I recently installed a four pipe.  Two pipes at eight feet and two at six.  I found it very time consuming and thought of how much easier it could be if one took six inch sod staples and just stapled the six foot runs to the side of the trench before any backfilling occured.  Then one could just backfill.  Has anyone ever heard of this.  Any potential cons anyone can think of??
Thanks

Most horizonal installs are slinkly style. You need about 500 ft per ton of pipe - this is due to the pipe heat resistance. Using your idea would require longer trenches I think - but I am not absolutely clear on what you are proposing.

We have stapled the pipe to the side of the trench....it works great and does save a lot of time

Dewayne: Any idea why this is not industry standard in stead of slinky coils?

Might be that with slinkies you get 8' of pipe per foot of trench vs 4' of pipe per foot of trench. We have done a lot of slinky jobs. They all work great.

I've heard 1000' per ton as a rule of thumb for Florida horizontals - not sure if that is slinky or not.

Our near-surface ground is warm, often dry and sandy, and our cooling season a bear.

Our installer in VA used the sod spikes for our 4 pipe installation. I thought it was a very clever time saving idea that should keep the pipes in the right place during backfilling. Not sure of the con's. They were at 5 feet and 3 feet for our area.

Here are some links for "sod staples".

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/outdoors/garden-center/easy-gardener/steel-fabric-and-sod-staples-75-pack-8313.html

http://www.gundogsupply.com/sodstaples.html

http://www.amazon.com/Triad-irrigation-and-Landscaping-Staples-Dripline/dp/B0006B07C4

I have surmised a few things in watching geo excavators.
Younger guys tend to do the multipipe (and yes staple pipes to walls) and older guys lean towards slinkies.
In many cases by me it seems to be a matter of practicallity.
Younger installers may not have barns and storage yet for off site work and slinky stockpiling. Horizontal multipipe systems require no off site prep and materials can be picked up on the way to job. Younger guys also are less adverse to spending the day in a trench.
Older guys (in tune with mortality) seem to want to spend less time in trenches and have facilities for off site prep. It also minimizes expensive operators site time.
Not making this about age but installers in my area seem to be divided that way.
My IGSHPA instructor stated once that the best thing to dig a trench with is....."what you have available". I think the ground loop style selection is similarly selected.
Joe

Joe.... well said and I would agree. We would do a slinky over a 4 pipe trench any day.

All that said, I have found six pipe trenches more suitable for sites with long, skinny areas available for excavation.
J