Installation Guidelines

When designing a geothermal system for installation, there are a few guidelines to follow when deciding what sort of system to use. First and foremost, your decision of what type of geothermal to install is determined by your proximity to magma-heated pockets of steam or superheated water near the surface. This is a bit more common in the West and geothermal installations here may be passive or active geothermal ground loop installations.

A passive system simply uses the heat of the earth to keep the pipes at a steady 50F (~10C) or so. Either way, even small geothermal HVAC installations involve moving a significant amount of soil. Since this is a time consuming and dirty job that requires heavy machinery (or more digging than you’ve ever done in your life), this accounts for the lion’s share of the cost incurred with a typical geothermal heating installation.

The pipes themselves are cheap in comparison. Most geothermal installations also use some sort of pump to drive the current when it lags. Active, hot water or steam systems can usually drive themselves just fine.

Many homeowners, seeing how simple in concept geo-thermal heating is, will look into learning how to install their own geothermal pump system. If you’re even a little handy, most homeowners are up to the task – even installing large geothermal systems with nothing other than a backhoe and an installation manual.

Some areas even offer geo thermal installation classes. Such classes may be offered free of charge by building supply stores or non-profit organizations the support energy diversification with renewable energy solutions.

However, statistics show that most homeowners have a contractor install and design their geo-thermal systems. This is most often done when new homes are built. Pre-owned homes are usually updated with geothermal ground pumps by homeowners, themselves.

The cost savings associated with ground pump modifications is well worth the effort in every instance of sound design and competent installation, though the system may cost a few thousand dollars. The characteristics and location of your particular spot of ground will greatly influence the cost of the initial excavation. Most systems pay for themselves in the first few years of operation.

The best soils for heat transfer are those with fine moist grain that comes into good contact with the pipes. Areas where the yard isn’t long enough sometimes use buried coils, requiring just a few very deep holes.

Though you certainly don’t have to consult your neighbours before digging in your yard, you’ll need to make sure your design is following codes and regulations. A system that uptakes and discharges into a body of water will very likely be regulated one way or another.