Do-it-yourself geothermal heat pump. Underground geothermal heating at home Do-it-yourself geothermal heating at home diagram drawing

Most of us understand that the use of coal, gas and wood as fuel does not do without a trace for the environment. However, the introduction of alternative energy sources is hampered by their high cost and efficiency, which are still inferior to traditional ones. But lately, manufacturers have been paying more and more attention to such products, so we hope that soon they will be easier to install and not so expensive.

Today we will consider geothermal heating, which can be installed for a private house with your own hands. You will learn about the principle of its operation, types, features and self-assembly.

It is worth saying that in European countries and the USA, heating from the ground is gradually becoming the main source of heating at home, but so far such systems are only an alternative to more traditional ones.

Appearance and distribution

The energy of the earth for heating began to spread in the United States towards the end of the 80s of the last century in cities that were going through a difficult crisis. Wealthy people immediately became interested in the system, to whom it gave them the opportunity to save on heating their homes. Then it began to become cheaper, and the poorer class of the population also began to use it.

After some time, the heat of the earth for heating has become the prerogative of most owners of private houses. In Europe, every year the number of households using earth heating at home is only increasing.

This trend in the spread of geothermal heating is quite understandable. Using the heat of the earth for heating can significantly save the family budget, it is safe and economical.

Operation of geothermal heating

Its principle of operation can be compared with a conventional refrigerator, but vice versa. The earth retains heat constantly, so it can heat objects located on its surface.

The meaning of the method is that from the inside the planet is heated by hot magma, and from above the soil does not allow it to freeze. The resulting thermal energy is used by a geothermal heating system based on a special heat pump.

The following process takes place:

Surface mounted heat pump.
A hole is drilled in the ground into which a heat exchanger is lowered..
The ground water passing through the pump is heated and then used for domestic and industrial purposes..

The main advantage of the system is the ratio of electrical energy and received power - 1 to 4-6 kW. For example, when using a conventional air conditioner, it turns out 1 to 1. Therefore, the installation will be able to pay for itself in a short time.

Peculiarities

Self-heating a house from the ground has certain difficulties, which we will discuss below:

They begin with the manufacture of a mine shaft.
Its calculation is carried out separately for each specific case, taking into account:

the climate in the area;
soil type;
characterization of the structure of the earth's crust in a given region;
heating area.

Usually the depth varies between 25-100 m.

At the next stage, pipes are lowered into the shaft, which must absorb heat from the bowels and supply it to a pump that raises the temperature of the coolant in the heating system.

Tip: work is best done with an assistant, as pipes are often quite large in mass.

In summer, heating with earth energy can be run as an air conditioner. Why is the reverse mechanism activated? During operation, the heat exchanger will begin to take cooling energy.

Kinds

For an environmentally friendly and efficient operation of the system, there are three main options:

ground water	In this case, the thermal energy of groundwater located at great depths is used to heat the building. She has a fairly high temperature, so she raises it and heats it. After that, the water through the heat exchanger gives the main part of the available energy.
Antifreeze	The method requires additional costs. A tank with antifreeze is lowered to a depth of 75 m and below, the price of which is quite high. When it heats up, it is lifted by a heat pump to the heat exchanger. After the heat is released, the antifreeze enters the container again.
Water	This method does not require the equipment of a soil mine. Such heating of the house from the ground is suitable if there is access to a reservoir. Horizontal probes are placed from the heat exchanger along the bottom of the reservoir, which help to convert the heat of the water.

Benefits of geothermal heating

Now let's find out what advantages such systems have, and whether they can satisfy our requests:

Thermal energy is released several times more than the electricity consumption for the operation of the pump.
There are no harmful emissions, so heating a country house from the ground is an environmentally friendly way.
The system only needs electricity to function. No chemicals or fuels required.
There is no risk of explosion or fire during operation.
Proper installation of the heating system guarantees operation without technical support for about 30 years.

Self-installation of geothermal heating

It must be said right away that heating a house with the energy of the earth will require a large one-time investment. The lion's share of which will go to the development of the mine shaft.

Tip: The most expensive part of a heat pump is the compressor. If you don't want problems, don't buy it from the Chinese factory.
It is better to use Danfoss or Copeland (preferably not from China).

We also recommend using a warm floor system instead of heating radiators. So you can reduce the payback of equipment at times. The annual increase in tariffs for traditional energy carriers should also be taken into account, at the same time, it will help to avoid price jumps.

Inside the house, nothing will remind you that you are using earthen heating. The main part of the scheme - the well and the heat exchanger - will be hidden underground. It is only necessary to allocate a small place for the device, for example, in the basement that generates heat.

The device allows you to adjust the temperature and supply heat. The installation instructions for the heating system in the house do not differ from the traditional method, so there are no features in it.

Conclusion

The use of heat pumps makes it possible to get rid of traditional types of fuel that are becoming more expensive every year, although the initial costs will be quite large. It is quite possible to carry out the installation of geothermal heating on your own, only when installing pipes in a mine shaft, it is advisable to turn off the assistant.

The payback of the project depends on the insulation of housing, as well as the method of heating - radiator or underfloor heating. The video in the article will provide an opportunity to find additional information on the above topic.

The topic of this article is the use of earth heat for heating. Is it possible to take thermal energy from the bowels?

And if so, are we talking exclusively about complex and expensive high-tech structures, or can something be done with one's own hands?

Prerequisites

Why, in fact, do you need heating from the ground? After all, the modern market offers a lot of ready-made solutions for electricity, gas, solarium and solid fuels ...

Everything is simple. Energy prices are rising, significantly outpacing the growth in incomes of Russians. At the same time, it is not difficult to predict further exponential growth: since gas and oil reserves will run out within our generation, their remains will be sold at exorbitant prices.

It is logical to switch to renewable sources of thermal energy. But what?

Let's evaluate the possibilities.

