By Bill Hoy, Project Manager
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The summer has finally arrived here in Montana and with the good weather the geothermal installation has begun. The subcontractor is in the process of drilling the first of four 300 ft deep holes that are 6 3/4 in. in diameter. Each hole will accommodate four 1 in. RAUGEOTM Double U-bend vertical ground loop PEXa pipes. Once the contractor completes the boreholes, he will begin drilling three 20 ft deep, 16 in. diameter holes to install a RAUGEO Helix vertical ground loop probe in each.
The RAUGEO Helix probe, which offers an alternative to deep well drilling, is a new geothermal product that's been in the European market for the last 12 months and is now being introduced to North America. Though this is a new construction project, helical probes are a good solution for a retro-fit in existing residential applications as they don't require large drilling equipment.
This seven-minute video from REHAU UK shows the RAUGEO Helix geothermal probe installation process. (The video will take some time to load.) Also, see diagrams of both the vertical and helical geothermal probes in the May 17 post on this blog.
Both Geothermal Systems Will Be Compared in the Research Phase
As the project proceeds into the research phase, the helix probes will have sensors along with the four vertical geothermal probes which are installed in deep wells. The performance of the two different types of geothermal applications will be compared and the data made available.
Work is also proceeding in the mechanical room. The subcontractor has begun placing the equipment for the ecosmart house including the AAON heat pump and the heat recovery ventilator (HRV). This Popular Mechanics article explains HRV in more detail.
Within the next several weeks, work will continue in the mechanical room with completion of the HVAC ductwork, connection of the REHAU ECOAIR system into the HRV and heat pump, and rough plumbing for the REHAU thermal solar panels. Other work continues on installing the shingle roof, placement of the fireplaces, completion of all the rough plumbing and preparing for the window installation in mid-July.
Please feel welcome to post questions or comments below.
