Geo thermal heating system

[George245]

Hi

Has anyone installed a geo thermal heating system based on a ground source slinky. Any hints, tips views and opinions greatly appreciatted.

[Martin]

It's a sums thing.........
If you have a new build with underfloor heating, and you are generating your own electricity, excellent idea..........otherwise, be very careful!
Heat pump salesmen are very good at harping on about the "3 free units" of energy, but totally neglect to point out that the unit of energy you have to put in to get them is the most expensive form of energy available - (and climbing) - electricity. Also the heat output is "low grade" (not of a very high temperature - ideal for underfloor heating, but not best suited to radiators).
SO, be careful, and do your sums very carefully - in the new build/generating your own juice situation, you're probably onto a winner - as a retro fit and/or buying your electricity, almost definitely not!
Last observation - I've caught many heat pump companies grossly overestimating the performance of their devices, and underestimating the upheaval, length of slinky required etc...........it's a big job, and to do it properly is expensive, and involves one heck of a lot of groundworks
Hope that helps!

[Millymollymandy]

Not to mention the price of installing these things - you have to be 100% sure you are going to stay in that house for 20 years or more to begin to get your money back.......

[oldfella]

Have two friends who have installed Thermal heating but, as pointed out do your sums very carefully, and check if there are any grants available to you.

[George245]

It's a sums thing.........
If you have a new build with underfloor heating, and you are generating your own electricity, excellent idea..........otherwise, be very careful!
Heat pump salesmen are very good at harping on about the "3 free units" of energy, but totally neglect to point out that the unit of energy you have to put in to get them is the most expensive form of energy available - (and climbing) - electricity. Also the heat output is "low grade" (not of a very high temperature - ideal for underfloor heating, but not best suited to radiators).
SO, be careful, and do your sums very carefully - in the new build/generating your own juice situation, you're probably onto a winner - as a retro fit and/or buying your electricity, almost definitely not!
Last observation - I've caught many heat pump companies grossly overestimating the performance of their devices, and underestimating the upheaval, length of slinky required etc...........it's a big job, and to do it properly is expensive, and involves one heck of a lot of groundworks
Hope that helps!

Hi Martin

Thanks for your thoughts

The building in question is a barn conversion (by one of my daughters) so kind of new build. I agree about under floor they don't work with radiators; The other side of the coin is that they have a high spec on insulation as the walls are just solid stone which can really be a real problem.

There is no chance of natural gas only mains electricity and our experience with the cost of oil lately has put them off this idea completely (as well as for enviro reasons)

If anyone wants to comment on how there system has performed a couple of years down the line I would be really interested

Space is not a probelm for the ground works and they have been advised that a trench 80 metres long by 1 metre wide and 1 metre deep will be sufficient for the slinky again anyone with any comments

We dug a small lake / pond a few years ago near the barn ( a source of water for stock) If only we had made it just a bit bigger we could have used this as a source for the slinky

What a wonderful thing hindsight is

regards to all

[Martin]

Wood fired range in the kitchen and/or woodburner in sitting room with backboiler
"I've caught many heat pump companies grossly overestimating the performance of their devices, and underestimating the upheaval, length of slinky required etc...........it's a big job, and to do it properly is expensive, and involves one heck of a lot of groundworks"

Thought for the day - there are very few companies that offer an holistic view of renewables - if you talk to a heat pump company, what are they going to flog you?

[George245]

Wood fired range in the kitchen and/or woodburner in sitting room with backboiler
"I've caught many heat pump companies grossly overestimating the performance of their devices, and underestimating the upheaval, length of slinky required etc...........it's a big job, and to do it properly is expensive, and involves one heck of a lot of groundworks"

Thought for the day - there are very few companies that offer an holistic view of renewables - if you talk to a heat pump company, what are they going to flog you?

Hi again Martin

I take your point about these companies being in the business of selling their product and over estimating the heat gain.

I will try to keep you all informed how things go, thanks for your words of caution

regards george

[Martin]

I've got a bit of a raw nerve about heat pump salesmen - three times we've been asked to give a "second opinion" on projected installs of heat pumps - each time we visited the properties and "did the sums" it became plain that the clients were being led up the garden path - in the case of two of the jobs, they had underestimated it so badly that they'd have been lucky to have got a third of their heating needs, when they'd been promised that they'd provide all the heat they'd ever need.........
The best of luck - like all technologies in the renewable field, if carefully chosen, and fitted properly, in the right situation it'll work well - but unfortunately there's an awful lot of "chocolate teapot salesmen" about.........