HVAC Trends: The Underground Installation

You can find different HVAC trends available on the internet anytime. As you know, some of these are finding alternative energy methods from various elements. Aside from convenience, it is also a cheaper way of creating energy for your HVAC system. To name a few, some are using water for hydroelectricity. Meanwhile, solar energy from the sun is also quite popular for the past years. However, one of the latest trends could be extracting energy from the ground to heat or cool an area. This is by using a geothermal energy heat pump or GHP.

Why do you need a GHP installation?

Indeed, GHP is now the latest trend in HVAC. However, is it worth it to use this method of collecting energy? The answer would be yes.

There are a lot of disadvantages when you use elements as your energy exchange source. For example, hydroelectricity would not be beneficial if you do not have an abundant source of water. Thus, it is not ideal for buildings around the city. Meanwhile, solar energy is not the perfect choice if you live in a colder area with less sun exposure. However, these will not be a problem for the underground installation of GHP. 

Even in winter, GHP can work well on supplying energy for your HVAC system. The fluid (water or antifreeze solution) in pipes will collect heat from the earth. It will then bring it through the system and straight into the facility. After that, an indoor unit will compress the heat, concentrate it, and release it into a warmer aid. Meanwhile, an opposite cycle happens in the summer. The HVAC system will pull the building heat out and transfer it into the heat pump. From then on, the earth will accept the heat back. It is also very convenient as the only electricity you would use is for operating the pumps. To make facilitation easier, it is also best to install HVAC access doors that will help maintain the system.

Types of Geothermal HVAC

There are three main parts of the GHP, and these are the heat pump unit, the ductwork, and the loop. Depending on the building's location, you can choose different loop systems to work correctly for your HVAC system. You must also remember that the cost, stable conditions, and climate can impact the way your GHP will do. Here are some of the geothermal HVAC that you can choose from:

Closed-loop horizontal

If you are looking for a cost-effective system a closed-loop horizontal system would be your first choice. This is also best for residential buildings. It will trench up to three feet deep below the ground with a parallel set of pipes. When buying the right type of line, make sure to choose high-density polybutylene or polyethylene. Trenches at least three feet deep are dug, and a series of parallel pipes are set. To make it more workable, you can coil the line to assist horizontal installation. 

 Closed-loop vertical

Is your next project a school or commercial building? If yes, then a closed-loop vertical HVAC is for you. In this system, you will bore foud-inch diameter holes, which are 20' apart from each other. Right then, you will insert a pipe to each hole and connect them by thermal fusion. The horizontal lines are what we call manifold and this curry fluid to the heat exchanger, vice-versa. The loops you will use tend to be more expensive, but the installation is relatively cheaper. You should also install HVAC access doors to make the maintenance much more comfortable.

Open-loop

For the most straightforward way of installation, an open-loop system would be the first in the list. However, this is not convenient in cities as it requires the use of any surface body water to function. Groundwater would be its heat exchange fluid. It will go directly on the GHP, and the water will return to the ground through another body of water. Thus, there should be enough clean water to make this work. 

To make your GHP systems more convenient to use, do not forget to use HVAC access doors. This helps not only in maintenance but also for your access to different methods of your building. Visit Access Doors and Panels now for more information. Call us at 1-800-609-2917 now!

Guest Contributor: Chris Jackson