Ground Loops in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Geothermal Applications

You’ve finally gotten, or are contemplating getting, a a new heating and cooling system. Maybe you’re weighing the advantages of a new Geothermal HVAC. Whatever the case, you probably want to know a little 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 is possible because of an underground system called a geothermal ground loop.

Ground loops are pretty much just a system of pipes buried in the ground. A few basic types of geothermal loop systems are used for heating and cooling most residential and commercial buildings.

Antifreeze fluid goes through the pipes to get heat quickly and efficiently up to a heat pump in your home.

There exist four different kinds of geothermal 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 you is determined by your building and the property on which it sits. Household systems typically use vertical or horizontal loops.

Below are further explanations of each sort of ground loop.

Closed systems, which consist of vertical, horizontal, and pond loops, continuously circulate water through them.

Vertical ground loops are the most common type used residentially because, unlike horizontal loops, they don’t require much of space. They’re installed by drilling tight-diameter holes in the ground that go 100-400 feet deep. Then pipes are placed into the holes and connected below the ground to form the vertical loop. Next, extra pipes are attached that carry fluid to the indoor system to transfer the desired temperature from the ground.

A horizontal loop system takes up much more space but generally is less pricey considering it just uses 2 straight pipes set 6 inches in the earth over an area of ¼ to ¾ acre.

If you’re thinking of getting a pond loop system, you plainly must be near a pond, lake, pond, or well. Coils are installed vertically and
secured to the bottom of the water source. Water is then transferred through more pipes underground to a pump, where the heat is pulled out and cool water is put back into the pond. However, in order for this system to work, the water must not be acidic or else pipes will erode and filters will have to be replaced often.

The essential difference between open and closed looped systems is the open loop’s need for a sufficient 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 house or other structure.

There are two ways to take care of used water: through surface drainage or water re-injection. In returning the water back to the earth, it’s worth noting that there’s no pollution. The only difference in water that’s processed through a geothermal heat pump is a minor change in temperature.