Coalpail.com Forum

Hi all. I would like to know if someone have some infos on geothermal do it yourself kit with horizontal installation and slinky loops? I saw a ditributorS web site and it looks interesting. They are located in Ky State. Here in Qc, I know some peoples having geo installations most vertical and a couple with horizontal installations but none with a DIY horizontal kit.
Thanks

Yeah Nortcan, the kit comes with a very long hose and a shovel. First you dig a trench about 5' deep in zig-zag pattern all over your yard, lay the hose in the ditch, and then back fill. When you are all done you will be plenty warm.

Sorry, just had to say it, actually the only thing I know about the subject is it is a very long pay back period.

JB Sparks wrote:Yeah Nortcan, the kit comes with a very long hose and a shovel. First you dig a trench about 5' deep in zig-zag pattern all over your yard, lay the hose in the ditch, and then back fill. When you are all done you will be plenty warm.

Sorry, just had to say it, actually the only thing I know about the subject is it is a very long pay back period.

I don't know about you but a complete kit, 3 T for 5,500 plus tx. seems not so bad. 3 trenches of 36" wide, 5 to 6 ft deep, 80 ft long each trenches. After you have heating plus Ac for hot days. I would like that for hot summer time and for Fall and Spring not too cold time after I go with anthracite for the cold winter??? yes, the pay back and the reputation of that entreprise (is Ky State near Pen. State?) from Ky. also make me wonder of it.
thanks

Lots of equipment needed inside too.

Ky southwest of Pa. with WV in between.

not for you in Quebec, you'll freeze the ground solid well below the normal frostline halfway through january! A few people in the plattsburgh area are putting in geothermal, some successful ($30,000+ in many cases) some, not so much; frozen ground well flow problems, equiptment reliability and leaks are some of the fun issues you'll be dealing with after your "small" investment.

I attend a meeting were an HVAC fellow talked about the numerous systems he's installed in NW NJ. For trench systems, he was talking at least 8' deep. He did not like slinky systems. IIRC it had to do with the loops overlaying its self and being less effective in heat transfer. He preferred the well water systems but you'd need a well with good recovery numbers and 500' deep.

Skip the digging! Right next to me is the city where they invented *the* air to air heat pump that works.

Thanks all of you, nice to read different opinions. Maybe a good heat pump could heat me during the not so cold period, before lightning the Vig11 and avoid me the troubles you mentioned. I think more infos is better than not enough.

Freddy wrote:Skip the digging! Right next to me is the city where they invented *the* air to air heat pump that works.

Hi freddy, are heat pumps popular in your region? What I would like is one able to heat with a good efficiency ratio, COP when outside Temp. is around 0*C or 32*F. I know some are able to work with very low T* but as they are working with lower T* the efficiency becomes worst.
Thanks

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:I attend a meeting were an HVAC fellow talked about the numerous systems he's installed in NW NJ. For trench systems, he was talking at least 8' deep. He did not like slinky systems. IIRC it had to do with the loops overlaying its self and being less effective in heat transfer. He preferred the well water systems but you'd need a well with good recovery numbers and 500' deep.

We installed a Carrier water-source heat pump setup back in 1981. We had two - one for each floor, plus a Woodchuck add-on wood furnace tied into the downstairs ductwork. This was in Southern Indiana.

The only problems during the short time we lived there was two failed bladder tanks on the well and lack of fine-tuning on the water flows. If both heatpumps ran hard in the winter the well couldn't keep up. After the flow rates/temperature Deltas were adjusted the well could do the job.

HOWEVER, after we moved, the new owners had the well fail (I believe the drop pipe rotted out) and had big problems with mineral deposits in the heat exchangers. It was not a real deep well, and I'm guessing the water was very hard (lots of limestone around those parts) and lots of iron. I'm guessing the well water was probably acidic, too.

A nearby town (French Lick, IN) is famous for "Pluto Water", which is a naturally occuring mineral water that reeks of rotten eggs (sulfur). The hotel in town was (maybe still is) a big resort and you could take baths in hot Pluto Water, drink the stuff, and there was even a bottling plant in town so people could buy that wonderful natural elixir elsewhere (or take home a momento).

Back to the topic....Freddy - those heatpumps look very interesting! Do you have any idea of a typical installation cost?

chris

Hi, the systems I was lookin at are closed loops so the system is pumping a mixt of water and some other liquid like glycol...The system you talked about was probably open loops. they are not too popular now. Thanks

VigIIPeaBurner wrote:I attend a meeting were an HVAC fellow talked about the numerous systems he's installed in NW NJ. For trench systems, he was talking at least 8' deep. He did not like slinky systems. IIRC it had to do with the loops overlaying its self and being less effective in heat transfer. He preferred the well water systems but you'd need a well with good recovery numbers and 500' deep.

I also heard about the possible troubles of overlaying but for squeezing and reducing the liquid flow.

Freddy wrote:Skip the digging! Right next to me is the city where they invented *the* air to air heat pump that works.

I sent an e-mail to have more infos and to know if they sell direct like the entreprise I was talking about for DIY, Ingrams Water and air.
.Thanks

http://www.climatemaster.com That is what we install,closed loop here in Central PA.

Here a better sytem then any Geo. It call Earth to Air, still use a well, but instead of water, it still have the same refr. in the copper line set, not as deep as geo, but a better pay back.
Check out earthtoair.com
Thank, Gerard