The sun is a great source of heat. But it is too fickle: a few weeks of clear weather can be replaced by snow and a gray veil overhead.
In addition, the night will force either to accumulate heat, or to use it only as an auxiliary source of energy.

Useful: in a warm sunny climate, heating on solar collectors is, in principle, efficient, but with their huge area and in the presence of a capacious heat accumulator.
However, a backup source of heat in case of prolonged bad weather is still needed.

The wind is also too fickle. In addition, it can not be used everywhere: valleys and folds of the relief create many areas with a constant calm.

But heating the house with the heat of the earth, with the help of geothermal energy, does not have such a problem. At a depth of one to five or six meters, the soil everywhere and always has a constant temperature, which increases with increasing depth.

geothermal pump

How can you use the heat of the earth for heating?

Ready-made solutions have been around for a couple of decades. These are geothermal. How are they arranged?

Imagine how a refrigerator works.

The gaseous refrigerant is compressed by the compressor, becoming very hot at the same time.
Then it is driven through the heat exchanger, dissipating excess heat and cooling to room temperature.
The cooled refrigerant enters the cooling circuit of the freezer, where it expands and, like any substance, when the state of aggregation changes from liquid to gaseous, it cools down sharply and ... cools the space around it.
Then the refrigerant goes back to the compressor for compression - and so on in a circle.

We are curious about two facts:

The refrigerator is able to take heat from a cold object and give it to a warm one. In this case, heat is transferred from the freezer with its -18C to the room air.
The amount of pumped thermal energy is several times greater than the energy consumption for the operation of the compressor.

And now substitute soil at a shallow depth with its constant temperature in place of the freezer - and you will get a working model of a geothermal heat pump. Note - for the most part, they use the energy of the earth to heat your home. Electricity costs cover no more than 30 percent of its heat output.

It is clear that earth heating needs not only a radiator for heat transfer, but also a heat exchanger on the second side of the circuit, which will take heat from the ground. What can he be?

Vertical collector

Most often, heat is transferred by vertical probes submerged to a depth of several tens of meters. At a short distance from the house, several wells are drilled, into which pipes are immersed (usually made of cross-linked polyethylene). Great depth means absolutely stable and high temperature; in addition, while the heat exchangers do not require a large area to accommodate.

A significant drawback that heating the house with the energy of the earth in such an implementation is the high cost of installation work. More precisely, the price of drilling: it starts from 2,000 rubles per linear meter of a well. The total cost of 2-4 wells with a depth of 50-60 meters is easy to calculate.

Horizontal collector

However, in those regions of the country where the winter is not too severe, and the depth of soil freezing does not exceed a meter and a half, horizontal collectors are often used. The same heat exchanger pipes are laid in a trench, which is easy to dig yourself. It is clear that the cost of installation in this case will decrease many times over.

Please note: do not underestimate the scale of the work. For example, the total length of the collector pipes for a house with an area of 275 m2 will be approximately 1200 meters.

In addition to calluses from a shovel, heating with the warmth of the earth in such an implementation promises you another problem. A large area will be occupied by the collector, many times greater than the total area of the house. Moreover, you will not be able to use it for a vegetable garden or garden: the roots of the plants will be frozen by the collector.

In the photo - laying a horizontal heat exchanger.

Air manifold

Fortunately, in addition to the cost of tens of thousands of evergreen units, you can find other ways to realize the heating of a country house from the ground. One of the simplest is an air earthen collector.

Remember: in order to heat the air to an acceptable level in a residential area, you need a certain amount of thermal energy. Moreover, the lower the initial air temperature, the greater the costs.

But you can increase the air temperature at the inlet of the ventilation system absolutely free of charge. Constant ground temperature, remember?

The instruction for using earth energy heating is extremely simple:

We bring the ventilation air intake into the ground below the freezing point.
We lay with ordinary sewer pipes a straight, curved or multi-pipe collector. The shape is determined by your personal plot. The approximate total length of the collector is 1.5 meters per square meter of house area.
We make an air intake at the far end of the collector from the house, bringing the pipe to a height of at least one and a half meters from the ground and providing it with an umbrella-deflector. Of course, you will have to force air into the house.

Do not flatter yourself: the described heating from the heat of the earth will not solve your problems with thermal energy completely and free of charge.

But it will allow you to implement one of the simple and inexpensive schemes:

The incoming air with a temperature of about 10C can be heated by any heater (electric, gas, solar, etc.) and distributed through the rooms by ventilation ducts. Costs compared to the need to heat cold outdoor air will decrease many times over.
An alternative solution is to use ground-blown air to blow the outdoor unit of an air-to-air heat pump or conventional air conditioner. At +10C, ANY external unit of any device of this class can work effectively. The main technical problem is to provide the required air flow.

Conclusion

And finally, some personal experience. The author of the article lives in a private house, in a region with a rather warm climate. Under the house there is a basement with a concrete floor with an area of 75 m2, which has a temperature of 10-12 degrees all year round. It is clear that with such an area of \u200b\u200bthe heat exchanger, the air temperature in the basement is quite stable.

One of the heating devices in the house is an ordinary household air conditioner with an external unit in the basement and an internal unit on the ground floor. As a result of this arrangement, even at outdoor temperatures noticeably below zero, the air conditioner operates with maximum efficiency, taking heat from the air in the basement and further from the ground.

The external unit of the split system is traditionally located on the street. However, if your basement has a stable temperature, why not move it there?

As usual, you can find some additional information in the video attached to the article. Warm winters!

Many private home owners still believe that geothermal heating is almost a science fiction term, and it is only relevant for those regions where hot springs are bubbling and there is high volcanic activity. And since such natural phenomena are rare, the prospects for using this alternative energy in our conditions look vague for many. In fact, a geothermal pump successfully generates heat at low temperatures, so even in a temperate climate it can be used quite efficiently. But is it possible to install geothermal heating at home with your own hands? Let's try to figure this out.

