Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 15 Nov 2008 06:44 AM |
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I am going to be getting a system installed and will be using the horizontal slinkey setup. Iwas wondering if anyone has heard of standying the slinkey up on end and only digging a trench 1' wide versus digging 4' or so wide and laying them down? I was also told the trench would be 6' deep and the loops would be 3' round so that lets me 3' below ground and fill in around the slinkey using limestone dust. Wanted some opinion. |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 15 Nov 2008 09:41 AM |
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Hi, Welcome to the forums. I have a slinky system on my house. My trenches are 1' wide by 9' deep. It works great. You can see how it performs here. I would suggest going deeper than 6' unless you are in an area that doesn't get very cold in the winter or hot in the summer. |
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 15 Nov 2008 06:00 PM |
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Hi,
It took me awhile to find a place on the internet to talk about this. I am not real smart when it comes to all the technical stuff. I know he told me there would be 4,000' of 3/4 inch pipe in a total of five trenches. I know our frost level is around 2 -3' .I live in Fort Ashby, WV. It is about 25 minutes from Maryland. It will be a 5 ton spit system. With the air handler in one location and the compressor in another.It will also help heat my domestic hot water. I have 3,800 sq. ft. to heat and cool. I currently have a 3.5 ton out side set up with electric backup in the basement. I am planning on intalling the ground loop my self since I have the equipment from when I was doing Home Improvement. Is the Lime stone dust a good idea? Also how far apart should they be spaced? |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 15 Nov 2008 07:51 PM |
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I have no experience with lime stone dust. Recommended trench spacing is 10' |
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 15 Nov 2008 08:01 PM |
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I was thinking limestone dust because I can wet it down and get it to settle around the pipe. What do you think about the amount of pipe? It appears you have a good bit more than I was told to use and a larger diameter with less sq. ft. to heat. If you don't mind me asking what part of the country do you live in? |
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joe.ami
Veteran Member
Posts:4377
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| 15 Nov 2008 11:01 PM |
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In MI, a vertical slinky would be placed to average 5' deep and average 600'/3/4" pipe/ton.
J |
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Joe Hardin
www.amicontracting.com
We Dig Comfort!
www.doityourselfgeothermal.com
Dig Your Own Comfort! |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 16 Nov 2008 06:30 AM |
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joe 5' is that the bottom of your trenches. What kind of temp. do you see winter and fall? |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 16 Nov 2008 06:33 AM |
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Forgot to mention they are telling me 800' 3/4pipe per ton |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 16 Nov 2008 11:08 AM |
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I am in Salt Lake City Utah. As for loop length, 800' of 3/4" per ton will do the job. If you are doing the installing, pipe is cheap. More pipe will give you better efficiency. Going deeper will also give you better efficiency. I would go deeper before adding more pipe. If you loop is 3' diameter  , your trench needs to be at least 7.5' deep to have an average depth of 5'. See photo below |
 Attachment: ScreenHunter_1.jpg
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 16 Nov 2008 01:45 PM |
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Thanks Dean that will help me alot.The pipe is already ordered should be here the middle of the week so I will have to stick with the 800' per ton . But I do plan on going deeper now. I really can not wait to get this system put in and see what it can do. And show all my family and friends what I save in electric. They all thought I should get an outside wood burner. Thats what there into. And always cutting wood and buying coal. |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 16 Nov 2008 03:56 PM |
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Has anyone ever put sand around the pipe. If so how well does it work? |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 16 Nov 2008 04:14 PM |
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dry sand is not a very good conductor. I your soil is moist, then sand works great |
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 16 Nov 2008 04:48 PM |
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what would be the best? |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 17 Nov 2008 08:50 AM |
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Posted By Gotta have it on 11/16/2008 4:48 PM
what would be the best? The limestone dust sounded pretty good to me.
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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JackH
New Member
Posts:37
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| 17 Nov 2008 05:53 PM |
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Hey Dewayne
That is a very interesting slinky layout. I never saw it showed, standing up like that. Is that something that you decided to try on your own. Seems like it would work in some tight field applications. What kind of distance do you recommend between trenches? And do you see any draw backs from installing that way? And or you below frost line completely?
Thanks Jack |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 17 Nov 2008 07:54 PM |
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Jack,
Vertical slinkies have been around for a long time. 10' spacing is recommended. Frost line around here is about 3', I am down 5-6'. Purging the air out of this type takes more effort. Once it is in, works great. |
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 24 Nov 2008 06:14 AM |
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I got to start digging yeasterday. The first trench is dug I got it to a depth 7.5' . How precise does your depth have to be without harming me in anyway? Some spots are not 7.5' and some are more. So far it has been all clay and very little rock. Also when I put my feed and returns thru my foundation how far should I space them? |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 24 Nov 2008 08:44 AM |
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The average depth is what matters. Don't worry too much about keeping the bottom of the trench precise. Foundation penetration spacing , 6" minimum, more if you have the space inside. |
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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Gotta have it
New Member
Posts:19
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| 24 Nov 2008 09:01 PM |
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When you say 6"minimum do you mean 6" between the feed and return of one each ton. If so would or could I space all the feeds closer then keep 6" space and put all the returns close. |
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Palace Geothermal
Veteran Member
Posts:1609
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| 24 Nov 2008 09:06 PM |
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Are you bringing all of the lines into your house and then building the manifold inside or will the manifold be outside? |
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Dewayne Dean
<br>www.PalaceGeothermal.com<br>Why settle for 90% when you can have 400%<br>We heat and cool with dirt!<br>visit- http://welserver.com/WEL0114/- to see my system |
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