Installation... A Higher Calling down on the Farm Shortly after their marriage, young farmers Keith and Jenessa Frey learned that the property next to the family’s farm was up for sale; so they jumped at it. For the Freys, buying the land was a rare opportunity. The new 60-acre parcel now adjoined land that the family has owned in Lancaster County, PA since 1895—bringing the total tillable ground to 154 acres, with another 30+ for pasture and buildings plus 30 acres of woods. Keith is now a fifth-generation farmer there. On the now-larger farmstead, the Freys plant field corn, soybeans and a variety of grain. Keith’s parents still live in the old farmhouse, so they combine efforts during the growing and harvesting seasons. The Freys also manage a 15-cow calf/beef operation and a 35-head dairy herd. The house they planned to build would be the focal point of their new property. Jenessa’s long-time dream was for a log home, loads of sunlight and a roomy kitchen. Keith wanted radiant heat, geothermal energy for the home and a big fireplace with a mantle to hang Christmas stockings on for all the hoped-for small Frey. Dream home comes to life Keith and Jenessa’s dream took form in a 3,000 sq. ft., three bedroom log home with space for two additional bedrooms. Jenessa’s kitchen occupies one end of the large open area on the main floor, blending easily into the great room with a tall stone fireplace. Heating and cooling equipment was much smaller than the Freys expected, because of their insistence on heavy insulation. “That meant less cost to buy the HVAC gear and also a lot less energy to operate the equipment,” said Keith Frey. “I grew up in a drafty old farmhouse; we learned that a dollar spent on insulation goes a long way.” It was also a giant help that Jay Weaver, Keith’s father-in-law, is an electrician who was eager to help. Piped dream The Freys spent a lot of time doing online research about all facets of the home. Also, a local Watts Water Technologies representative spoke with them about the significance of bundling offerings across the company’s many brands to provide overall value. “That made real sense to me,” said Keith Frey. “Our mechanical contractor was impressed by the volume of equipment and material we could source through a single company purchased through wholesalers near here,” he added. So he and Kurt Shreiner, co-owner of Lancaster County-based Mountain View Heating & Cooling, LLC, chosen by the Freys to do most of the mechanical system installations, tapped Watts for a wide range of material and equipment. 4 ICM/September/October 2016
ICM September-October 2016
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