It is where heat is extracted from the earth to provide geothermal […] This is similar to the way refrigerant can leak from the coils of a conventional heat pump. A Geothermal design to heat and cool uses the natural constant ambient temperature of the earth to heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Although some problems require professional care, others you can easily correct yourself. Some people affectionately call open loop systems the “pump and dump” method. The pipe going from the water source/sink to the heat pump should still be buried between 4 and 6 feet deep in a trench to prevent freezing. For similar videos visit http://www.egggeo.comThis video shows an animation of 'pump and dump' or reinjection in geothermal systems Also, the end of your pipe should have a mesh filter at the very least to prevent large amounts of dirt (or fish) from being pulled in. Although you will save thousands of dollars in up front installation cost by going with an open loop system as opposed to a closed loop system, it’s not without punishment. You will pay a slight efficiency penalty with open loop systems, but the system will still be extraordinarily better than a conventional air cooled heat pump system. Because the water used in an open loop system never reaches “undisturbed deep earth temperature.” Well water can get close depending on depth, but lake water has a quite a temperature gradient. It Works Like Your Refridgerator. The minerals and particulates in an exposed water source with animal and plant life can decrease the efficiency of your heat exchanger. The intake filter housing must be off the bottom. We think you should, and to help you reach a conclusion that best fits your needs, we’re going to explain the meaning of the most common terms related to geothermal energy! Mineral deposits, acidity, animal secretions, and seasonal lake turnover can all be contributors to harmful water quality. Inspect coil and filter. Otherwise, the water coming from your faucet could be discolored, smelly, or unsafe to drink. Your home could feel less comfortable, and you may notice ice or frost on the above-ground part of your unit. Every geothermal system interacts with the Earth via some medium. If your geothermal system has corrosion on the heat exchange coils, then you should consider upgrading your system. They also last longer than other systems. Open loop systems geothermal systems are a great way to get a premium efficiency HVAC system in a very cost effective manner. Recently Dave Roush of Roush Plumbing & Heating in Marion, Ohio, finished replacing an aged prototype ground-source pump-and-dump geothermal heat pump with a brand new system in my parents’ home. Since that can’t happen without supplemental equipment (lowering system-wide efficiency), maximum efficiency is achieved when the water is at a moderate temperature. The first job called for us to drill three large-diameter (10-inch) production wells (approximately 600 gpm each) for Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School. Also, if this well is serving the domestic water use, you must add that to what the geothermal heat pump requires. This occurs best deep (400 feet or more) in the earth. If you have any questions after reading this article, or if you’d like a free, no-obligation evaluation in your home or business in the Ann Arbor or Dexter area, please call us today! Some piping and trenching is involved, but as long as the water is filtered, you should see great efficiency and a 20+ year lifetime out of your heat pump system. No Pumping, No Dumping Numerous municipal governments across the country have made "pump and dump" open loop geothermal units illegal. We advise to always have the strainer before the heat exchanger, but in many closed loop systems the only critical design factor is that the strainer be before the pump. An open loop geothermal system pipes clean ground water directly from a nearby aquifer to an indoor geothermal heat pump. Giving you the pros and cons of one of the most cutting edge energy technologies available. Both types of loop fields effectively link to the geothermal heat pump, however there are some distinct differences in how they function. The deeper the better, as the temperature of the water is more stable the lower the pipe. The other thing of note in an open loop system is to install the pipe strainer on the supply side of your geothermal line. There are a few differences in the routing of piping, but no difference in the piping itself (See here for our recommendations of pipe). A geothermal heat pump is one of the most trouble-free ways to heat and cool a home in the Delaware area. But all systems include the same basic operation – circulating a fluid that is in contact with the earth through a heat exchanger in order to … Why Proper Ventilation Is So Important for Your Hillview, KY Home, How to Tell if Your Heat Exchanger in Hillview, KY Is Broken, 3 Common Ductless Mini-Split Issues Homeowners Deal with. Geothermal systems include a wide variety of designs and operations. In order to maximize heat pump efficiency, you would want warm water to be used in heating mode and cool water to be used in cooling mode. Some systems are reversible and can do both. If you ignore the filter for too long, dust and dirt can become embedded inside the air coil, hurting the system. All Rights Reserved. Call One Choice Mechanical, LLC today to learn more about our geothermal s… Route this at least 10 feet from your house to prevent any possibility of accidental flooding or leakage. If you have an open loop system with your geothermal unit, also known as pump and dump, you should have your coax heat exchanger cleaned every year or two. That way, you won’t have to dig up large parts of your yard to find it. Unlike the more popular closed loop systems, an open loop system uses fresh water as the transfer medium. If you are drawing potable well water, this can be avoided. Geothermal heat pumps are called ground source heat pumps or GSHPs. You don’t HAVE to have any bulky “extra” equipment, and you can use the exact same heat pump. After the water leaves the home, it’s expelled back through a discharge well, which is located a suitable distance from the first. So-called “pump and dump” systems are heat pump wells that withdraw groundwater but do not re-inject the heat pump effluent. Call One Choice Mechanical, LLC today to learn more about our geothermal services. From inside your home or office, you won’t know the difference. use. However, if you are drawing from a pond or lake, we recommend a filter to protect your heat pump from heat exchanger degradation. 5. the valve in the house would be used only to prime the supply pipe and small pump. A dirty air filter, gaps in your ducts, or poorly designed ductwork could make some rooms feel chilly in winter. All you need is piping from the heat pump to your water source, and a trench to bury it in. If your system has an open loop that gets water from a nearby pond or well, you’ll need to make sure it’s filtered and free from debris. This function is essential to your system’s performance. One of the quickest and most cost efficient ways to install geothermal at your residence is an open loop geothermal system. A geothermal heat pump can help your Fairdale, Kentucky, home save energy and reduce pollution. traditional “pump and dump ,” the water in a GWTED is discharged back into the aquifer from which it was drawn. The one piece of equipment we do recommend is a small water filter, depending on your water source. Standard heat pump problems: Keep in mind that for all its advantages, a geothermal system is still a heat pump similar in many ways to an air-source heat pump and can suffer from the same types of repair problems. The Legislature set higher annual water use rates ($420/MGY) to Around 50 degrees F is a good place to start. How is Open Loop Different from Closed Loop Geothermal? A geothermal heat pump on an open loop needs at least 1.5 gallons per minute per ton. The wells were part of a three-phase project to convert the school from a conventional heating and cooling system to a geothermal “pump and dump” system. A dirty air filter, gaps in your ducts, or poorly designed ductwork could make some rooms feel chilly in winter. If you can install a geothermal open loop, you probably already have access to a well you can use. That’s it! The one piece of equipment we do recommend is a The interior cabinet components could suffer from breakdowns due to wear and tear, such as broken blower motors, electrical connection failures, and frost appearing over the coils. Many municipal and county governments forbid ‘pump-and-dump’ operations even though this type of geothermal operation does not pollute in anyway whatsoever. As exploitation of the geothermal reservoir progresses, Like most other HVAC systems, geothermal heat pumps use fans to move conditioned air through ductwork. The amount of water required for the operation of a geothermal heat pump on an open loop is 1.5 gallons per minute, per ton of capacity. The intake filter housing must be off the bottom. The good news is most of this pipe carries a 50 year warrantee (twice the expected life of a heat pump). Dig your trench to the water and secure it, but route the pipe even deeper after you have it submerged in the water. The temperature of the water may increase the flow requirements. The government just won't let you do it. Most of this pipe will be buried underground, never to be seen again.