Ground Source heat pump trenches

Horizontal Ground Arrays

A horizontal ground array or ground source heat pump trenches as otherwise known, are worth considering if you have land. As specialist drilling equipment is not required, a horizontal ground array often costs less than a borehole.
You do need much more space for trenches because the extraction rate is a lot less. 

Things to note when considering trenches as your preferred collector:

• Width and depth of trench – for health and safety reasons the majority of trenches are kept to a 1m depth to prevent collapsing during works. We advise keeping the collector pipes 1m apart from each other to maintain efficiency long term.
• Position of subterranean manifold – The wrong location can make it difficult to extract air from the ground array. It is advisable to have the subterranean manifold in an elevated position so that air can escape through the manifolds purpose-built air vents. 
• Length of pipework run – It is important to have equal trenches and pipework runs. This ensures good and even flow. 

The Digging Process