Ground Loops in Olive Branch, Mississippi, Geothermal Applications

You’ve just gotten or are looking into getting a a new heating and cooling system. Maybe you’re weighing the advantages of a new Geothermal HVAC. If so, you probably want to know a little bit more about how geothermal works.

Geothermal HVACs variously cool and heat your home by extracting ground temperature. This can be done because of an underground system called a geothermal ground loop.

Ground loops are essentially just a system of pipes buried in the ground. There are various basic kinds of ground loop systems that can be used for heating and cooling most residential and commercial buildings.

It works when antifreeze fluid flows through plastic pipes to move heat quickly and efficiently to a heat pump in the building.

There exist four different sorts of ground loops: Open Loop, Pond Loop, Horizontal Loop and Vertical Loop. These are divvied up into two categories categories: either they’re open loop systems or closed loop systems. The best system for your house is determined by the specific structure and the environment surrounding it. Household systems typically use vertical or horizontal loops.

Below are further explanations of each type of ground loop.

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

Vertical ground loops are used commonly in residences because, unlike horizontal loops, they don’t take up much of space. They’re positioned by drilling small-diameter holes in the ground to a depth of 100-400 feet. Then pipes are inserted into the holes and connected below the ground to form the vertical loop. Next, more pipes are attached that channel fluid to the indoor system to transfer the needed temperature from the ground.

When compared to a vertical loop system a horizontal system takes up a lot more space but is usually less expensive considering it uses 2 straight pipes placed 6 inches in the ground over an area of ¼ to ¾ acre.

If you want a pond loop system, you obviously must be near a pond, lake, pond, or well. Coils are installed vertically and anchored to the bottom of the water source. Water is then transported through more pipes belowground to a pump, where the heat is extracted and cool water is put back into the pond. Nevertheless, in order for this system to work, the water must not be acidic or else pipes will decay and filters will need replacing often.

The major difference between open and closed looped systems is the open loop’s need for a sufficient source of groundwater, like a well or pond. From there, it directly pumps water into the heat pump unit for use in heating and cooling your dwelling or other structure.

Generally speaking, used water is taken care off in either of these ways: through surface drainage or water re-injection. In returning the water back to the earth, it is important to note that pollution is not a by-product. The only difference in water that’s processed through a geothermal heat pump is a minor change in temperature.