Couple uses modern technology to update house

Greencastle residents Phil and Georgenna Gick are doing their part to conserve energy and offset what can be outrageous heating costs by utilizing geothermal technology in a massive home on East Washington Street.

The Gicks, who have returned to Greencastle following Phil's 35-year military career, recently installed a geothermal heating system in the nearly 7,000-square-foot home they purchased in 1994.

The system, which the U.S. Department of Energy claims can save homeowners up to 70 percent in heating costs, taps into the earth's natural heat storage capacity to heat and cool homes.

The system pipes liquid underground to draw warmth from the ground to heat home during winter and discharges heat into the ground during summer to cool the home.

The Gick residence, which has a truly remarkable history and is on the National Registry of Historic Homes, was constructed in 1868, a time when energy conservation was not a consideration.

The home, which had been divided into apartments, is being painstakingly converted into a single-family dwelling.

The Gicks said a former resident of one of the apartments was paying in excess of $800 per month for heat. Since the installation by Indiana Geothermal of the geothermal system, the Gicks have seen bills closer to $300 per month to heat the entire lower level of the home, which compromises 2,300 square feet of the home's total area.

Phil Gick stated that the couple has,"been pleased with (the system), adding that even though the initial outlay was expensive, "It's a no-brainer for this size home."

The remarkable transformation of this historic property will be featured in an upcoming BannerGraphic story.