Ground Loops in Denver, Colorado, Geothermal Applications

You need a new heating and cooling system. Maybe you’re weighing the advantages of a new Geothermal HVAC. If so, you very likely want to know a little bit more about how such a system works.

Geothermal HVACs take consistent temperature from the ground to put hot or cool air into your home. This works 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 sorts of these systems are used for heating and cooling standard residential and commercial]26] buildings.

The way it works is, antifreeze fluid travels through the pipes to transfer heat effectively and efficiently down to a heat pump in the house.

Typically used are four different sorts of geothermal 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 right system for your house is determined by your structure and the property on which it sits. Household systems typically use vertical or horizontal loops.

Below are further explanations of each type of ground loop.

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

Vertical ground loops are the most common type used residentially because, unlike horizontal loops, they don’t need a lot of space. They’re installed by drilling tight-diameter holes in the ground that extend 100-400 feet deep. Then pipes are driven into the holes and connected under 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.

In contrast to a vertical loop system, a horizontal system has to have much more space but is usually not as costly because it uses 2 straight pipes placed 6 inches down in the ground in an area of ¼ to ¾ acre.

In order to make use of a pond loop system, it should go without saying that you must be near a pond, lake, pond, or well. Coils are installed vertically and attached to the bottom of the water source. Water is then moved through more pipes beneath the earth to a pump, where the heat is withdrawn and cool water is put back into the pond. However, in order for this system to work, the water can in no way be be acidic or else pipes will corrode and filters will have to be replaced often.

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

Typically, used water is disposed off in either of the following ways: through surface drainage or water re-injection. In returning the water back to the earth, it’s worth mentioning that there’s no pollution. The only difference in water that’s processed through a geothermal heat pump is a minor change in temperature.