Classification by construction type

The principle of operation of geothermal heating is similar to the principle of operation of an air conditioner or a refrigerator. The main element is a heat pump included in two circuits.

The principle of operation of a geothermal (heat) pump

The internal circuit is a traditional heating system consisting of pipes and radiators. External - an impressive size heat exchanger located underground or in the water column. Inside it, both a special liquid with antifreeze and ordinary water can circulate. The heat carrier assumes the temperature of the medium and “warmed up” enters the heat pump, the accumulated heat is transferred to the internal circuit. Thus, water is heated in pipes and radiators.

Geothermal (heat) pump is a key element of the system. This is a compact unit, it takes up no more space than a washing machine familiar to our eyes. If we talk about performance, then for every 1 kW of electricity consumed, the pump "produces" up to 4-5 kW of thermal energy. While a conventional air conditioner, which has a similar principle of operation, for 1 kW of electricity consumed, 1 kW of heat will “respond”.

It must be admitted that the device of this type of heating is the most expensive and time-consuming today. The lion's share of its cost is the purchase of equipment and, of course, earthworks. Naturally, a thrifty owner thinks, is it possible to save money, for example, on installation and make geothermal heating with your own hands? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand which systems are used most often and to understand the features of their device.

Horizontal heat exchanger

Quite often, a horizontal contour is used, during which pipes are laid in trenches to a depth greater than the level of soil freezing in a given area.

The disadvantage of a geothermal heating system with a horizontal circuit is the large area occupied by the collector

The disadvantage is that the area occupied by the circuit should be much larger than the house itself, so, for heating a building with an area of 250 m², about 600 m² will “leave” under the pipes. Not every developer can afford this luxury.

In addition, there are inconveniences if the site is already ennobled, you have to observe, for example, the distance from the trees (1.5 m) and many other nuances.

Vertical heat exchanger

A more compact, but also more expensive option is a vertical heat exchanger. Its installation does not require a large area, but it will require special drilling equipment.

Installation of a vertical heat exchanger requires the use of special drilling equipment

The depth of the well, depending on the technology, can reach 50-200 m, but its service life is up to 100 years. This method is especially relevant when planning a geothermal with a developed adjacent territory, it allows you to save the landscape almost in its original form.

The most economical geothermal installation uses the thermal energy of water. It is recommended if the distance to the nearest body of water does not exceed 100 m.

The water-placed heat exchanger is the most advantageous and therefore more appropriate for the device.

A contour of pipes in the form of a spiral is laid on the bottom, the depth of occurrence should be less than 2.5-3 m, that is, deeper than the freezing zone. The area of the reservoir is from 200 m². The main plus is that there is no need to carry out laborious earthworks, but it is necessary to obtain permission from special services. Having spent significant funds on expensive equipment, you should not save on high-quality installation. After all, the quality and efficiency of the entire system will depend on it.

As you can see, installing geothermal heating at home with your own hands is not so simple. Of all the listed types, perhaps only the last option will be quite easy to implement on your own. But even in this case, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons.

On the advantages and disadvantages of the system

For the first time, geothermal heating was closely looked at in the USA, during the crisis in the 80s. Quite expensive installations were registered in the homes of the richest and most advanced, but gradually they became more accessible and more popular. Europe took note of the novelty and began to actively introduce it in its open spaces. Now this type of heating is no longer a curiosity; in Sweden, for example, about 70% of all heat is synthesized using heat pumps.

Manufacturers of miracle equipment and greens unanimously talk about the advantages of this type of heating over all the others, the main advantages that are emphasized are:

for heating, the thermal energy of the earth is used, which is renewable and inexhaustible;
there is no risk of fire;
there is no need for delivery and storage of fuel materials;
during the operation of the equipment, no harmful emissions are formed, the system is absolutely safe and environmentally friendly;
the system works autonomously, does not need constant monitoring and intervention;
it is economical, practically does not require maintenance costs from the owner;
with all the variety of models, the productivity coefficient of the equipment remains consistently high.

The geothermal heating system performed well in combination with "warm floors". Such a duet ensures uniform temperature distribution and prevents the formation of overheating zones.

Important! This type of heating is most beneficial for houses with an area of up to 150 m², the owners of such small cottages assure that the costs pay off in some 3-4 years.

Note that these systems have not yet become popular in the post-Soviet space. This is largely due to the rather significant capital investments that will need to be made at the very beginning, and the rather long payback period. It is quite difficult to convince our fellow citizens that it is, after all, economically profitable anyway. Although, given the annual rise in price of the usual coolants and the fact that the system is designed for an average of 100 years of efficient operation, the choice seems quite justified.

The progressive method of geothermal home heating uses the principle of operation, which consists in using the heat of the earth to heat the room. Since traditional fuel is an exhaustible natural resource, it is worth worrying about switching to the latest inexhaustible energy sources in advance.

The Scandinavian countries are the leaders in the production and operation of geothermal heating systems for houses. They popularize this plant option and offer it to regions with a wide potential for its use.

Equipment Application

It is wrong to assume that heating from the ground can only be used where hot water sources are present, there are warm geysers and other natural underground heating sources. The latest technologies allow you to successfully operate geothermal heating at home and in temperate latitudes.

Today, in our country, this type of heating still belongs to alternative methods of heat production. However, in most cases it is almost ideal for country or country houses. Do-it-yourself installed geothermal heating at home can work in two modes:

heating in winter;
cooling during hot weather.

Thus, the most favorable atmosphere in the room is formed.

VIDEO: How geothermal heating works

System operation

The house needs to install a heat pump. It will take energy from the ground or groundwater, giving it to the coolant circulating in the house through pipes. This principle of operation was identified back in the 19th century by the French physicist Sadi Carnot.

The constituent elements of the base node are:

The compressor is engaged in "compressing" heat and moving it to consumers. The device itself needs an external power supply.

