The loops are small-diameter, high-density polyethylene pipes that are installed 5 feet down. Have questions regarding home comfort, energy savings, and the benefits of this type of system to the environment? "Geothermal technology has tremendous promise as a green energy source, but open loop systems can waste enormous amounts of water from our precious underground drinking water supply, and I'm therefore proud to support this initiative, " said SCWA Board Member Mario Mattera. These use a loop system that covers several square feet of horizontal ground area. Environmental Factors. Ultra's systems take advantage of our unique New England geology to provide relief from the extremes of our New England climate. Rather than laying the pipes horizontally, they are installed vertically for 100 and 400 feet deep in wells and connected by a U-bend at the bottom.
Geothermal Loop Systems Overview. Closed systems use a continuous loop where the heat transfer fluid/water is continuously circulated. An open loop system uses a readily available source of water (usually a well, pond, or lake) as the heat transfer media. When cool air is needed, the heat is extracted from your home's air and then cooled by the source water. 2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis. Over the next 10 years, Ray found that about half of the dozens of early open-loop systems he helped put in "had major problems. These photos show a geothermal installation by The Hayter Group in Cambridge, Ontario. Isn't a closed ground loop, especially a vertical loop, supposed to be the most efficient? The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Slinky coil geothermal ground loops are gaining popularity, particularly in residential geothermal system installations. "With closed loop, we know what our costs are either way, and we've never had a problem with a closed-loop system that was installed properly. If you have any questions for us about this topic or about anything else related to your geothermal pool heating needs, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. Your contractor will recommend one of these 4 ground loop designs. Water that has a pH level too high or too low will dissolve the heat exchanger, and can't be used.
Figure courtesy of Waterfurnace. The pipe is generally buried in a trench, usually 2 to 3 metres deep in one continuous loop or a series of parallel loops. Water from a well or deep pond is pumped directly to the water-source heat pump where latent heat is extracted from the water then transferred to the refrigerant, concentrated by the heat pump and dispersed into the home. There are several different approaches to ground loop design, but they all fall under two basic categories: closed loop and open loop. Compatible with your home's distribution system. If you're interested in transitioning to a geothermal system and would like to learn more, the experts at Outer Banks Heating & Cooling can help! One is through surface drainage, where the water is deposited to a low area, such as a pond or river. Proper design is critical, since horizontal pipe lengths can vary between 91 and 914 metres of pipe per tonne of heat output. The video below explains how a ground source heat pump works: 10-15 meter below the ground surface, groundwater temperatures are relatively stable.
Other than that, an open loop system can save a substantial amount of installation cost up front and be a viable option for your geothermal choice. This is a very large amount of water, but since geothermal heat pumps don't change the water quality, only water temperature, all of the water used by a geothermal heat pump can be safely returned back to the earth without contaminating the ground/aquifers or wasting any water. Courtesy of U. of Energy. We Always Do What's Best for You! This design features a variation of horizontal systems laid slinky to reduce the overall length of the trenches where the pipes will be installed. For more information of the different ways of designing closed loop systems check out our detailed guide to geothermal ground loop systems. Although a well may contain the necessary amount of water for your geothermal heat pump, it could also deplete a neighbor€™s well source.
The groundwater is pumped through your heat pump, and the heat from the water is either extracted (in winter) or rejected (in summer). Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems). The loops, when installed properly, will last over 50 years. While double well designs can be economical, use of open geothermal ground loops is generally discouraged and even prohibited in some jurisdictions. These pipes are special buried plastic pipes that connect to your indoor heat pump. An open loop system utilizes water from a drilled water well and involves no artificial solutions. Since a closed loop system simply recirculates a constant volume of clean water, system longevity increases. Inserting poly pipe into well and grouting it closed. Well water can get close depending on depth, but lake water has a quite a temperature gradient. But I went ahead with it. We have installed New Hampshire's second largest geothermal system at Plymouth State, so we know what we can do to help you save on fuel and help the environment. In NH, MA, and ME you can call us now to find out how you can make these advantages work for you— Comac Pump & Well. Obviously, the additional cost here is incurred in excavation, drilling and pipe fusion, which are labor intensive tasks that are inherent in closed-loops.
As homeowners and business owners, we're always trying to find ways to save money on our energy bills and operating costs. Existing drinking water wells or other water rights have to be taken into account in the planning phase. An open loop system is less common, you need to have an ample source of ground water. An open loop is cheaper to install than a closed loop. What is the difference between open loop and closed loop geothermal systems? Not only is a water source essential for an open loop system, these loops may collect debris inside the piping system that can result in repair issues and costs. Groundwater can be used for direct cooling without a heat pump ("free cooling") as well. Methanol) contained in the closed HDPE pipe loop that runs from the well to the building. Cooled fluid then circulates back to the loop field to absorb more heat.
We can save you time researching and offer you more information so you'll be able to make the best decision for your home. There are several distinct advantages and disadvantages to both types of geo-exchange, but we make the case here for utilizing closed, vertical loops. Water Quality, Volume and Maintenance.