Installation Of Geothermal Piping 040809

Installing WWAS’ Horizontal Geothermal field

How Geothermal Works Geothermal heat pumps are similar to ordinary heat pumps, but instead of using heat found in outside air, they rely on the stable, even heat of the earth to provide heating & air conditioning. A few feet below the earth's surface, the ground remains at a relatively constant temperature. Ever been inside a cave in the summer? The air underground is a constant temperature (~55 degrees), thus cooler than the air outside. During the winter, that same cave temperature is warmer than the air outside. That's the principle behind geothermal heat pumps. In the winter, they move the heat from the earth into your house. In the summer, they pull the heat from your home and discharge it into the ground. (text from: www.consumerenergycenter.org)

A very thick HDPE pipe is used

A trenching unit was used to create long narrow, 4-5 foot deep trenches

The trenches are only about 8” wide

The machine operator creates the trenches…

While a second crew member wrestles the piping into the trench!

The pipe trenches run almost the complete length of the building

Braving the mud to install the pipe

The great folks from Snedegar Construction dug the trenches and laid the piping for WWAS’

geothermal field. Thank you, guys!

Watch for more slide shows documenting the installation our

heating and cooling components as the project progresses:

> Geothermal furnace unit> In slab radiant heat in concrete

floor> High efficiency supplemental

gas boiler