The operation of the heat pump is carried out according to the following algorithm:

The collector-heat intake must contain a liquid inside that has a low freezing point. Often, in the manufacture of geothermal heating with their own hands, water with a high salt content, alcohol diluted with water, and glycol mixtures are poured inside.
In the evaporator module, heat is transferred to the refrigerant, which has a low boiling point, at this time it boils and passes into a vapor state.
The compressor installed in the circuit contributes to an increase in vapor pressure, which results in an increase in the temperature of the substance to 78-80 0 C.
Getting into the condenser, the refrigerant substance passes into the liquid phase, at the same time energy is released for the heating circuit.
The return of the formed liquid to the compressor is carried out through the throttle valve.

Since a heat pump for heating a house works on the principle of a refrigerator, it is often called a “refrigerator in reverse”. In many cases, energy from the earth is used to install underfloor heating.

Correct calculations and well-executed installation of the heat exchanger are able to provide a five-fold increase in output power from one kilowatt consumed by the pump.

VIDEO: How a ground source heat pump works

Heat exchanger installation

The current installation types are:

vertical, when you need to drill several wells;
horizontal, where trenches are dug below the freezing depth;
underwater, when laying is carried out along the bottom of the nearest reservoir.

Drilling of the wells

For the efficient use of the thermal energy of the earth, if the area near the building is small, it is necessary to drill deep wells. In the depths of the earth, a stable positive temperature is maintained for several meters. The use of such geothermal wells provides heat to the heat exchanger loop. Further, this heat is transferred to the second internal circuit located in the room.

Often, drilling several wells costs even less than laying along the bottom of a reservoir. This makes the process accessible to more people.

The process is carried out with a small-sized drilling rig and a small amount of auxiliary equipment. It practically does not affect the surrounding area. The arrangement of a well is allowed even in water, but it should not be closer than 2-3 m from a residential building.

The maximum usable depth is up to 200 m, but often efficiency appears from a level of 50 m. The next step is the construction of the well. A plastic tube with a diameter of 40 mm or more is placed inside the cavity. From one to four collector loops are passed into it.

The cavity between the soil and the outer wall of the tube must be filled with a heat-conducting material. A heating main is being wired with a connection to a heat pump.

water energy

This cost option is the most rational, since it does not require the preparation of trenches, a foundation pit and other earthworks. But this is not available for everyone - the minimum volume of a reservoir sufficient to heat a house is 100 sq.m. must be at least 200 cubic meters and located no further than 100 meters from the housing construction.

In reservoirs, pipes are laid along the bottom to prevent them from freezing during the peak of frost.

Carrying out calculations

To perform a system calculation, it is necessary to take into account the basic parameters:

at a depth exceeding 15-20 m in central Russia, the temperature is maintained at +8-+10 0 C;
for vertical structures, it is customary to take in the calculations the resulting power value of 50 W per 1 m of height, and more accurate values \u200b\u200bdepend on the degree of rock moisture, the presence of groundwater, etc .;
dry rock gives 20-25 W / m;
moistened clay or sandstone 45-55 W/m;
hard granite rocks will provide up to 85 W / m;
the presence of ground water gives up to 110 W / m.

Using a heat pump

The durability of the system depends on the characteristics and conditions in which the heat pump operates. In geothermal installations, it is capable of operating for approximately 1800 hours per year. This is an average value for latitudes without thermal underground sources.

How a heat pump works

The principle of operation of the thermal heating system is identical and has nothing to do with the country of origin or brand. Geothermal pumps may vary in design, size, appearance, but the heat production coefficient will always be the same for pumps from different companies and different countries. This is due precisely to the peculiarity of processing natural energy into thermal energy.

Too much pump output should not be allowed, since this process can lead to a significant decrease in the temperature of the soil around the well, and sometimes it comes to freezing.

The consequences of such miscalculations ultimately lead to disastrous consequences - the soil sags unevenly, in some places it goes very deep, as a result of which the protective plastic pipes are damaged. If the house is located nearby, then deformation of the foundation or walls may occur due to geological changes.

Periodically, it is necessary to take measures to "regenerate" the soil, for which additional thermal energy is supplied to the heat exchanger. This can be solar energy or probe heating when the heat pump is used in space cooling mode.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the geothermal installation is not yet available to everyone. In some cases, the payback period can last more than 10 years, but in the end, it is these methods of heating a house that will soon become not only alternative, but the only possible ones.

Do-it-yourself geothermal heating at home: diagram, drawing, cost, photo and video instruction

How to make geothermal heating with your own hands. The principle of operation of a heat pump. How the energy of earth and water can heat a house without firewood and gas.

Not everyone knows that creating geothermal heating at home does not require specific knowledge or skills. But compared to alternative types of heating, geothermal is not so popular, and the reason for this is extremely simple - large financial costs that will pay off only after eight years. Under such conditions, few people want to invest money, and completely in vain.

DIY geothermal heat pump

In a word, take a closer look at geothermal heating, especially since the cost of electricity and gas is constantly growing and it is not clear which of the energy carriers will be cheaper to use in a few years.

Note! For the first time this method of heating was used in America during the financial crisis of the eighties. Over time, the novelty has become popular in Europe. In Sweden, for example, today ¾ of all heat is synthesized by means of heat pumps.

Construction of geothermal systems

Even from the name it is clear that the essence of this type of heating is to use the energy of the earth. According to the principle of operation, it remotely resembles air conditioners or refrigerators.

The main element is a heat pump connected to two circuits.

The internal circuit means the heating system familiar to us, it consists of radiators and pipelines.
External - this is a very dimensional heat exchanger installed underground or in a reservoir. In it, the coolant (and it can be plain water or antifreeze), having taken the ambient temperature, is supplied to the heat pump, from where the accumulated heat enters the internal circuit. This is how the heaters in the house heat up.

The main element of the system is precisely the heat pump - a device that takes up no more space than a gas stove. The performance of the heat pump is quite high: for every kilowatt of energy used, it generates up to five kilowatts of heat.

