Geothermal Study
January 6, 2009
This article was really interesting! Several of the industrial applications are local to me, so that was especially helpful. It is an older article – 1998 – but still very informative. I saw a trend of two things:
1) Check your materials (there were a lot of problems with deterioration of parts b/c the fluid was incompatible with tape, fixtures, etc. and so caused leaks), and,
2) Have someone experienced with geothermal systems do the installation. 
January 7, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I also recommend trying the Retscreen site. It has great information and can be setup directly to reflect your local area. The Canadian version takes you right to the lat-long for your home.
I also suggest looking up geopro bentonites. Thermal grout lite and select are both vastly superior to what most installers use and can give you better results with shallower wells and fewer of them.
Good luck.
Ray
January 7, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Ray, I checked out the site that had the calculators but I have no idea what the grout thing means – I’m not even sure how grout is used…I was thinking the underground part was some sort of pipes, so is the grout to hold it together, or does it *form* the pipes (I read the FAQs where it talked about the grout coming out the other end and I was scratching my head). Sorry for the ignorance, but hey, that’s why I’m here and trying to learn!
January 7, 2009 at 4:08 pm
did not some one say ignorance is bliss?
The grout acts as a transfer media between your loops and the ground. The grout consists of a bentonite clay and high purity silica mixture. The loop is placed in each hole and the coolant(water etc) is pumped in and out from your house heat pump/exchange unit and back into the ground.
The better the grout mixture is at conducting heat the better your system will work.
The enhanced grouts mean less holes are drilled in your yard and less total vertical feet is drilled. Tis saves you money on drilling even though the enhanced grouts are more costly.
They will end up being cheaper as you get an much more effective system.
January 12, 2009 at 10:58 am
Thanks, that makes sense.