DIY Digging trenches for Geothermal

[Code54]

I try and map everything but we always lay survey tape and often some wire above anything we bury that we care about. The wire is close to the surface for the metal detector to pick up and the survey tape about ½ down so if your digging and a piece of plastic tape comes up it is time to STOP.

 

[Bremse]

I would definitely run tracer wire in the trench to help locate the loops in the future. Pictures with reference points are a good idea as well

 

[ovrszd]

Geothermal loops out of sight, out of mind, until???
Our system has been in the ground eleven years and performing beautifully. At the time it was laid the contractor furnished a hand drawn map with coordinates allegedly locating the location of the layout and having no reason to doubt it痴 accuracy I simply filed the map with other essential household information.
Fast forward to three weeks ago. My wife and I retrieved the map to flag the location the buried grid in preparation for the erection of our new solar arrays.
With flags in the ground and the solar system located, drilling for the supports commenced and to our absolute horr we discovered the original geo map was over 20 out of sink with reality thus breaching three out of the five loops with one of the solar piers.
Since the solar company was working from information we furnished and the information we received from the original (now deceased and business closed) geo installer was inaccurate we took a big bite in the bank account for the repair bill.
The moral of the story, check, double check, take pictures, or better yet use global positioning and know where your buried stuff is.
One never knows what the future brings

B. John

Yep. A drone is also a useful tool.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I would definitely run tracer wire in the trench to help locate the loops in the future. Pictures with reference points are a good idea as well

I put a 2" pvc pipe with a cap at ground level at each end of my loops. And lots of pictures...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Another option if you don稚 have enough land for horizontal is an open loop system. You need a well and a place to dump the water. If your domestic well produces enough flow you don稚 need to drill a new one. The system takes water out of the well, runs it through the heat exchanger and then dumps it into a ditch or creek or dry well. That痴 what I have and it works great. If you have the well already or need it anyways for domestic water then the cost ist a lot less than a closed loop system.

This works very "well" if you are over a good aquifer. I know one guy who did this. Very few will have this good of water supply.

 

[Gofast]

I have all my loops run. I have about 200 foot covered back up 2' - 3' My 1710 FEL is doing a good job. It has many hours of work ahead of it.
It needs to move 400 cubic yards of soil. Not sure I could do this without my new BXpanded Piranha toothbar. Red clay is not soft.

The mini Ex went home today.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...gging-trenches-geothermal-20181206_173644-jpg

 

[irvingj]

Bremse, we used to call that a "pump & dump" system... I just couldn't bring myself to do that. Used a manifolded double 3/4" loop down the well, right along with my pump & supply line. That has worked fine, installed about 30 years ago when we built. My personal feeling, for the past 40 years or so, is that water is going to be the new oil -- we're gradually poisoning our supplies of fresh, clean water.

 

[Gofast]

I was amazed how well my tractor is doing back filling the trenches. I was able to spend 5 hours back filling using the dirt between the two trenches.
I got a lot done. Very impressed with the tractor. I have 440 cubic yards to fill the trenches in both were dug a little long.
Here are the trenches partly filling in it is going to rain for the next 3 days so it will be a while before I can finish.

 

[ovrszd]

Lookin good. Remember, patience is a virtue.

 

[edgarrian]

I need answer to an odd question

Here we go

My buddy and I were discussing the cost associated with Geo thermal. I told him that I think part of the reason for them to be as expensive as they are is bc of the federal tax credit. Is that a good assumption b/c seems to think its not and i don't understand his thinking.

Thanks