Ground Loops in Salem, Oregon, Geothermal Applications

It’s time for you to get a new heating and cooling system. Maybe you’re considering a new Geothermal HVAC. Whatever the circumstances, you very likely want to know a little bit more about how one works.

Geothermal HVACs take consistent temperature from the ground to deliver hot or cool air to your home’s interior. This can be done because of an underground system called a geothermal ground loop.

Ground loops are basically just a series of pipes buried in the earth. Various basic kinds of ground loop systems are used for heating and cooling conventional residential and commercial]26] buildings.

Antifreeze fluid goes through these plastic pipes to move heat fast and efficiently down to a heat pump in your home.

Typically used are four different sorts of ground loops: Open Loop, Pond Loop, Horizontal Loop and Vertical Loop. All four fall into one of two categories: either they’re open loop systems or closed loop systems. The right system for your home is dependent on your structure and the environment surrounding it. Household systems usually use vertical or horizontal loops.

Below are additional details on each kind of ground loop.

Closed systems, which include vertical, horizontal, and pond loops, continuously push water through them.

Vertical ground loops are the most common type used residentially because, unlike horizontal loops, they don’t require a significant amount of space. They’re installed by drilling small-diameter holes in the ground to a depth of 100-400 feet. Then pipes are placed into the holes and connected under ground to form the vertical loop. Next, extra pipes are attached that channel fluid to the indoor system to transfer the needed temperature from the ground.

In contrast to a vertical loop system, a horizontal system takes up much more space but is typically less expensive considering it just uses 2 straight pipes placed 6 inches down in the ground within an area of ¼ to ¾ acre.

If you’re partial to a pond loop system, you obviously must be near a pond, lake, pond, or well. Coils are installed vertically and affixed to the bottom of the water source. Water is then transferred through more pipes underground to a pump, where the heat is withdrawn and cool water is put back into the pond. That said, in order for this system to work, the water must not be acidic or else pipes will corrode and filters will need replacing often.

The essential difference between open and closed looped systems is the open loop’s need for an ample source of groundwater, such as a well or pond. From there, it directly pumps water into the heat pump unit to be used in heating and cooling your home or other structure.

Normally, used water is disposed off in either of the following ways: through surface drainage or water re-injection. In returning the water back to the earth, it is important to note that there’s no pollution. The only difference in water that’s processed through a geothermal heat pump is a modest change in temperature.