Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a geothermal heat pump?
A geothermal heat pump is an electrically-powered device that uses the earth's natural heat storage ability to heat and cool your home or business.
Q. Do I need two ground loops, one for heating and one for cooling?
No, the same loop works for both heating and cooling.
Q. What is a closed-loop system?
The term "closed-loop" describes a geothermal heat pump system that uses a continuous loop of special plastic pipe as a heat exchanger. This loop is a sealed, pressurized system that will circulate the same water solution.
Q. Where will my geothermal loop be located?
Earth loop type and location depends on your individual home site. If your site is small or has a lot of rock, you will most likely need a vertical loop. If you have adequate land space and good soil conditions, a horizontal loop may work. You may even use a pond.
Q. Which geothermal loop works better: horizontal, pond, or vertical?
All three loop types will perform about the same when designed and installed properly.
Q. How big are the trenches?
Horizontal loops for a geothermal system installed in the Kansas City area are three feet wide, five-to-six feet deep, and 130 feet long. A slinky loop with 800 feet of pipe will be laid flat in the bottom of the trench.
Q. How many trenches will I need for my home?
This depends on the heat loss calculation we will perform for your specific home. ECS Geothermal installs one trench per ton of equipment.
Q. How many pipes are in each trench?
One continuous run of pipe is installed in each trench and then connected to the manifold.
Q. What if I have a small city lot?
A vertical loop is the option. Six inch diameter holes are drilled to a depth of 150-200 feet per ton capacity. A pre-made U-shaped loop of pipe is inserted in the hole. The holes are then filled with a grout product for full contact with the earth.
Q. What if my lot has a lot of rock?
A vertical loop is the option. Six inch diameter holes are drilled to a depth of 150-200 feet per ton capacity. A pre-made U-shaped loop of pipe is inserted in the hole. The holes are then filled with a grout product for full contact with the earth.
Q. How long will the loop pipe last?
ECS Geothermal only uses the industry standard high density polyethylene pipe. This pipe is guaranteed to be free from leaks for 55 years and is expected to last beyond 100 years.
Q. I have a pond near my home. Can I put a loop in it?
Yes, in the Kansas City area, the pond must maintain a minimum of eight feet of depth at its lowest level during the year and have ¼ acre of surface area.
Q. How are the pipes of the loop connected to each other?
The only acceptable method to join pipe sections is thermal fusion. Pipe connections are heated in excess of 500 degrees and fused together forming a joint stronger than the original pipe. Mechanical connections are only acceptable inside the home, never in the ground.
Q. Will an earth loop affect my lawn or landscape?
No, research has proven that properly installed geothermal loops have no adverse effect on lawns or landscaping.
Q. Can I put the loop under my septic system?
This practice is discouraged. The earth loop may drop below freezing in the winter and could damage your septic system. Many counties in the Kansas City area will not allow this.
Q. If the loop falls below freezing, will it hurt the system?
No, the antifreeze solution in the loop will prevent freezing down to approximately 15 degrees F. ECS Geothermal uses Environol or methanol as the antifreeze.
Q. I have a backhoe. Can I install an earth loop myself?
ECS Geothermal can work with you to allow you to dig the trenches, and we will install and fuse up the loops.
Q. How does a geothermal heat pump also heat water for my home?
Using what's called a desuperheater, geothermal heat pumps can save you up to 75 percent on your water-heating bill by pre-heating the water. When the geothermal system is operating, it pulls water from the water heater and circulates it through a heat exchanger and returns the warmed water back to the tank. Some geothermal models can provide all of your hot water needs on demand at the same high efficiencies of the forced air models.
Q. I have an old home with ductwork. Can I use this?
Most likely yes. ECS Geothermal will make a visit to your home and determine if any modifications are needed to your existing system to accommodate a new ground source heat pump.
Q. Which geothermal loop is more expensive?
Vertical loops are the most expensive to install, followed by horizontal trench loops, and then pond loops.