Ground Loop Using Hdpe Pipe

Oxford Plastics manufactures ground loop for geothermal and geoexchange systems. If you're planning to build a new house, office building, school, or renovating an old historical building, why not consider a geothermal or geoexchange source system? Whether you are installing an open or closed loop heating system, our ground loop is available today for both residential and commercial building applications. This flexible but durable hdpe pipe is easy to install, has outstanding physical and thermal properties, making it well suited for the stresses of being buried deep in the ground or submerged in deep water.

Applications: you are on the ground loop page

What is Ground Loop?
No matter where you live, the underground temperature stays relatively constant all year within a degree or two, even though outdoor temperatures vary widely. Geothermal systems harness this relatively constant, renewable energy source and use it for heating, air conditioning and hot water. Geothermal systems use the earth as a heat source and sink. They provide heat or cooling by moving heat, rather than by creating heat using a furnace or air conditioner. Every system consists of three major subsystems or parts: a geothermal heat pump to move heat between the building and the fluid in the earth loop, a ground loop piping system for transferring heat between its fluid and the earth, and a distribution subsystem for delivering heating or cooling to the building.

Ground Loop for Geothermal Applications
Ground loop is made from high density polyethylene. Called "ground loop" , a series of pipes establishes a link between the geothermal system's heat pump and the ground. These ground loops are either 3/4" or 1 1/4" diameter and the headers are either 1 1/4" or 2" diameter. We use a PE 3408 resin with high abrasion resistance specifications that meets ASTM Standard Specification D3350 with a cell classification of 345564 or 345434. This is the specification mandated by US and Canadian Building Codes. Our ground loop has many of the same characteristics as the piping used for natural gas lines and are joined by heat fusion.

How does it work?
While the typical forced air heating system uses the outdoor air as a source of heating, the geothermal system uses the underground (earth or water) as a source of heating and cooling. The ground loop functions much like a heat exchanger in a typical GHP system and can be either a closed or open loop pipe system. The closed loop system is the most popular, in which high density polyethylene pipe is buried horizontally at 4-6 feet deep or vertically at 100 to 400 feet deep. Using an electrically-powered water source heat pump, heat is collected from the circulating water collected below the earth's surface and transferred to the air surrounding the pipe in a room or building. The ground loop is filled with an environmentally friendly antifreeze/water solution. In the winter, the fluid in the pipes extracts heat from the earth and carries it into the building. In the summer, the system reverses and takes heat from the building and deposits it to the cooler ground.

Advantages of geothermal energy
The biggest advantage of a geothermal system is its ability to provide a consistent and steady source of heat or cooling. While conventional heating systems have to depend on outdoor temperatures that often vary, underground temperatures remain relatively constant all year round, producing the desired heating and cooling temperature year round.

Lower energy costs and environment impact - a geothermal system uses 25-50% less electricity than conventional forced air heating or cooling systems. This means the less energy needed from burning fossil fuels that are harmful to the environment.

Free or Cheap Hot Water - unlike any other heating and cooling system, a geothermal heat pump can provide free hot water using a device called a "desuperheater".

Year-Round Comfort - maintains an even temperature and humidity level throughout your home with very little noise.

Design Flexibility - geothermal heat pump systems allow for design flexibility and can be installed in both new and retrofit situations.

Improved Aesthetics - geothermal systems are easy to conceal, don't require cooling towers, eliminate conventional rooftop equipment, less potential for leaks and ongoing maintenance, better roof warranties, allowing architects and building owners to plan for more aesthetically pleasing architectural designs and roof lines.

Low Maintenance - since workhorse part of the system - the piping - is underground or underwater, there is little maintenance required.

Zone Heating and Cooling - different areas of the building can be heated or cooled to different temperatures simultaneously, i.e., the heat from computer rooms can be moved to the perimeter walls for winter heating in commercial buildings.

Durability - with virtually no moving parts, and parts that are sheltered inside a building, a geothermal heating system is durable and highly reliable. Our piping has a life span expectancy of up to 50 years or more.

Geothermal heating systems are a viable alternative anywhere there is a need for heat or cooling. Because of their design flexibility, these systems can be installed in both new and retrofit situations. Because the hardware requires less space than conventional heating or HVAC systems, equipment rooms can be greatly scaled down in size, freeing space for other productive uses. And since they usually use the existing ductwork in the building there is no need for any extensive renovations. This makes geothermal heating perfect for historical buildings, greenhouses, resorts and any high-energy user with long operating hours.

To learn more about the geothermal industry visit the links below:
Water Furnace - WaterFurnace is the leading manufacturer of Geothermal Heating and cooling equipment.
Eden Energy Equipment - learn about geothermal energy in your own backyard.
International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA) - a non-profit organization, established in 1987 to advance ground source heat pump (GSHP) technology.