Heat pump operation diagram

Note! An ordinary air conditioner, the principle of which is very similar, produces exactly as much energy as it consumes, that is, one to one.

Of course, geothermal heating is by far the most time-consuming and costly. Most of the money will have to be spent on earthworks and related equipment, including a heat pump. And many are wondering if it is possible to save on this and build, say, a home-made heat pump. To find out, you need to understand the types and features of the equipment.

Pros and cons of the system

Here are the main advantages of this heating method:

use of the inexhaustible energy of the earth;
high productivity factor;
no risk of fire;
profitability;
ease of maintenance and operation;
no need to store fuel;
autonomy;
environmental friendliness and safety.

The disadvantages include perhaps the high cost of installation, but, as already mentioned, these costs will certainly pay off.

Note! Geothermal heating is most beneficial in tandem with underfloor heating, as well as in houses whose area does not exceed 150 square meters.

Methods for constructing geothermal systems

One of the most important elements is the thermal circuit. When vertically located, it can lie at a depth of 20 m to 150 m, depending on the geological circulation of heat. Horizontal circuits are installed at a depth of up to 2.5 m and are heated by temperature fluctuations during solar heating or heat loss.

1. Direct heat exchange

Thermal devices with direct heat exchange are in direct contact with the soil. The coolant leaves the body of the device, moves along the underground copper main, exchanging thermal energy, and returns.

Such heat transfer is called direct because the liquid contacts the ground without any "intermediaries". Of course, it does not interact directly with the soil, but only exchanges heat with it through the walls of the pipes. Today, such pumps are rarely used, they should not be confused with devices in which heat exchange takes place through intermediate circuits.

However, the efficiency of direct heat exchange is quite high, and the financial costs of installation are lower than in most closed systems. Not the last role in this is played by the thermal conductivity of copper, as well as the absence of an electric water pump and an exchanger between the coolant and water, which, as you know, is the main source of heat loss.

It is also worth noting that the copper pipeline is expensive, and the coolant itself is required more than for other types of systems.

2. Closed systems

Most of these systems consist of a primary circuit filled with refrigerant and a secondary circuit filled with water and installed underground. For the manufacture of the secondary circuit, mainly polypropylene pipes are used, and it is filled with water with a small amount of antifreeze.

Water leaves the heat exchanger, moves along the outer contour, exchanging thermal energy with the soil, and returns. It is characteristic that the outer contour is below the level of soil freezing, where the temperature is stable; still it is immersed in the nearest body of water.

Note! Systems submerged in water or located in moist soil are much more productive than dry circuits. Therefore, in dry ground next to the circuit, it is desirable to install a drainage hose that would moisten it.

Closed systems are less efficient than the previous option because they require laborious drilling and long pipework. Also note that closed circuits are installed in two ways - vertically and horizontally.

The vertical circuit consists of two pipes going underground at a right angle to a depth of 20-120 m. Their lower parts are connected to each other by a U-shaped connector. Shafts dug for pipes are usually filled with a special solution that improves heat transfer and protects underground aquifers from pollution.

In the case of a horizontal placement of the system, the pipes are buried below the freezing level of the soil. Naturally, they run horizontally. For obvious reasons, this method is cheaper than vertical placement (read: drilling), so it is used wherever there is enough space on the site.

3. Contours of horizontal drilling

Contours of horizontal drilling

An alternative to the two previous options may be laying the contour by horizontal drilling. This makes it possible to install pipes under the garden, yard, road and other objects without destroying them.

In terms of cost, such a system is somewhere between horizontal and vertical installation. Its distinguishing feature is that the hinges can be connected to only one chamber, and this reduces the area required for installation.

Note! The contours using horizontal drilling are installed after the construction of the building.

4. Water circuits

Closed circuits that are immersed in water bodies are a pipeline laid in loops. They can be placed in any lake or pond, which are located in the immediate vicinity of the house.

5. Open systems

In such systems, the outer circuit is filled with natural water. Then it moves to a heat exchanger located in the device housing, where the heat is extracted and transferred to the primary circuit. After that, the water is returned back. Supply and "return" must be placed away from each other to effectively feed the heat source.

Note! All elements of the system must be well protected against corrosion, since the chemical composition of the circulating water cannot be controlled. That is why it is desirable to use closed circuits if the level of minerals and salts in the water is increased.

Despite the fact that the efficiency of open systems is an order of magnitude higher than closed ones, problems can arise during installation, mainly of a legal nature. Installation permits may be required as these systems contaminate wells and deplete aquifers.

6. Columns of liquid

Circuits with liquid columns are one of the varieties of closed-type systems. In this case, water comes from the bottom of a deep well, passes through the pump and sinks back, exchanging heat with the surrounding soil.

Often, liquid columns are used where free space is limited. It is undesirable to use this system on clay or sandy soil.

We also note that the structure can consist of several pillars at once and is used mainly in small buildings.

Stage one. Before proceeding with the manufacture of the pump, it is necessary to carry out a number of measures to improve the energy efficiency of the house. These measures include insulating floors and walls, replacing leaky doors and windows, thermal insulation of the roof and ceiling.

Stage two. Then you need to conduct geological exploration to find out the depth of soil freezing. After that, you should draw up a project based on the selected technology.

Stage three. Buying everything you need - parts of the heating system, pipes and a compressor for the pump.

The compressor - the heart of any geothermal pump - should be discussed separately. It is impossible to make it with your own hands and the only option left is to buy a finished product.

It is better to buy a device with a capacity of more than 7 kW, used in high-performance air conditioners (such compressors are sold in service centers specializing in servicing household appliances).

DIY geothermal heat pump

Stage four. Then you can start assembling the internal heat exchanger. Recall that it is necessary to transfer the accumulated thermal energy to the heating network. The materials for this element, as well as its volume, are completely dependent on specific climatic conditions. Copper tubes are usually used to circulate the coolant, while the container is made of a non-corrosive material. Ideally, this capacity should be a 150-liter stainless steel tank.

