating and cooling with no back up system. Ground source heat pumps which meet the ENERGY STAR specifications are eligible for incentives through the NYS Clean Heat program. Upfront costs with these geothermal or ground source heat pumps are more costly than installing an air source system. However, ground source heat pumps have a longer life span, and operationally over the course of time will cost the building owner less monthly compared to air source heat pumps or fossil fuel systems.

Ground source or geothermal heat pumps do not need combustion fuel or fuel storage in a home, eliminating the possibility of carbon monoxide in your home. Ground source heat pumps extract more energy than they consume by moving heat stored underground, into your home. Ground source heat pumps are quiet for either heating or cooling. Ground source systems last longer than conventional heating and cooling equipment and can eliminate a fuel bill for your home.

Ground source heat pumps remove heat from underground during cold seasons by using underground piping and then distribute that heat throughout a building. When it is a hot season, this process is reversed to provide cooling for the building. This is the most efficient type of heat pump system. Ground source heat pumps take advantage of underground temperatures, which stay similar throughout the year.

Ground source heat pumps work best in single family homes that have some outdoor space, for example an accessible front lawn, to accommodate the system installation. If you are building a new home or planning a major renovation, ground source heat pumps are a great option to consider.

If you are interested in talking with an energy advisor about your building project, you can connect via the www. Midhudsonenergychoices. org website or in Sullivan County you can reach out to Sean Welsh at 845 292-6180 ext. 127 or sw288@cornell. edu.

Sources:

“Ground source Heat Pumps: NYS Clean Heat.” https://cleanheat.ny.gov/groundsource-heat-pumps. retrieved on April 12, 2023.

“Geothermal Heat pumps, Energy Saver” https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/ geothermal-heat-pumps. Retrieved on April 11, 2023.

HOMEOWNER’SMAINTENANCECHECKLIST

Properly constructed private water supply systems require little routine maintenance. These simple steps will protect your system and investment:

Always use licensed or certified water well drillers and pump installers when a well is constructed, a pump is installed, or the system is serviced.

An annual well maintenance check, including a bacterial test, is recommended. Drinking water should be checked any time there is a change in taste, odor, or appearance, or when the well system is serviced.

Keep hazardous chemicals, such as paint, fertilizer, pesticides, and motor oil, far away from your well.

Periodically check the well cover or well cap on top of the casing (well) to ensure it is in good repair.

Always maintain proper separation between your well and buildings, waste systems or chemical storage facilities. Your professional contractor knows the rules.

Don't allow back-siphonage. When mixing pesticides, fertilizers, or other chemicals, don't put the hose inside the tank or container.

7. When landscaping, keep the top of your well at least 1 foot above the ground. Slope the ground away from your well for proper drainage.

8. Take care in working or mowing around your well. A damaged casing could jeopardize the sanitary protection of your well. Don't pile snow, leaves, or other materials around your well.

9. Be aware of changes in your well, the area around your well, or the water it provides.

10. When your well has come to an end of its serviceable life (usually 20+ years), have a qualified water well contractor decommission it after constructing your new system.

How To Cut Food Waste And Maintain Food Safety

Submitted by Joy Leon, Nutrition & Physical Activity Educator

Food safety is a major concern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually. Each year these illnesses result in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

Food waste is also a major concern. Wasted food is a huge challenge to our natural resources, our environment, and our pocketbooks.

Between 30 and 40 percent of food in the United States goes uneaten. That means Americans are throwing out the equivalent of $165 billion in food each year.

How Food Waste and Food Safety Are Connected

The major sources of food waste in the United States are the food industry and consumers. Within the food industry, waste occurs at every step. Some of it is the result of economic forces, some of management problems, and some is caused simply by dumping products that are less than perfect in appearance.

But food waste by consumers may often result from fears about food safety caused by misunderstanding of what food product dating actually means, along with uncertainty about storage of perishable foods.

What are Food Product Dates?

Confusion over date labeling accounts for an estimated 20 percent of consumer food waste.

Except for infant formula, manufacturers are not required by Federal law or regulation to place quality-based date labels on packaged food.

FDA supports efforts by the food industry to make “Best if Used By” the standard phrase to indicate the date when a product will be at its best flavor and quality. Consumers should examine foods for signs of spoilage [if they] are past their “Best if used by” date. If the products have changed noticeably in color, consistency or texture, consumers may want to avoid eating them.

Learn How Best to Store Perishables And How Long They Will Keep Safely

The FoodKeeper, developed cooperatively by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cornell University and the Food Marketing Institute, is a complete guide to how long virtually every food available in the United States will keep in the pantry, in the refrigerator, and in the freezer.

Access the FoodKeeper at https://www.foodsafety.gov/ keep-food-safe/foodkeeperapp.

More Ways to Avoid Wasting Food

• Don’t buy more food than can be used before it spoils.

• Check the temperature setting of your fridge. Use a refrigerator thermometer to be sure the temperature is at 40° F or below to keep foods safe.

• Avoid “overpacking:” Cold air must circulate around refrigerated foods to keep them properly chilled.

• Wipe up spills immediately to help prevent “crosscontamination,” where bacteria from one food spread to another.

• Keep it covered: Store refrigerated foods in covered containers or sealed storage bags.

• Use your freezer! Freezing is a great way to store most foods to keep them from going bad until you are ready to eat them.

• Check your fridge often to keep track of what you have and what needs to be used.

• To keep foods safe when entertaining, remember the 2-Hour Rule: don’t leave perishable foods out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Adapted from:

“Food Facts - How to Cut Food Waste and Maintain Food Safety.” United States Food & Drug Administration, November 2019. Sourced from https://snapedtoolkit.org/resources/onlineresources/nutrition-and-food/ .