Ground Loop
Even in the coldest winters in the UK the frost only gets down about a foot. At a metre down the temperature remains above 5°C. Heat pumps can operate down to -15°C, this is born out from their Scandinavian pedigree. Hence there is no problem in extracting heat from the ground in this manner.
In normal conditions, for those locations with sufficient land, a ground loop can be used. A ground loop is a "closed loop system". This means that no liquid enters or leaves the pipe-work so leading to minimal maintenance.
All our installations are pressure tested to ensure their integrity.
Ground loops are placed in trenches of a one metre deep. The special pipes are laid in the trenches, to ensure maximum performance and reliability. We ensure that trenches are at dug in such away that the pipes are at least one metre away from the nearest pipe. If the trenches are dug too close or if the pipes get too close the risk of freezing of the pipes or ground is significantly increased.
It is also possible to have an open loop system for those locations with access to a lake or small river so that the heat is extracted from the water flow or lake.
