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Horizontal Closed Loop Ground Source
This type of heat pump uses a buried pipe or “slinky” to collect energy from the ground. Around 50 metres of slinky are required for every KiloWatt of heat output, so this type of system is only suitable for properties with very large gardens.
The slinky is buried in trenches approximately 1 to 2 metres deep, and contains an anti-freeze mixture circulated by the heat pump. Heat is transferred from the ground to the anti-freeze, then from the anti-freeze to the heat pump. Because there are two steps in transferring heat from the ground to the heat pump, the losses are greater and the efficiency is lower than the open loop system.
During extended cold periods, and towards the end of winter, the heat extracted from by this type of heat pump tends to reduce the ground temperature and heating efficiency, so a backup heating system is generally recommended.
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