geothermal questions and possible DIY

[5030]

Here's what a 5' x 5' dig for a loop looks like - lucky no rocks!


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Works in sand, not here.

 

[arto98607]

Works in sand, not here.

It's all clay in the photo!

 

[arto98607]

..............snip.................

I don't much care for the output either. The air always 'feels' cool to me.

Maybe he should slow down the fan speed (air volume) a little bit, but it's never going to be hot air.

Low to mid 90's at best, but thats perfectly OK in my experience.

 

[dodge man]

If the electric heat is running in the geothermal it was probably undersized. We have had temps well below zero and my backup electric heat doesn’t kick in. The only time it kicks on is if you start jacking with the thermostat and turn it up more than one degree at a time.

 

[5030]

I have no idea as it's not my wheelhouse, it's his. I'll never have geothermal anyway. I have biomass and all my corn is free so I have basically free heat. I heat the house and shop and my total electrical consumption is about 300 watts per hour for both stoves. Keeo the house at 70 and the shop at 65 no matter what the ambient is and the entire cost is basically free.

 

[Popgadget]

Back up heat for a geothermal?
My open loop has worked fine for the last 40 years with no backup installed.
Duct temperatures over 100.

Of course my incoming water is always in the 50’s unlike a closed loop. I would not consider a closed loop system because of the lower efficiency and higher installation cost.

Modern air to air efficiency makes a closed loop an even harder choice to justify.

 

[5030]

Whatever. Not mine and my heat is essentially free anyway.

 

[ponytug]

Heatpumps in general should have much larger air ducting system due to large air volume needed in order to operate efficiently.

For optimum performance your current forced air duct-work may need some extensive redoing depending how it was sized?

We've had a closed loop Climate Master 2-stage geothermal unit for a long time now and the air coming out of the registers is in the low 90's F when operating at the max heating output.

Cheers


PS. I think they are offering variable speed single compressor models nowadays - anyone here who has experience with those?


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Why do you say that the ductwork needs altering? Just curious, as it doesn't seem obvious to me why. (The house needs X thousand BTUs/day, whether or not it comes from oil / gas/ heat pump, right?)

All the best, Peter

 

[arto98607]

Why do you say that the ductwork needs altering? Just curious, as it doesn't seem obvious to me why. (The house needs X thousand BTUs/day, whether or not it comes from oil / gas/ heat pump, right?)

All the best, Peter

I said 'may need some extensive redoing depending how it was sized'

At lower temperature more air volume is needed in order to get the BTUs into the living quarters, but if the ducting is too small (IE. sized for system, like natural gas etc.), the air flow velocity in the ducting will become uncomfortable due to noise etc.

Yes you can get the BTUs through undersized ducts if the fan & motor are big enough, but I would no want to live in a house like that!

Hope that helps.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I bought backhoe and did it myself.