Ground Loops in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Geothermal Applications

You’ve just purchased or are looking into getting a a new heating and cooling system. Maybe you’re partial to the idea of a new Geothermal HVAC. Whatever the case, you undoubtedly want to know a little bit more about how such a system works.

Geothermal HVACs variously cool and heat your home by extracting ground temperature. This can be done because of an underground system called a geothermal ground loop.

Ground loops are essentially just a system of pipes buried in the ground. There are various basic kinds of these systems that can be used for heating and cooling ordinary residential and commercial]26] buildings.

It works when antifreeze fluid travels through plastic pipes to move heat quickly and efficiently up to a heat pump in your home.

There exist four different kinds of geothermal ground loops: Open Loop, Pond Loop, Horizontal Loop and Vertical Loop. All four fall into one of two categories: either they’re open loop systems or closed loop systems. The right system for your home is contingent on the building and its surroundings. Residential systems typically use vertical or horizontal loops.

Below are more specifics on each sort of ground loop.

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

Vertical ground loops are used most often in residences because, unlike horizontal loops, they don’t need much of space. They’re positioned by drilling small-diameter holes in the ground to a depth of 100-400 feet. Then pipes are driven into the holes and connected under ground to form the vertical loop. Next, more pipes are attached that carry fluid to the indoor system to transfer the desired temperature from the ground.

When compared to a vertical loop system a horizontal system takes up a lot more space but actually doesn’t cost as much because it just uses 2 straight pipes placed 6 inches in the earth over an area of ¼ to ¾ acre.

In order to install a pond loop system, it should go without saying that you must be close to a pond, lake, pond, or well. Coils are installed vertically and anchored to the bottom of the water source. Water is then transferred through more pipes beneath the earth to a pump, where the heat is withdrawn and cool water is returned to the pond. Nevertheless, in order for this system to work, the water must not be acidic or else pipes will erode and filters will need replacing often.

The key difference between open and closed looped systems is the open loop’s need for a sufficient source of groundwater, a well or a pond, for example. From there, it directly pumps water into the heat pump unit to be used in heating and cooling your house or other structure.

Most often, used water is taken care off in either of the following ways: through surface drainage or water re-injection. In returning the water back to the earth, it is crucial to note that there’s no pollution. The only difference in water that’s processed through a geothermal heat pump is a slight change in temperature.