help required for Geothermal Pipe work

[houtslager]

Well peeps its been a loooooooong time since my last post, and here's a humdinger!
I need to install a geothermal loop in my "garden"for a heat pump, only over the last week I cannot find info on a typical BORE size or the pipe sizes.The depth I can find but more ????????

So if there is ANYONE who can point me in the right direction I would appreciate the help.
Ta much, from HS in a cold NW Germany

 

[DaveL]

Hi HS,

No idea about the pipe but is this to heat the workshop? Could be a useful technique. Please keep us posted on how it works out.

 

[Neomorph]

I'm probably wrong here but doesn't geothermal mean getting heat from the earth's core???? :shock:

 

[DaveL]

I'm probably wrong here but doesn't geothermal mean getting heat from the earth's core???? :shock:

So HS just needs a very long bit of pipe as well as a long handle on his spade. :shock: :roll: :wink:

 

[Neomorph]

I'm probably wrong here but doesn't geothermal mean getting heat from the earth's core???? :shock:

So HS just needs a very long bit of pipe as well as a long handle on his spade. :shock: :roll: :wink:

Yeah and hope that he doesn't go down too far. Lava in your garden has a habit of causing corrosion to your tools... your house... the neighbourhood... and then you get many people yelling at you! Well that is if you manage to outrun the new volcano. :lol:

The alternative is that disaster movie "Crack In the World!" although he would need a nuke missile to finish the drilling. :shock:

Tends to make a disaster of drilling into a water pipe into something piffling. :wink:

 

[Alf]

Gosh, HS, I didn't think geothermal stuff was really DIY... A look around on Google suggests you buy the U-shaped pipe all ready to go, so presumably buy the system and you automatically get the right stuff? I'm also getting the impression there's more to it than just burying a length of pipe in your back garden... Good luck, though.

Cheers, Alf

 

[jasonB]

Does the size of the pipe depend on the inlet & outlet diameter of your intended heat pump, the length of pipe & size of trench will be determined by the BTU output that you require.

When I have seen pictures of them being installed I would say that the pipe is approx 25mm bore, ideally the joints should be thermal welded so not a DIY job and good back filling of the trench is important.


There are two types of geothermal, one where a bore hole is sunk deep into the ground and the other where a coil of pipe several hundread meters long is burried in a trench 1-2m deep that uses the solar heat that is absorbed into the soil from the sun, I assume we are talking about the later.

Jason

 

[RogerS]

There are two types of geothermal, one where a bore hole is sunk deep into the ground and the other where a coil of pipe several hundread meters long is burried in a trench 1-2m deep that uses the solar heat that is absorbed into the soil from the sun, I assume we are talking about the later.

Jason

Just to be a bit pedantic, my understanding was that there was only one type of geothermal...ie the one that goes vertical and taps the EARTHS core temperature. The type that is laid horizontal just below the surface of the ground relies on tapping radiated energy from the sun. But then again I could be wrong

In the UK there was a scheme to get financial aid towards installing a geothermal system but I believe the funds may have dried (no pun intended) up

 

[houtslager]

well after 3 months of research into a green build project, and the cost of having gas intalled to the house €1500 :shock:
Then the cost of a combi boiler to do the heating @ € 8000 :shock:
I found that a GTHP ( geothermal heat pump) system could be installed for about € 14000 With the main advantage it costs about € 10 per DAY to run.That being the cost of electricity to power the pumps needed to recirculte the GT fluid and the water in the floor heating.As of lasty night I found some more info.
There are 2 types of set up
1. horizontal - deep trench with coiled/ringed polyethelyn piping at a depth of +/- 3m and about 100m per Kw heat
2. verticle - a bore hole of a minimum depth of 60m (150ft) for each Kw heat.
As my garden is fairly small at 1200m2, to dig a trench in that would be fairly impractical, so I am opting for a bore hole.LIke one for a well, only 2 pipes go down and is then capped to protect the pipework.
BUT, I could not find out any info on the pipe diameter, so if anyone can offer any info , or point me in the direction of a firm/study group/ research facility
I would appriciate the help.

Ta much HS

 

[Paul Chapman]

There was a television programme a few weeks ago and it featured a teacher who was installing various green energy systems at his school. One of the systems (not yet finished) was a geothermal one of the type you describe. I can't remember which channel it was on but it would have been BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 or Channel 5 because that's all I've got.

It's a long shot but a trawl of the TV stations might enable you to identify the programme, contact the school and via them get some contacts.

Paul

 

[DaveL]

Well talk about spooky, the goolge add at the bottom of this page when I viewed it was for Residential Tranquility 27™ and Tranquility 20™ Packaged Series they are geothermal heat pump based heating systems, might be worth a look.

 

[RogerS]

Put in this search term into Google and UK ....geothermal heat pump bore size...stacks of info plus links to more info.

First example refers to 150mm dia hole and so with two pipes needed that gives you a starting point, I guess.

Even if pipe diameters aren't spec'd the flow rate is and so that can be worked out from first principles. Actually looking at the pictures it looks like 22mm maybe 28mm at a pinch

Must confess I looked into this last year and came to the conclusion that the economics just didn't stack up unless I was going to live there for at least 15 years. Better, more insulation and draughtproofing was going to be far more cost effective.