I was wanting to hear some opinions on installations methods of horizontal loops. I have seen trenchers used and backhoes. I have seen a trencher used, 2 pipes laid in and a return bend fused on the end and buried. I have also seen 3' trenches dug with a backhoe and multiple loops installed and back-filled. The trencher method seems to be the least messy and maybe easier to use with a high water table if the pipe is placed in the trench as it is dug. Opinions??? What is the overall opinion here on directional boring? Is the ground contact with the HDPE adequate for the system to run correctly? Thanks!!!
IMHO the best excavation device is what is most available to you. Soil has an impact on choice as well. Trenchers for instance do not do well in damp or dry sand etc. Directional boring will work in the right soil, but it is often cheaper to repair the lawn than avoid disturbing it. J
Closed Loop, small suburban lot I have a 2.5 story house, 600 SF footprint, 2400 SF floor space, on a 5000 SF lot. I am planning to do a 300 SF addition. (so total footprint will be 900 SF, area about 3600 SF. It occurred to me that upgrading to GeoExchange might be more affordable at the time I do this work - I'll have a backhoe on the site!. I am North of Newark, NJ. Questions that come to mind are: 1. would it make any sense to install the ground loop under the new basement floor? (I am assuming a "Slinky" approach, given the size of the lot). they would just need a deeper hole in the ground. After 50 years, I might need to rip it out and pour a new basement or drill for vertical loops. 2. Is there a way to find out the depth of the water table, in order to consider vertical loop, groundwater, etc.? 3. Is it possible to find a demo house in Northern NJ or NY Metro area? Will it achieve our climate goals? 4. Or find an installer with references in my area? Thanks Seth
Seth,You are correct that while an addition is being constructed is a good time to consider geo. But adding a loop under the basement floor is not such a great idea, I would be concerned with possible heaving when the ground freezes and/or sufficient insulation in between the ground and the space you want to heat. I would assume that a horizontal loop would not work on a lot a small as yours and water table level is not a deal breaker as to vertical loop feasibility or performance. My company works in your area. So I can say without a doubt that geothermal performs great in this climate, the thing that challenges us most is our cost of electricity. I am going to send you a PM with my contact info
