Best type of horizontal loop to install

Hi I am getting ready to install a 4 ton geothermal heat pump in my new home and I have never really delt with horzoinal loops before and was wondering where I should start. Basically my soil type is light clay and I have all the room i need to install horzonal loops 10 acres. So was wondering where to start like what size of pipe slinky or straight pipe how deep any info would be great. O yea I live in central Arkansas so it gets hot in summer 110 deg and mild cold in winter 30 deg and I have a excavator that can dig down to 8 feet.

 

To get an idea of what you might need take a look at ClimateMaster's Dealer's Marketing Area Then download/install GeoDesigner. There may be other free tools out there as well.

 

we like 3/4" slinkies,500' of pipe, 3" diameter, 36" pitch, buried at least 6' deep, 8' feet if we can do it safely

 

I will give that a look when I get a chance to get to a PC thanks

 

I would say if you have no space limitations, your own excavator to 8' and the time to use it, it might make more sense to completely avoid slinkies. Since your not paying for excavation, the amount of time spent making the slinkies might be better spent on the excavator.

 

Why would you use a slinky over a 6-pipe loop? Doesent a slinky take 50% more excavation?

 

Op said, "I have a excavator that can dig down to 8 feet". The more trench you have, the EWT will be higher!

 

Ease of installation

 

The deeper you go the less loop you need.

Slinkies seem to be favored by those who don't like to spend much time in a trench.

whether you use slinky or race track or 2 pipe or 1 pipe doesn't matter. Proper design matters.

 

A slinky is not easier to install any way you look at it.

 

What?

 

I disagree, we love slinkies.

 

How many did you put in? They are the easiest to install. Hard to imagine why you would do anything else!

 

Slinkies can perform superior to straight pipe in lesser trench, if you compensate for the lesser trench with slightly more pipe, usually 30% more. We do slinkies quicker on site than the excavator can dig. There is this misperception out there that slinkies do not perform well, they work great if done correctly. Also any loop at 8ft will perform better than at 6ft.

 

I've watched slinkies installed without a man in the trench. They may require more off site prep (out of the weather if your barn is big enough), but less work on site and in the trench.
Personally I hire out loop installations, so I won't feel a thing no matter what's installed......just so there's enough.

 

How is digging a 3 foot trench easier than a 2 foot? However, If we were in a location where we had to put the loops in at 8' deep we would also do slinky loops just to keep the guys out of the trench. We started out with 6-pipe loops 25 years ago and have looked at slinky loops several times over the years, usually because some one asks for one. A Slinky takes almost 50% more excavation (depending on the pitch of the coils) and with a 3 foot bucket. 6-pipe uses a 2 foot bucket. With a smaller excavator that is a big deal. A 6-pipe, one guy just rolls out the pipe while the other guy is digging and staples it up. What could be faster than that. You can have a 6-pipe stapled up faster than you can even make a slinky. Then with a 6-pipe you are almost unlimited with the number of turns that you need to do to get it to fit. you can zig zag all over the place if you need to. Yes you can turn a slinky but it is not as simple. 6-pipe you install the pipe while the trench is being excavated. When the last scoop is dug, you fuse the ends and back fill. We can install up to 15 loops per week and it is normal to drive to a site (2 men) with a small excavator in tow, excavate a 5 or 6 ton trench, install the loop, back fill and get back home in a 10 hour day. In the past we have done slinky and 6-pipe loops on the same day. What takes 1 day with a 6-pipe takes at least 2 with a slinky. Just saying, Thats what we have experienced.

 

Maybe they do not export 48" track hoe buckets and track hoes big enough to use them to Indiana. I will bring you a few from Ohio. I would rather dig a 63' ditch than a 150' ditch at any depth.

Mark

 

We use 12,000 pound track excavators so that we can pull them behind our 1 ton trucks. What size of a rig do you need to haul a excavator the size you're talking about? So you're talking about digging 63 feet 4 feet wide instead of 100 feet 2 feet wide?

 

Please take a chill pill. If you want to did up Indiana it is OK with me.

Mark

 

Sorry, I missed your question. Yes.

One pass 63' X 4'. drop in the plastic and go on to the next one. Back filling as you go.

One either has time or money, rarely both, and yard sizes complicate maters.

I ran straight pipe at mtrentw's in MD because of the dirt and digger, it was faster than winding and zip ties.

Mark