Depths for GSHP slinkys
Hi,
I've had a GSHP installed. All well and good so far, house is warm, very happy.
My garden is on a slope, and we want to do some heavy duty landscaping to create some flat areas.
So I can plan, I need to know a bit more about optimum and possible depth for the slinkys. At present they are all 1.2m down. From what I've read that is the generally advised depth. But what happens if I bury them deeper, by adding soil to create a flat terrace? Or if the terracing means they end up shallower? Do they need to be exactly at 1.2m down? Or is that a minimum?
If anyone knows, I'd be grateful for some feedback.
cheers in advance.
They are meant to be at least at that depth to make sure the the temperature of the earth around them is not unduly affected by a cold snap. So I certainly wouldn't decrease the depth.
No problem with them being deeper though.
2x 9kW Kensa Evo GSHPs
3.8 Kw solar
10 kWh batteries
@windyinsancreed At least 1.2 to 1.5 meters and straight pipes at least 1meter apart, the deeper they are, the less effect the weather has and the better performance.
I strongly advise against slinky's, unless you are cooling, Slinky's are thermal storage, not a ground collector. There is too much pipe in a small area (5 m of pipe per m as opposed to 2 m/m), and you run the risk of freezing the ground. Once the ground is frozen, it is useless and will need recharging, hence cooling. We do not do enough cooling in the UK to keep the slinky's in good condition.
Director at Heacol | Expert Heat Pump Consultant | Book a one-to-one consultation for pre- and post-installation advice, troubleshooting and system optimisation.
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