Ground-source or geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are similar to the air-source heat pumps, except that the source of heat is the ground instead of outdoor air.
Closed-Looped Systems
Horizontal
The horizontal type of installation is generally most cost-effective for residential installations, particularly for new construction where sufficient land is available. It requires trenches at least four feet deep.
Horizontal systems come in two types of layouts, the two pipes method and the slinky method.
Two Pipes
The most common horizontal layouts include:
Two Pipes Layout (Option 1) - One pipe buried at six feet, and another pipe buried at four feet.
Two Pipes Layout (Option 2) - Both pipes placed side-by-side at five feet in the ground in a two-foot wide trench.
The Slinky™ Method
The pipe is looped to allow more pipes in a shorter trench, which cuts down on installation costs and makes horizontal installation possible in areas not possible with conventional horizontal applications. Large commercial buildings and schools often use vertical systems because the land area required for horizontal loops would be prohibitive
Vertical
This type of system may be used when the soil is too shallow for trenching or when one does not want to disturb the existing landscaping.
For a vertical system, holes (approximately four inches in diameter) are drilled about 20 feet apart and 100 to 400 feet deep. Into these holes go two pipes that are connected at the bottom with a U-bend to form a loop. The vertical loops are connected with horizontal pipe (i.e., manifold), placed in trenches, and connected to the heat pump in the building
Benefits of GSHP
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