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The life-cycle cost analysis determined that the geothermal system would experience much lower maintenance costs due to the reduced amount of equipment.
The essentially maintenance-free ground loop field replaces equipment that would typically be located outdoors. This provides the added benefit of eliminating outdoor clutter and noise from gas-fired rooftop units and air-conditioning condenser units.
Compared to a conventional boiler and cooling tower system, geothermal systems will further save money by eliminating the need for certified boiler maintenance and associated boiler insurance costs.
According to Mr. Millhollin, "Sy (Sylvester Kallhoff, the maintenance custodian) is sold on the system. He particularly likes the control of the system from one computer. The only downside found so far is the large number of air filters to replace regularly."
This appears to be a minor trade-off when compared to alternative systems. Mr. Millhollin adds, "the boiler system (at the older high school) is taken down 2-3 times per year for inspection."
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