Something is really off. Geothermal should use less energy than a
standard heat pump for both heating and cooling. A 2100 sq foot house
should use about 3 tons (36,000 BTU) in the mid atlantic region, maybe
4 tons in Michigan. A geothermal unit is not dependent on outside
temp since it draws heat from a constant earth temperature. Even if
the electric service is sized for emergency resistance heat the amp
ratings seem very high. Might want to check some geo mfgr websites
for consumption.

On Mar 5, 9:31 pm, "Zephyr" Someguy@an email address.com wrote:
"Frank Ketchum" wrote in message

...





"Zephyr" an address @ some place .com wrote in message
...

"I don't know, We've done geo therm before and never had to put in new
wire, but, I don't know everything"

The question to DTE is irrelevant that it is goethermal. The question to
them is can you upgrade the service to 400 amps without changing the
wiring? They for sure should be able to tell you this.

As an aside, do you think the geothermal system will really save you any
money in the long run? What about when you factor in what sounds like a
sizable hike to your electric bill?

If you do the geothermal, I would be interested to read about your
experiences with it as it is an interesting technology.

DTE offers a 50% reduced rate on electric for people with geo, as for
saving money, the compressor is all that runs really, and so its not that
big of a bill, I've had companies promise me up to 50% savings on a typical
gas bill for a house my size (2100 SF)
check out www.waterfurnace.comfor more info

currently it looks like around $16,000 - $20,000 to get in though
the contractors are pushing a 8.5 year payback if the ratio of gas to
electric hold
less if gas gets more expensive vs electric.

Dave