Faq
Horizontal installations are simpler, requiring lower-cost equipment. However, they require longer lengths of pipe due to seasonal variations in soil temperature and moisture content. Since a horizontal heat exchanger is laid out in trenches, a larger area is usually required than for a vertical system. Where land is limited, vertical installations or a compact Slinky™ horizontal installation can be ideal. If regional soil conditions include extensive hard rock, a vertical installation may be the only available choice. Vertical installations tend to be more expensive due to the increased cost of drilling versus trenching, but since the heat exchanger is buried deeper than with a horizontal system, vertical systems are usually more efficient and can get by with less total pipe. GeoPro Design will be able to help you decide which configuration best meets your specific needs.
With the vertical installation, time varies with conditions on the site such as type and depth of the overburden, type and hardness of the bedrock, and the presence of aquifers. Typical drilling times are one or two days; total installation can usually be accomplished in two days
This depends on soil conditions, length and depth of pipe, and equipment required. A typical installation can be completed in one or two days.
Trenches are spaced 1.5m to 2.5m apart while boreholes are spaced 3 to 8 m apart.
It's not recommended. Thermal fusion of the pipe, drilling and trenching are procedures best handled by licensed professionals. Nonprofessional installations may result in less than optimum performance, which could cancel out anticipated savings.
Nearly all GSHP system manufacturers offer a warranty for major components that is equivalent to the warranties for conventional heating and cooling systems. Manufacturers of plastic pipe used for ground loops warrant their products for 50 years.
GSHPs are durable and highly reliable. The GSHP contains fewer mechanical components, and all components are either buried in the ground or located inside the home, which protects them from outside conditions. The underground pipe carries up to a 50-year warranty.
Yes. A GSHP can be a combination heating/cooling and hot water heating system. You can change from one mode to another with a simple flick on your indoor thermostat. Using a desuperheater, some GSHPs can save you up to 50% on your water-heating bill by preheating tank water.
Currently installed systems are making a huge difference in our environment! The systems are eliminating more than 3 million tons of carbon dioxide and this is equivalent of taking 650,000 cars off the road! GSHP systems conserve energy and, because they move heat that already exists rather than burning a fuel to create heat, they reduce the amount of toxic emissions in the atmosphere. They use renewable energy from the sun, and because the system doesn't rely on outside air, it keeps the air inside the buildings cleaner and free from pollens, outdoor pollutants, mould spores and other allergens.
GSHP systems conserve natural resources by providing climate control very efficiently, therefore lowering emissions. GSHPs also minimise ozone layer destruction by using factory-sealed refrigeration systems, which will seldom or never have to be recharged.
Yes, there are grants/ schemes available. Please check our grants and incentives page for further information.
The initial investment for a GSHP system is greater than that of a conventional system. However, when you consider the operating costs of a geothermal heating, cooling and water heating system, energy savings quickly offset the initial difference in purchase price.
You will save money in both operating costs and maintenance costs. Investments in some cases can be recouped in as little as three years.
Grants and incentives are available for renewable projects from local governments.
Yes! Many GSHP systems are being installed using a multitude of systems linked up to an array of buried vertical or horizontal loops. This then simplifies zone control and internal load balancing.
They are extremely safe and protected.
There is no exposed equipment outdoors therefore children and pets cannot injure themselves or damage exterior units. GSHPs have no open flame, no flammable fuel or potentially dangerous fuel storage tanks.
No, they are very quiet, providing a pleasant environment both inside and outside the home with no noisy fans outside as with air conditioning units. Although they do create a background noise, so its advisable to install them away from living areas and bedrooms.
The GSHP is one of the most efficient heating and cooling systems available today, with heating efficiencies 50 to 70% higher than other heating systems and cooling efficiencies 20 to 40% higher than available air conditioners.
Most of the GSHP is underground, inside the house the unit is about the size of a regular fridge.
Using what is called a desuperheater, GSHPs turn waste heat to the task of heating hot water. During the summer, when the system is in cooling mode, your hot water is produced free as a by-product of the thermal process. In winter, wit the heating mode, the desuperheater heats a portion of your hot water.
No, A GSHP can be a combination heating/cooling and hot water system. You can change from one mode to another by a flick of a switch.
Ground source heat pump systems will reduce your heating and cooling costs regardless of how well your home is insulated. However, insulating and weatherising are key factors in gaining the maximum amount of savings from any type of heating and cooling system.
No. Research has shown that loops have no adverse effects on grass, trees or shrubs. Most horizontal installations require trenches about six inches wide. Temporary bare areas can be restored with grass or sod. Vertical loops require little space and do not damage lawns significantly.
Yes, in most cases. GeoProDesign will be able to determine ductwork requirements and if any modifications are needed.
]
