I am doing a DIY system install

Thanks for the advice.

No fusion joints here. All loops will come into the crawl space 300’ out and 300’ back no joints at all underground.

Manifold is in the crawl space. The crawl space is a little over 3’ high.

 

Be careful when back filling. I had a kinked pipe once and rendered the loop useless so I had to add another.

 

I have two loops in the trench all staked up and ready to go on the manifold. They came finished digging the other trench.

Tomorrow I will put the other two loops in the trench.

To pressure the loops should I use air pressure?

If I fill it with water the loop staked to the side would maybe fall from the weight.

The other two loops should go quicker I have system now.

 

backfill and test with water/antifreeze. It's iffy doing it with just air since air can expand and contract. If testing with air you're meant to wait 24 hours.

 

I have all my loops run. I have about 200 foot covered back up 2’ – 3’. The mini Ex went home today.


This is what I looked like after running two loops.

 

I have read that loops like moisture. Will my loops should be very happy.

We have had a big storm some snow and lots of rain.

The trench was dug about 30’ to long. I was trying to beat the weather and just cover the loops.

I did not fill it in where it was to long just where the my loop lines were.

The top of the trench is 6’ deep with no dirt filled in I put a blue line in the picture so you can tell where there is 6' deep water.

The pictures are the same trench. crazy how much water is in that trench.

 

My Geothermal package unit was damaged in shipping.
The only in stock unit has the Cupro-Nickel heat exchanger.

I have a closed loop system is there a disadvantage to get this one for closed loop other than cost?

 

I have the cupro-nickel HE with the closed loop, can't hurt.

 

Are they going to charge you more for the cupro? If not, even better.

 

Nick at Terra Source has been great to deal with. The customer service has been excellent.

He has me a new Unit coming on the truck now.

I always say any company can take your money for a sale but when there are bumps in the road it is how they handle it is important.

I could not ask for better service.

 

My old natural gas heat has return then then it has the supply line straight through to the AC coil.

The Geo unit will be put in as a T I have the return on the right and it will be set up straight through.

I will need to add some duct work to connect the new Geo unit.

I was going to contract this out but it I have had no luck. One company came out and said they give me a quote I called a couple days later and they never returned my call.

I did get one quote $2,700 just to add two pieces of duct work I would do electrical and connect up Geo unit. No thanks. A few other contacts have fell through.

I think I will just do it myself

Can you buy a return plenum that connects to climatemaster tranquility 30. Any suggestions on just connecting the system in to my duct work.

Return side.



Supply side

 

The service industry is full of slackers. I gave up finding a pond contractor that wasn't fly-by-night. I made my plenum from rigid foam insulation. This stuff is easy and why spend thousands? Try Menards if you want to buy pre-fabbed duct material.

 

You can go down to your local sheet metal fabrication shop with the dimensions you need and they can make you a plenum to attach your duct to your unit. Probably <$150. Get some zip screws, a can of brush on mastic, a roll of high quality reinforced foil tape, a good quality pair of tin snips, and some duct take-off collars to match the size of your duct at your local HVAC supply house. You can do all of this yourself for <$500 including purchasing the tools you need. Watch a few youtube videos on making ductwork and plenums to get an idea of what you need to do. I would then insulate it on the outside of the sheetmetal with a combination of foil faced poly iso rigid insulation and spray foam to fill in the gaps with foil tape at the corners rather than have that fiberglass board inside the plenum where it can collect dust and give off glass fibers. You can also buy what is called duct board and make your own, but I like the smooth sheetmetal inside with outside insulation better as long as you don't have rodents or other animals that can damage the insulation.

You also need to put some heavy plastic down on that dirt sub-grade to limit moisture rising up from the dirt - see that rust on the side of your existing unit.

 

Yes!!! It Sounds a bit like a DIY kit from the internet.

 

@arkie6 Thanks!

Great advice I have already started watching videos they usually make their own. But I like the idea having metal fab shop doing the big parts.

I have used mastic and real code approved tape. I have good snips I have air nibbler and air snips.

I already have thick fiber enforced white crawl space under lament product to go under it.

I don’t mind doing it myself. My work is just busy this time of year so I was going to sub it out.


@Conrad Yes I bought a kit but a climatmaster is the same unit that a contractor was going to install.
Same pump... DIY my labor.
No different than my DIY 12.5 KW solar install that has produced 105 MWh so far and paid it's self off in 4 1/2 years.

 

I just picked up my new Geothermal unit at the trucking terminal. Dropped off the old one to have it shipped back.

I found a Metal work shop that specializes in HVAC. They will make the plenum and supply duct work. They can do same day or next day service.

I bought mastic screws and code approved foil tape.

I have about 80% of the dirt filled back in. The weather has not been helpful lots of rain but I am still getting it done.

 

Rain just makes it more fun. I didn't know you could get payback on solar within our lifetime. I guess DIY does help.

 

We make enough solar power to cover our house usage and about 15K-18K EV miles a year on our Chevy Volt.
The last 5 years we have drove over 90K EV solar powered miles.

Here is our live solar production.
https://www.pvoutput.org/aggregate.jsp?id=23064&sid=20945&v=0&t=y


The loops are charged with water and antifreeze. They are holding pressure.

I have probably 98% air out I just have the manifold looped back into its self at this point.

I have about 20’ of trench open to the house that I can now start filling back in.

 

Nice. I would go solar but I have too many trees.

 

What are you using to flush?