Any dangers of the pipe failing down the line ? Is there some buyers insurance for future breakdowns ( so that i don't have to pay someone to dig it up to fix ) ? Can i use the trench or hole for a deep well when its filled in , after being dug ? Thinking of using stone as a filler ?

Not sure what you are asking here.  Do you want to run a well out of the same hole as your geothermal pipe?  This will not work.   Where do you want to put the stone?  Around the geothermal pipes?   This is not a good idea either. 




Most geothermal pipe companies offer a 50 year warranty on the pipe.  As long as the system is installed  and tested properly,  it will last you a long time.   Most of the loops problems that I have seen come from the pipe  having been damaged by digging or trenching .  No policy will cover someone damaging the pipe.

I thought about filling in the (slinky loop ) vertical - hole with stone. Use the same hole as a dry well. I have water problems in the backyard when ever their is a good rain.  I been told that i need hole abou the same size as what called for by the geothermal.

How new of furnace do you have to have to run split geothermal ? I've been told by two plumber that i have to have a fairly new furnance to have a split geothermal .

Just to clarify a few things.  Slinky loops run horizontal, not verticle.  Loose stone will not work as a backfill for a geothermal loop.  The loop needs to have good contact with the ground in order to transfer heat.  Loose stone would not transfer heat from the ground to the loop.    Most states require that verticle holes be filled with a non permeable grout which will protect the gound water from contamination.


Why do you want to run split geothermal?   The problem with most furnaces is that they don't move enough air.  You are not going to save very much by keeping your  furnace and using it as a blower.  I would rip out the furnace and go with a heatpump and blower combined.

I believe you mean a slinky loop installed into a narrow 6' to 7' deep trench. Need soil with high percentage of fine grain such as clay to maximize thermal transfer.

I want to have split geothermal (need to see what it might cost vs full geothermal ) so that i can do cogeneration with a sterling engine ( two years away before the unit goes into production ). The final verdict will be when the plumber finally make it out to the house. Looking at a cheap way of getting geothermal. All the facts are not in. Except for using slinky look install. I do have high percentage of clay. I did find out that you can install a slinking vertical. But , you have to be in the south and willing install more pipe. This is long term project to offset project high energy bills , gas and electric.

The slinky loop seems to be more for someone on a farm. I talk to geocomfort rep. and  florida rep. Aparently , I need a 5 ton geothermal system .  I need to rip out all the duct work in the basement (pipes left over since the 1960's).  The driller will have to drive a couple of hours to get to my house.  $$$$$ ? . What does a 5 ton system cost ? roughly ? I also found that the cost of drilling is determine after you drill. No way of knowing how far down to drill or what you might run into.

The purpose of slinky loops is to reduce your trench lengths to save on excavation costs. I know of one person in ND who is using 10" pitch vertical slinky loop with 4 x 70' of trench. I believe he said that the depth was 7'. He had scraped off the top 2' of soil and had a trencher trench four 5' deep trenches and then backfilled the 2' of soil which was scraped off.

I am installing 4 x 100' trench for a horizontal slinky, 36" dia, 36" pitch in what is called 'five feet of pipe per foot of trench'. Each loop will consist of 500' of 3/4" PE at 6' depth with the trenches spaced 12' on center.

My original calculations for damp clay to satisfy my BTU extraction requirements was for 325' total length of trench. After this very dry summer, I recalculated for dry clay and found that the total trench length of 412' would be required. I plan to add irrigation pipe to the loop field in case the loops dry out.