Looking to get into installing geothermal loops. Took the Igshpa class now I am trying to figure out how to give estimates to HVAC contractors. Most give a cost per ton. I am in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and I plan on installing slinky loops at a depth of 6 foot 36'' loops with a 36" pitch. How long should my trenches be for the average soil conditions per ton. Any other advice will be appreciated.
I will be installing with a trackhoe with 48" bucket. We also have a backhoe and smaller buckets for the trackhoe but I don't think it would be as efficient (for installing) as the slinky loops.
Hi and welcome, You are going to have to fish around and contact some local hvac companies. Tell them you are new and ask them what they would be comfortable with as far as feet of pipe per ton. A lot of hvac contractors run their own software per job so they would essentially tell you what they want you to install. This is production work no matter how you slice it. Think Henry Fords innovations. The cost per foot to install is going to be based on your time and equipment and overhead including wages and profit. The leaner and meaner you can be the lower the cost to install = more work for you. We went to a flat rate pricing schedule based on a base line footage for vertical and never looked back. No wasted time bidding jobs, and our contractors no that they can count on the number we put on the street. Hope this helps. Eric
If it were me that is what I would do based on what you deam normal conditions. i.e. no digging down the side of a cliff, ect. The local hvac's will come up with the footage they deem as typical. for me there would be a price differance between straight pipe and slinky's as slinky's are not for the faint of heart in the beginning if you are trying to be fast at it. Eric
Hdpe pie can be like fighting a 5 headed snake. It is the time that the assymbly of the slinky's consumes as well as the hdpe pipe fighting you. My suggestion is to put a system in for yourself or a willling family member and that exeriance will be priceless in identifying issues that need to be addressed and hel with time estimates for pricing. Eric
Learning to build slinkies just takes lots of practice. The first one took is probably 4 hours, now we can tie one in about 20 minutes. How to manage the curl in the pipe is the first hurdle.
slinkys This worked really well for me... Yeah, that's a sit-and-spin ... always knew it would come in handy for something. 2 horses, 1.5 sheets of plywood, and a few firing strips.
I get it Must be mosquitoe season! At first I was trying to figure out how that was supposed to warm the loop? An issue when working with cold pipe up here
