Replies

1. 
   Riversong | Feb 28, 2008 03:49am | #1

   http://www.geokiss.com/

   http://www.geokiss.com/res-design/GSHPDesignRec2.pdf

    

   Riversong HouseWright

   Design *  * Build *  * Renovate *  * Consult
   Solar & Super-Insulated Healthy Homes
1. 
   terryb | Feb 28, 2008 11:53pm | #2

   Thanks Riv. I did find that site after posting. Looks like it has a lot of useful info.

2. 
   black46 | Mar 03, 2008 10:26pm | #3

   I'm seriously considering this company:

   http://www.geothermaldiy.com/index.html

   I've talked to the guy a couple times and seems pretty knowledgable and willing to help.  The other thing going for him from my standpoint is that the company is about 30mi from me and he lives about 10mi from me.  If I have issues I have "I know where you live to fall back on"  :o)  The heatpumps are re-badged Waterfurnace units.  His angle is that they have a propriatary plug and play system for the piping that greatly simplifies installation.

   Paul

1. 
   terryb | Mar 03, 2008 11:05pm | #4

   Thanks black. might be just the ticket. The more I read the more i think the engineering is more headwork than i want to do. The install should be easy by comparison.

1. 
   junkhound | Mar 03, 2008 11:17pm | #5

   engineering is more headwork than i want to do

    

   sounds like the 7 YO grandson,  "it's hard work to think"

   Seriously though, if you DON'T learn how the system works, how the heck are you going to DIY anything more complex than the ditchdigging part ....

   The cost savings** comes from doing the brainwork yourself.....

   Go to the library and get ARI publication, "Air conditioning and refrigeration"; another good oldie is the Trane "air conditioning handbook"

   There are gobs of piping calculators on the web.

   For the very basic sizing rules, Wileys "fundamentals of thermodynamics" by van Wylen will give you the basics of everything. 

   It should take you only a few months to do the brainwork, then run it past here. You will have what you learn the rest of your life.

   I'll tell you what, as an incentive, you do the brainwork and do a preliminary design.  I see you are in Carnation.  You get all the plans and calc. done and bring it down to Renton and I'll give you a couple hours free review.......

   PS edit  ** looked at the previous web site, about 10 grand for 5T system.  If you do the brainwork yourself the do it all DIY cost would be about $2K - my backhoe, welding tanks, vacuum pump, etc. all together cost < the saving on that..   

    

    

   Edited 3/3/2008 3:55 pm ET by junkhound

1. 
   terryb | Mar 04, 2008 11:23pm | #6

   Junkhound. I actually do know how it works - just not number stuff. i.e. heat capacity of the ground around the pipe, how much ground required to not run too low on heat over a northwest winter. Pipe length versus pump requirement - where's the best payoff. A slinky layout will yield more pipe/dirt surface area and so more heat transfer per foot of trench but what's the danger of dropping the ground temp to where the system's not too efficient. I don't mind doing the work - all of it. I built my current wood-fired boiler system myself and would like to mate it with a ground-source heat pump.  Just don't want to wind up with a less than optimum system because I'm not an engineer. I'll take your advice and  see what I can find to read up on though and maybe let you take a look at what I come up with. I take it you're an engineer?