Our Waterfurnace Geo system has a pond loop located ~250' from the house & the "figure-8" pipe loop has recently started to show above the water surface.I believe the pipe is 1 1/4"dia.. The installing contractor had originally sunk the loop (1999) with large cable ties & concrete blocks. I dug the backhoe trench that goes from the basement to the pond end. The cable ties have obviously broken & I want to re-sink the loop myself. The question is how? I've considered using Romex tied to blocks or sand bags placed on top of the loop. Sand bags might get some UV degradation, plus I don't have any of them. IDEAS??? Thanks!
Your "sandwich" gets weighted by what? Maybe, in my case: an "chain link umbrella" with blocks hanging on the corners?
I agree with Chris. Build a mat of chain link tied with wire. Drag it over the floating loop field then add rocks or broken concrete. Cinder blocks biodegrade in ponds. Mark
I can see how that serves as a good sink method. As to "building a mat of chainlink tied with wire"- doesn't a rectangle of chain link fence have enough structural integrity to stay together without a frame on the edges or wires? Is the suggestion to weave/thread extra wire through the fence for added strength? As to concrete blocks vs. rocks or concrete-I posted this same overall question, on a forum with "non-professional Geo people" answering back, last winter (when too cold to rectify the loop issue) & several said blocks won't last. Never heard the biodegrade notion but some said they fall apart under water. My e.g. of blocks & water is the spring water cistern we used for over 30 years which I built of blocks. It was 3/4 in ground & had a constant flow of water into one end (also had 1' overflow out one side) from a 1" pipe carrying spring water via gravity 1,400' from the spring toward the house. Size was ~10'L x 8'W x 7'D. I had a submersible pump in the bottom that pushed the water into the house & the bottom & top were poured concrete while the sides were blocks with a coating inside and on above ground portion of waterproof stucco. When the spring became less reliable and after being able to tap into a new waterline from road near house, I tore down the cistern with a backhoe-busting it up to within itself and covered with soil. As for blocks deteriorating: The blocks at the common water line inside had been damaged by water action and I'd gone in several times to repair them for water retention but they were still stable. The rest of the cistern was very strong and took considerable force to destroy! I'll use larger rocks to sink my loop this time as I have more rocks then blocks. Thanks so far! great idea on the chain link.
Playing a pond of water you want to make sure the chain link material does not roll up. It wants to cover the loops and the heavy stuff holds the loops down. The picture to the left shows loops about to be copper wired to core drilled chunks of side walk pieces. Mark
You can get "UV" resistant cable ties. Mark, the pic you attached looks like a lot of pipe in a very small hole. Not much heat exchange area for the ground. Do I miss anything?
So I googled UV resistant cable ties & many brands have them. NEMA.org has a statement as tio how it is often asked by contractors ,etc., how long do the last in exposed use. They are said to be tested under a zenon arc of some kind for 1,000 hours which led me to a "not have a real clue" in the end. Usually black but not always. How long have users seen them last in a pond loop? Given the perspective of that photo I see plenty of water. If you want understanding-hold up a fish in front of your belly thats around 2-3 #'s & it will look like a whopper in the picture if taken as that loop photo. I'm wondering if woven wire rock baskets(called Gabian baskets) as used on highway jobs would be the cheapest way to sink a loop? They come in many sizes and much cheaper than a chain link fence with a frame. I can buy a 9'L x 3'W x 1'D for $90 & 1.5' D for $98.
Doc: The hole is at the bottom of Zach's pond near Albany. As I remember the chain link fencing mat was 20' X 40' and is currently under 17' of water. Mark
Sure glad i do not have to dig up large rocks like that here in Southern NJ! God bless you non-NJ residents.
Southern NJ ( my area ) has little to no rock at all. If we come across rock, they are typically small. We are all clay, and saturated sands here.
