Thoughts on this gshp

[Fordguy64]

Well I wired it up with 240 today. My meter actually read 246v. It seemed to run just fine I didn't run it long as we are getting a lot of ice today and didn't feel like getting the garden hose out. I ran it for 30 seconds or so just to verify that it at least kind of work and it appears to work fine. The coil got warm to the touch within that 30 seconds so I shut it down.

All in all I'm very happy with it..

Now all I have to do is decide how I want to install the ground loops. I know a guy at work that has a friend that has a drill rig that they have used to install there own geo systems. Or I can do slinky loops as I have the yard to do it in. And I think my uncle has a backhoe

[stevehull]

Fordguy,

Hook it up with hoses and run water through it to test it BEFORE you do a lot of digging. About 5 gallon per minute (20 liters/min) is about right. Measure the water input and output temps. Measure the air input and output temps. Let it run for a couple hours.

Your cost - the amount of water and maybe $1 in electricity . . .

Let us know.

This is awesome for $425!!!!!!!


Steve

[Fordguy64]

ill be sure to test it more before i actually start digging.. its just to cold in the garage currently

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Fordguy64

...Now all I have to do is decide how I want to install the ground loops. I know a guy at work that has a friend that has a drill rig that they have used to install there own geo systems. Or I can do slinky loops as I have the yard to do it in. And I think my uncle has a backhoe...

You are pretty lucky to not only have a bargain GSHP, but friends with heavy equipment to do either holes or trenches!

Vertical holes are harder to do because of the drilling, the layers of rocks you may encounter, and also the grouting. But because boreholes go deeper, they are less affected by seasonal temperature variations, which is important. In short, boreholes should be more efficient.

Trenches and slinkys or trenches and straight pipe are much easier to do if you have the space and they do work well. Somewhat less efficient, but much easier to do.

You should ask the locals about how much bore hole is required for a ton, or how much slinky is required. It varies from area to area, so local lore should be more reliable.

If it were me, I'd find out how much loop field is needed to meet the rated out put of your GSHP unit, then I'd make the loop field 50% bigger.

By the way, have you done a heat loss analysis on your house? Your whole project really ought to start there.

But now that you have the heat pump, it will determine your loop field size, and therefore the rate of heat output from your system.

You're kind of starting at the middle and working toward the end, if you know what I mean.

Here is the greatest source of information you can find about correctly doing your project. The manuals are a bit expensive, but with the money you already saved, and the additional money you'll save by having heavy equipment at your disposal, AND the money you will save when your system is correctly designed and built, the price is a true bargain.

I own manual #21020. It tells the whole story... I love it, you will too.

We have had people post here who have found copies in libraries, or used on Amazon, or maybe ebay. I have looked at a lot of manuals but the IGSHPA manuals are the best.

-AC

[Fordguy64]

I did a pretty quick heat load calc with one of the online calcs I don't remember what the number was but it was a little less the 30 so this unit should work ok. If it can keep up I have a fireplace insert and I've also thought about getting a pellet stove. There are 3 people at work that have geo installed one did the bore holes one has a pond system and the other has a horizontal system an d I have yet to talk to him yet. But the guy that did the bore holes said 200ft per ton was good and the guy with the pond system has a one acre pound that was 28ft deep and he has 4 100ft loops at the bottom for a 4 ton system. Apparently there is a local company called terra source that they talked to and the guy gave them free advice on what to install in the ground. But the purchased the indoor units and the hdpe pipe from him so I guess it wasn't really free hopefully ill get a chance to talk to the guy with horizontal set up soon

[stevehull]

Fordguy

Are you on a well? Your area has a LOT of available groundwater and an open loop system could work well (no pun intended). The "pump and dump" could also fill a small pond - useful in rural area to decrease insurance costs.

Steve

[Fordguy64]

I don't have a well I have thought about getting one but I'm just not sure it's worth the cost

[stevehull]

You will likely need three 200 foot deep boreholes for this to work appropriately. Drilling bore holes is NOT cheap! Here in Oklahoma it is about $1500 per bore hole.

You are drilling a water well when you drill a bore hole . . .

If you have the land, drilling a well may be a LOT cheaper than you think.

Steve