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Geothermal using lake water

Last Post 30 Sep 2008 11:30 PM by joe.ami. 7 Replies.

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fly840

New Member

Posts:47

27 Sep 2008 11:55 AM
Sorry if this is already posted here. I am building on a steep lake lot in Alabama and would like to know if anyone here has any experience/knowledge of using the lake to immerse geothermal lines in. The lake does not freeze and I would be able to attain at least 30 feet of depth. The distance from the house to the lake is approx 100 feet. If anyone has any resources they could direct me to I would appreciate it. Thanks. Bill

Palace Geothermal User is Offline

Veteran Member

Posts:1609

27 Sep 2008 01:52 PM
Lake loops are quite common and work very well. Are you going to involve a contractor or do this your self?

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

fly840

New Member

Posts:47

27 Sep 2008 05:22 PM
I built the house using ICFs and SIPs myself but will not tackle this part. I am most concerned with finding a contractor to properly size up my project as opposed to a 'rule of thumb'. On a related subject, if I go with lake geothermal do I need solar hot water, which I have always planned on using? I see from some posts that you can use residual heat to heat domestic hot water. Bill

Palace Geothermal User is Offline

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Posts:1609

27 Sep 2008 05:36 PM
You can search for installers here. Try and get at least three bids, make sure they all do a Manual J heat load calculation, and get a list of references. After you get the bids, we can help you evaluate them. Good luck and keep in touch.

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

fly840

New Member

Posts:47

28 Sep 2008 09:42 AM
Thank you very much Dewayne. Bill

Palace Geothermal User is Offline

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Posts:1609

28 Sep 2008 03:19 PM
You are most welcome

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

engineer

Veteran Member

Posts:2749

28 Sep 2008 09:58 PM
Solar hot water isn't excluded by a geo system, but the ability to desuperheat a geo system's refrigerant can cut domestic hot water cost by half or more, depending on individual circumstances (system tonnage, number of occupants, use of a preheat tank, etc.) The reduced cost of hot water increases payback period for a solar system.

Curt Kinder <br><br> The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is - Winston Churchill <br><br><a href="http://www.greenersolutionsair.com">www.greenersolutionsair.com</a>

joe.ami

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30 Sep 2008 11:30 PM
In many areas, the rule is public lake not for private use. In other words, unless you own the lake by yourself, you may not be allowed to drop geo loops in. If the answer is no, then you might consider open loop if water quality is good. Joe

Joe Hardin www.amicontracting.com We Dig Comfort! www.doityourselfgeothermal.com Dig Your Own Comfort!