Stage five. The pre-prepared copper coil must be placed in the tank. It will not work without damaging the latter - it must be cut into two parts, and after fixing the coil, weld it to its original state.

Stage six. Then you should drill mines or trenches, install a pipeline there. At the end of the work, it is necessary to conduct a test run of the system.

Note! Due to the high degree of complexity of the work, it is better to entrust the design and installation of such heating to experienced professionals. The same can be said about the manufacture of a heat pump.

DIY geothermal heat pump

Learn how to build your own ground source heat pump! Geothermal heating system, types of heat pumps, manufacturing steps, photo + video.

Do-it-yourself geothermal heating at home: a comparative overview of device methods

Classification by construction type

The principle of operation of geothermal heating is similar to the principle of operation of an air conditioner or a refrigerator. The main element is a heat pump included in two circuits.

The principle of operation of a geothermal (heat) pump

Scheme of a geothermal heating device in a private house

Horizontal heat exchanger

Quite often, a horizontal contour is used, during which pipes are laid in trenches to a depth greater than the level of soil freezing in a given area.

The disadvantage of a geothermal heating system with a horizontal circuit is the large area occupied by the collector

In addition, there are inconveniences if the site is already ennobled, you have to observe, for example, the distance from the trees (1.5 m) and many other nuances.

Vertical heat exchanger

A more compact, but also more expensive option is a vertical heat exchanger. Its installation does not require a large area, but it will require special drilling equipment.

Installation of a vertical heat exchanger requires the use of special drilling equipment

The depth of the well, depending on the technology, can reach 50-200 m, but its service life is up to 100 years. This method is especially relevant when geothermal heating is planned for a country house with an equipped adjacent territory, it allows you to save the landscape almost in its original form.

Water placed heat exchanger

The most economical geothermal installation uses the thermal energy of water. It is recommended if the distance to the nearest body of water does not exceed 100 m.

The water-placed heat exchanger is the most advantageous and therefore more appropriate for the device.

On the advantages and disadvantages of the system

Manufacturers of miracle equipment and greens unanimously talk about the advantages of this type of heating over all the others, the main advantages that are emphasized are:

for heating, the thermal energy of the earth is used, which is renewable and inexhaustible;
there is no risk of fire;
there is no need for delivery and storage of fuel materials;
during the operation of the equipment, no harmful emissions are formed, the system is absolutely safe and environmentally friendly;
the system works autonomously, does not need constant monitoring and intervention;
it is economical, practically does not require maintenance costs from the owner;
with all the variety of models, the productivity coefficient of the equipment remains consistently high.

The geothermal heating system performed well in combination with "warm floors". Such a duet ensures uniform temperature distribution and prevents the formation of overheating zones.

Important! This type of heating is most beneficial for houses with an area of up to 150 m², the owners of such small cottages assure that the costs pay off in some 3-4 years.

Do-it-yourself geothermal heating at home - is it possible?

Geothermal heating system - device, principle of operation. What geothermal heating of a country house to choose. Is it possible to make geothermal heating at home with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself geothermal heating at home

When building a house, each owner tries to think about the weight of the design nuances. Heating is an equally important point that requires consultation with specialists. For many, geothermal heating seems unattainable, because it is associated only with places where hot springs rage. However, in practice, a special pump can generate energy, so this option is suitable for any climatic conditions and terrain. However, is it worth doing geothermal heating at home with your own hands, because the equipment itself is already expensive. To find the answer to this question, it is worth studying the existing options and features of installation work.

The principle of operation of geothermal heating

Geothermal heating works on the same principle as air conditioning. The components are two circuits and a heat pump.

The internal circuit includes a pipe and radiators located throughout the house. The external circuit is a heat exchanger, which is placed either underground or under the water column. Liquid with antifreeze or ordinary water circulates inside. The heated liquid enters the pump, which accelerates it through the elements of the internal circuit, due to which the water in the radiators is always warm.

The pump does not take up much space, but performs one of the key functions in the system. For every kW of electricity used, it produces 4 times the heat. The air conditioner is not so productive, because taking 1 kW of electricity, it gives the same amount.

Classification depending on the type of construction

This type of heating arrangement in the house is considered one of the most expensive and this is due to the price of equipment and land work. At such moments, many consumers think about what they can save on and the only thing that comes to mind is installation. However, to understand whether this is so, it is worth evaluating the features of the device and possible design options.

Horizontal heat exchanger. When choosing this design, the pipes are laid underground, while the depth should be greater than the level of soil freezing. However, this option requires the allocation of territory under the contour. Just imagine, if you need to heat a house with an area of 250 m 2, then 600 m 2 will be required to equip the circuit. In addition, some technical points must be taken into account. For example, all elements should be located at a minimum distance from the tree - 1.5 meters. If the site is ennobled, then this already creates certain inconveniences.
The vertical option does not require the allocation of a large area, however, the use of drilling equipment will entail significant costs. Creating a well is a laborious process, however, this design will last at least a hundred years. This option is suitable for areas that are already equipped.
The water-placed option uses the energy of water and allows you to significantly save on arrangement. The only requirement is the presence of a reservoir within 100 meters, its area must be at least 200 m 2, and the structure must be located no deeper than three meters.

As practice shows, it is difficult to carry out installation with your own hands. Considering that there will be a lot of money invested in equipment, it is not worth saving on the installation process, and you should turn to professionals.

Benefits of geothermal heating

Previously, such installations could be found in luxurious and rich houses, but now they have become more affordable. They were first used by residents of the United States in the 80s, and now residents of European countries have taken note. This solution allowed to save on heating in general. Twenty years ago, 12 million European citizens took advantage of a similar design, but today their number has increased dramatically.

