Who Is – Just Geothermal Systems?
Gerry Ferns, founded Just Geothermal Systems in Ingersoll, Ontario in 2001, in response to the relentless increases in fossil fuel prices. The business concentrates on providing residential customers with the highest degree of comfort along with the lowest operating cost possible.
We achieve this goal by installing geothermal heating and cooling products into new homes and by retrofitting geothermal systems into older homes, using a variety of products and heat delivery methods.
ClimateMaster Geothermal Systems
ClimateMaster is the largest manufacturer of water source heat pumps in the world, located in Oklahoma. They supply arguably the most efficient heat pump equipment available. The use of Copeland Scroll compressors in lieu of reciprocating compressors for example, makes a real difference in operating cost with an overall higher degree of reliability longevity.
Two speed equipment utilizes 2 scroll compressors rather than two speed reciprocating compressors. Therefore Climatemaster Low Speed operation uses only 50% of high speed running amps. Far less than 2 speed compressors.
ClimateMaster supplies a wide range of equipment including split systems, consol and rooftop equipment.
Rehau PEX Heating Systems
Originating in Rehau Germany, Rehau PEX (cross linked polyethylene), piping systems are made from Type A PEX. Type A PEX uses the Engle Manufacturing Method to produce the optimum mix of strength and flexibility available in a PEX pipe.
Rehau manufactures a complete line of PEX plumbing systems and accessories suitable for Radiant Floor Heating, (RFH), and domestic water service. Rehau accessories and hardware are arguably the best on the market for quality and durability.
Just Geothermal Systems is an Authorized Contractor for Rehau piping systems. We specialize in RFH coupled to Geothermal Systems.
We provide our own heating and cooling load calculations and we provide RFH design using Rehau WarmSource RFH Design software.
Coupled with reversible water to water geothermal systems, we provide RFH heating along with chilled water cooling through either conventional or high pressure ductwork systems.
Just Geothermal Systems supplies complete Mechanical Drawings to their customers in both PDF and printed formats.
Experience
Gerry started in the geothermal business in 1983, around the time geothermal Systems first started appearing in Ontario. Unlike most contractors, he learned the heating and air conditioning business starting in the geothermal industry, becoming proficient in the art of Heating and Cooling Load Calculation, Ductwork Design and Fluid Dynamics as they relate to earth loops and hydronics.
He designed, sold and installed many systems in Toronto and the surrounding areas, mostly into the custom home market for five years taking the contracting firm he worked for to the second largest residential geothermal dealership in Canada within 3 years, placing several hundred geothermal systems into operation.
In 1988, Gerry was invited to become the Sales Manager for WaterFurnace Inc., the Canadian distributor of WaterFurnace Systems at that time. Trained and certified as an "Instructor" by WaterFurnace International in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in all aspects of "Advanced Heat Pump" service and installation Gerry became the first "Factory Certified Geothermal Trainer" in Canada. He was involved in expanding and training the Canadian Contractor Network.
In the early nineties, the need for Government recognition and support of this "alternative heating technology" plus an emerging commercial market for geothermal systems, drove a demand for "Industry Standards" in Canada.
CSA Standards C – 445 for The Installation of Ground Source Heat Pumps and C – 446, for The Performance of Ground Source Heat Pumps (system efficiency) were release around that time.
Gerry sat on two technical subcommittees for CSA. A well rounded experience ranging from sales and marketing to, design, installation service and training contributed to the formation of the formation of those standards.
Both CSA C – 445 and CSA – 446 were adopted by the National Building Code and by most Provincial Building Codes.
More recently in 2001 Just Geothermal Systems was part of the latest CSA Technical Standards Subcommittee for The Design and Installation of Earth Energy Systems which built on and replaced CSA Standard C – 445 M92 as CSA Standard C-448.
Gerry authored the Geothermal System and Earth Loop sizing method included as part of C-448 which was released this year. CSA-448 will be adopted by the next revision of the Ontario Building Code.
In the early nineties, Gerry became involved with technology transfer efforts between the industry and the engineering community, to which geothermal heating and cooling was practically unknown. The transfer effort was spearheaded by Energy Mines and Resources and the Canadian Earth Energy Association. Presentations and training were conducted across the Eastern part of the country from Ontario to Newfoundland. Engineers, architects, utility personnel and many other professionals were introduced to the technology at that time.
After four years with WaterFurnace Inc., and with thousands of units installed, Gerry joined Earth Systems International in Kitchener to assist with the development of a Direct Expansion, (DX or waterless) Geothermal System. This required many hours of "hands on" experience in R & D, concentrating on the fluid dynamics of a bi-phasic system. Understanding both the refrigeration side and the air delivery side of Geothermal Systems at the "expert level", Gerry wrote software that could predict the flow dynamics of tapered bi-phasic copper heat exchangers. He also authored most of that company's technical training and marketing materials.
Marketing of a DX system required the establishment of a new geothermal dealer network, one that was refrigeration oriented rather than plumbing oriented.
Gerry has since consulted to a number of Canadian manufacturers and distributors of geothermal and refrigeration related products in technical areas and in marketing.
Today Just Geothermal Systems provides high quality geothermal system installations throughout South Western Ontario.
Contact your geothermal specialists
or Telephone 519-808-3987