In Sweden already most of the heat is produced by heat pumps. Accordingly, their popularity has increased due to a number of advantages over all alternative systems:

The inexhaustible and renewable energy of the earth is used to heat your own home;
There is no risk of fire;
You don’t have to look for cheap fuel and think over the places for its storage;
Environmentally friendly system, without the formation of harmful emissions, due to which it is actively supported by environmentalists;
Lack of regular monitoring and intervention, at all levels the system functions autonomously;
Unlimited energy available at any time and in any quantity;
You do not have to spend money on system maintenance;
High performance compared to existing alternatives.

Masters recommend combining the installation of a geothermal system and underfloor heating in order to achieve the maximum benefit effect. Firstly, a uniform temperature distribution is guaranteed, and secondly, it will be possible to avoid the formation of overheating zones.

In order for the costs to pay off in full in 3-4 years, it should be borne in mind that this type of heating is beneficial for owners of cottages up to 150 m 2. Taking into account the fact that the usual heat networks regularly rise in price and fail, the decision towards a geothermal system will allow you to forget about heat supply for at least 100 years. The chosen option will quickly justify itself. In the post-Soviet space, this option is less popular due to the large investment. It is still difficult to convince our fellow citizens that it is better to spend money once and forget about the problem.

Mounting Features

If gas and electricity are constantly rising in price, and with them the heating of a private house, then when choosing a geothermal system, you can forget about this feature. In addition, you do not have to take into account that gas reserves will eventually exhaust themselves. The use of solid fuel is even more costly solution. When burning wood and coal, harmful substances are released. Among all the alternatives, this option is the safest, however, unlike gas heating and solid fuel, installation of the system is more time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, it should be entrusted to masters with extensive experience in this field. Only they know all the nuances of the installation. With proper work carried out, the issue of heating will be resolved for many years.

At the same time, the same pipes and batteries will be inside the room, through which heat will flow. The main elements will be hidden underground - a well and a heat exchanger. The house must have a device that will convert heat. It is under it that you need to allocate as much space as possible. With it, the owner of the premises can regulate the temperature and supply of thermal energy. As a rule, in private homes, the generator is located in the basement or in a separate room.

Do-it-yourself geothermal heating at home: scheme and installation features

Features of the choice and installation of geothermal heating. Do-it-yourself installation of pumps and additional equipment in the house.

The problem of arranging a high-quality heating system for a private house each time requires non-standard solutions. The well-known types of heating that generate heat during the combustion of fuel have long been recognized as economically unprofitable. A novelty that is actively starting to become popular is do-it-yourself geothermal home heating. Given the rising prices for electricity and gas, most are looking more and more at this option, although it is quite complicated to design and install.

Geothermal energy is used, as a rule, on an industrial scale, for example, in the Far East, some power plants operate on the basis of the heat of the earth's interior. For many, the idea of \u200b\u200bdo-it-yourself geothermal home heating borders on science fiction novels about the future. But this is far from true! Thanks to the development of current technologies, this has become possible.

The earth does not freeze through even in winter. This feature is used by installation crews who lay the pipeline below the freezing point. Surprisingly, the temperature in these layers of the earth rarely drops below +5 +7 ° C. Is it possible for the earth to accumulate heat, and then extract it and use it to heat the coolant? Naturally!

But before implementing alternative heating of a private house using the heat of the earth, it is necessary to deal with the following problems:

Receiving heat - it will be necessary to collect heat energy for its subsequent transfer to a special storage device.
Heat carrier heating. Heated antifreeze must transfer heat energy to the liquid circulating in the heating system and hot water.
The cooled antifreeze must be led back to the heat exchanger for subsequent heating.

To solve these problems, a geothermal pump has been developed that uses the heat of the earth. This device makes it possible to extract the necessary amount of thermal energy, which is enough to produce a large amount of heat and use it as the main or additional equipment for heating.

Geothermal heating of the house uses the principle of operation similar to the air conditioner in heating mode. The main element is, the dimensions of which are approximately similar to the dimensions of the washing machine; this element includes two circuits.

The first circuit (internal) looks like the heating system of a private house already familiar to us in a design that includes ordinary pipes and radiators. The second (external) is a heat exchanger, which is located underground or under water. This circuit can circulate both ordinary water and a special liquid with the addition of antifreeze.

An external circuit in which the coolant (water) circulates, which receives the temperature of the environment, after which it enters the heat pump, which can be configured for both heating and air conditioning. The heat that accumulates in the pump during heating is transferred to the internal circuit, and during cooling - to the external one.

Water collectors are mounted in the lower layers of the soil, at the bottom of a river or lake, through which antifreeze circulates. Collectors release cold and absorb heat. With the help of a pump, antifreeze rises up. Heat exchange takes place in the buffer tank. Heated antifreeze transfers heat energy to the coolant or heats the water. The cooled antifreeze goes back to the collectors.

There are units capable of independently heating large rooms, the rest are used as auxiliary equipment that can provide from 50% to 75% of the heat demand for a room.

Advantages and disadvantages of underground heating

The discovery of new technologies makes it possible for almost all homeowners to use the energy potential of the earth, opening up the possibility of using a geothermal home heating system in the private sector. The soil can accumulate 98% of the sun's energy, which is dissipated over the surface.

Thanks to this phenomenon, even in winter, quite a lot of heat is stored in the thickness of the earth, which can heat houses, it is only necessary to direct it in the right direction with the help of special equipment.

The positive aspects of this type of heating:

There is no combustion process. This system is completely fireproof, thanks to which the house is protected from the occurrence of fires that may occur due to a heating system with a fuel combustion method. There is no need to search for a place to store fuel, its preparation or delivery.
Sound comfort. The heat pump runs almost silently.
Significant economic benefit. During the operation of the system, there is no need for any additional monetary subsidies. Annual heating is carried out thanks to natural processes that do not need to be bought. Naturally, electricity is needed for the operation of a heat pump, but at the same time, the amount of energy produced is much higher than the cost of electricity consumption.
environmental factor. Geothermal heating of a suburban private dwelling is the most environmentally friendly solution. Due to the fact that the combustion process is excluded, the emission of various combustion products into the atmosphere is excluded.
The compactness of the system. There is no need to build or allocate a separate room for the boiler room. All that is required is a heat pump, which can be installed, for example, in the basement. The largest contour in terms of volume will be under water or land, so there will be no need to mask it.
Multifunctionality. Such a system can be used for both heating and cooling. In essence, it will play the role of not only a heater, but also an air conditioner.
The availability of this resource almost anywhere in the world, in addition, low costs for the operation and maintenance of this system.

Such a resource as geothermal energy is actually free, the main expenses are to pay for electricity, which is necessary for the operation of the heat pump. When spending 1 kW of electricity, you can get 3-5 kW of thermal energy.

It should be noted that the price of geothermal heating is quite high. This equipment pays off in about 5-8 years. This is repulsive to many who are going to install inexpensive, but quite efficient equipment for heating their homes, but are not ready to spend large enough funds to purchase equipment.

Necessary geothermal equipment

Heating from the earth works by absorbing and releasing its energy, and is based on the use of special equipment. These devices accumulate heat from the environment and transfer it to the coolant of the heating system of a private house. For this, the following heating devices are used:

Evaporator - placed deep underground to accumulate thermal energy that is in the environment.
Condenser - brings the non-freezing liquid to the desired temperature.
Geothermal pumping station - responsible for the circulation of the coolant in the circuit and controls the operation of the entire heating installation.
Buffer tank - concentrates the heated non-freezing liquid in one place for the subsequent transfer of the thermal state. Inside contains a tank that contains water from the circuit and a coil, inside which heated antifreeze circulates.

Now it has become even clearer how geothermy works, thanks to which a private house is heated with heat from the earth or the aquatic environment.

Note that the performance of the heat pump depends on the temperature of the medium in which the heat exchanger is placed. In this case, the inhabitants of Kamchatka are very lucky, as there are a lot of geysers here.

Before you install equipment for thermal heating, it is necessary to carry out geological exploration. If the heat source is located on the site near the house, then it is better to make a reservoir in this place and place the heat exchanger at its bottom. Then the geothermal heating of a private house will pay off much earlier.

Basic decoupling schemes

There are three schemes for organizing thermal alternative heating, that is, equipping a circuit for accumulating heat energy:

The most effective piping is considered to be a vertical system with a borehole pump. However, the arrangement of such a contour requires the use of special equipment and the drilling of wells with a depth of 50 to 200 meters. At the same time, this method justifies the expenditure, since the life of the well is about 100 years.
Less costly and simpler is the horizontal piping, in which the pipes are under a layer of earth below the freezing level of the soil. The main disadvantage of this option is that the contour occupies a very large perimeter. For example, for a building with an area of 180 sq.m. 450 sq.m. free space on the site so that the nearest tree is two meters from the pipes.
The cheapest and most convenient way is to place the heat exchanger at a sufficient depth of the reservoir so that the soil does not freeze there. The arrangement of such a system does not require the work of expensive special equipment. This option is the most optimal for creating geothermal heating at home, provided that the reservoir is no further than 100-120 meters from the building.

The external circuit is assembled from pipes made of polyethylene, with the calculation of the ratio of 40-50 W of heat energy per meter of the collector. So, with a pumping equipment power of 10 kW, it will be necessary to equip a well with a depth of about 165-195 meters. To get the desired estimated length, instead of one well, 2-3 less deep ones can be drilled from one point, but in different directions, that is, by the cluster method.

How to do it yourself?

It is rather difficult, but quite possible, to make geothermal heating on your own, some semblance of power plants (geoPP). A row with a house, you need to build a structure from a closed pipe piping and place it at a considerable depth. The size of the collector and the design of the coil depends on the degree of thermal conductivity and the depth of the soil. If you take up the installation of geothermal heating at home with your own hands, then it is better to purchase the external circuit ready-made.

To create the minimum conditions for the functioning of a geothermal system, the following conditions must be met:

The temperature of the soil layer where the pipe circuit will be located must not fall below +5°C.
Throughout the antifreeze piping, insulation must be made to protect the circuit from freezing.
Thermal heating of the building is carried out after careful calculations and creation of the project.

Given these requirements, it becomes clear that geothermal heating can be effective. However, for the northern regions, the use of such an installation is justified for heating buildings of a small area - up to 200 sq.m.

Consider only ways to create horizontal geothermal heating at home with your own hands under the ground or water. Mounting the collector vertically is much more difficult and very costly.

A heat pump does not take up much space, because this equipment is comparable in size to a conventional boiler. Connecting the sediment to the inner contour of the building is also not difficult. The main task is to equip the outer contour.

It is best to install the collector in a pond at a distance of no more than 100 meters. It is necessary that the area of the pond be more than 200 sq.m., and the depth - at least 3-3.5 meters. If you do not have rights to use this reservoir, then you will first have to obtain permission to install the necessary equipment.

If the pond is in your property, then it will not be difficult for you to drain it for a while in order to lay and fix the pipes in a spiral at its bottom without any problems. Earthworks consist only in digging a trench necessary to connect an external circuit to a geothermal pump. After completing all installation work, the reservoir can be filled again.

If your site does not yet have green spaces and many structures, then you can design a horizontal way to place the heat exchanger underground. To do this, you need to calculate what area the future collector will occupy, taking into account the parameters indicated above: 250-300 sq.m. contour per 100 sq.m. building area.

If there are trees and temporary buildings on your site, but you really want to make horizontal geothermal heating, then all structures and green spaces will have to be cut down and demolished. The process is complex, time-consuming, but necessary.

The technology of heating buildings with underground heat is very common in the West, as Westerners are able to make long-term investments that pay off in 5-10 years. In our country, there are not many people willing to pay about $20,000 for the arrangement of such a system. However, alternative geothermal heating of a private house is becoming more and more popular.