ᐅ Experiences with the slinky ground loop collector in the Bavaria region?
Created on: 22 Jun 2020 21:46
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NeuerBauherrN
NeuerBauherr22 Jun 2020 21:46Hello everyone,
First of all, I have been following this forum for a while, and now the time has come... Hopefully, we will soon be among the new homeowners.
Our building project for 2021 is starting to take shape, and we are currently looking into heating and cooling options. In this context, we came across the concept of the slinky trench collector. I am quite enthusiastic about the idea, and given the size of our plot (approximately 2400m² (about 0.6 acres)), we have a lot of flexibility.
A few questions have come up that I would like to share with you:
- Has anyone here already implemented a slinky trench collector in active use? What experiences—both positive and negative—have you had?
- Is installing it yourself in the ground really as simple as it is sometimes made out to be? What does the plumber or heating specialist say if you want to do the installation yourself?
- What actual performance values have been achieved?
- Is anyone using the slinky trench collector for cooling? I once read something about possibly embedding pipes in concrete to increase the effective surface area.
I look forward to hearing about your experiences.
First of all, I have been following this forum for a while, and now the time has come... Hopefully, we will soon be among the new homeowners.
Our building project for 2021 is starting to take shape, and we are currently looking into heating and cooling options. In this context, we came across the concept of the slinky trench collector. I am quite enthusiastic about the idea, and given the size of our plot (approximately 2400m² (about 0.6 acres)), we have a lot of flexibility.
A few questions have come up that I would like to share with you:
- Has anyone here already implemented a slinky trench collector in active use? What experiences—both positive and negative—have you had?
- Is installing it yourself in the ground really as simple as it is sometimes made out to be? What does the plumber or heating specialist say if you want to do the installation yourself?
- What actual performance values have been achieved?
- Is anyone using the slinky trench collector for cooling? I once read something about possibly embedding pipes in concrete to increase the effective surface area.
I look forward to hearing about your experiences.
I am one of those who have one. Regarding your questions:
1) Negative experiences… None, why should there be? It works and I would say it’s quite foolproof. Plus, there’s no ugly outdoor unit in front of the house.
2) Installing it yourself can be done in one day. I had never done anything like it before and found it quite easy. I rented an excavator and operator for the day and installed it together with a friend.
As for the heating engineer: we agreed that I would handle the collector and manifold, and he would take care of the brine on the inlet and outlet of the manifold and do the rest. The rest is no different from a system with drilling.
3) If you look at real values, the annual performance factor is usually… Mine is well above 5, which is a really solid figure.
4) I also use the cooling function and am satisfied here as well. I keep my house at about 23°C (73°F) throughout the summer, practically without energy costs. Unfortunately, I don’t have concrete core activation… If you still have the chance to include that, definitely do it, as it further improves the effect.
1) Negative experiences… None, why should there be? It works and I would say it’s quite foolproof. Plus, there’s no ugly outdoor unit in front of the house.
2) Installing it yourself can be done in one day. I had never done anything like it before and found it quite easy. I rented an excavator and operator for the day and installed it together with a friend.
As for the heating engineer: we agreed that I would handle the collector and manifold, and he would take care of the brine on the inlet and outlet of the manifold and do the rest. The rest is no different from a system with drilling.
3) If you look at real values, the annual performance factor is usually… Mine is well above 5, which is a really solid figure.
4) I also use the cooling function and am satisfied here as well. I keep my house at about 23°C (73°F) throughout the summer, practically without energy costs. Unfortunately, I don’t have concrete core activation… If you still have the chance to include that, definitely do it, as it further improves the effect.
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NeuerBauherr22 Jun 2020 22:50Hello Tego,
thank you very much for your feedback and information!
Regarding point 1... you mostly read positive things, which made me a bit suspicious. If the trench collector is so good, why isn’t it already a standard solution?
Regarding point 2... I’m somewhat skilled with manual work, and even smaller excavators are fun... Whether to do the digging myself or hire it out, we haven’t decided yet.
Regarding point 3... wow, that’s also my goal, to achieve the highest possible annual performance factor with low energy consumption.
Regarding point 4... yes, exactly what I meant, I just couldn’t remember the term, "BKA" (heat pump buffer tank). Since we only have the land so far, we have all design options open, and we would plan this in right away, as long as the cost remains reasonable.
I know the heat pump selection depends on the heating load, but I’m still curious which manufacturer(s) you use, and which model(s)? Also, do you possibly have a photovoltaic system combined?
We expect to have a relatively high electricity consumption (currently about 11,000 kWh per year), so a photovoltaic system or at least the pre-installation would certainly make sense in order to later combine it with a battery storage system to reduce costs connected to the heat pump.
Sorry for asking so many questions, but better to know more than to look uninformed later.
Best regards from Bavaria
thank you very much for your feedback and information!
Regarding point 1... you mostly read positive things, which made me a bit suspicious. If the trench collector is so good, why isn’t it already a standard solution?
Regarding point 2... I’m somewhat skilled with manual work, and even smaller excavators are fun... Whether to do the digging myself or hire it out, we haven’t decided yet.
Regarding point 3... wow, that’s also my goal, to achieve the highest possible annual performance factor with low energy consumption.
Regarding point 4... yes, exactly what I meant, I just couldn’t remember the term, "BKA" (heat pump buffer tank). Since we only have the land so far, we have all design options open, and we would plan this in right away, as long as the cost remains reasonable.
I know the heat pump selection depends on the heating load, but I’m still curious which manufacturer(s) you use, and which model(s)? Also, do you possibly have a photovoltaic system combined?
We expect to have a relatively high electricity consumption (currently about 11,000 kWh per year), so a photovoltaic system or at least the pre-installation would certainly make sense in order to later combine it with a battery storage system to reduce costs connected to the heat pump.
Sorry for asking so many questions, but better to know more than to look uninformed later.
Best regards from Bavaria
K
knalltüte22 Jun 2020 23:02Hi,
this is the forum with different sections like "House," "Technology," "Dialogue," etc., the right place for these topics. I also gave it a try. For me, it failed because the plot of land was too narrow. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t feasible.
The forum is very technical but also very helpful (just like here!).
Work with the "Trechnplanner." Draw, calculate, and of course, as mentioned before, find a heating installer who can connect it.
Good luck!
this is the forum with different sections like "House," "Technology," "Dialogue," etc., the right place for these topics. I also gave it a try. For me, it failed because the plot of land was too narrow. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t feasible.
The forum is very technical but also very helpful (just like here!).
Work with the "Trechnplanner." Draw, calculate, and of course, as mentioned before, find a heating installer who can connect it.
Good luck!
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NeuerBauherr22 Jun 2020 23:25superzapp schrieb:
Hi,
this is the differently themed forum with sections like "House," "Technology," "Dialogue," etc., which is the right one. I have tried it as well. For me, it failed due to a plot that was too narrow. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t feasible.
The forum is very technical but also very helpful (just like here!)
Work your way into the "TechPlanner." Draw, calculate, and of course, as mentioned before, find a heating engineer to connect it.
Good luck!Thanks a lot for the tip. I have already looked at the other forum a few times and read some topics; I will spend more time on it later. Yes, we’re very lucky with the plot size, as almost anything can be planned and realized there.
S
Strahleman23 Jun 2020 01:22NeuerBauherr schrieb:
If the ring trench collector is so good, why isn’t it already standard?There are several manufacturers (e.g., Nibe or idm) actively promoting the ring trench collector. So it has definitely gained some recognition among companies and, fortunately, also among heating engineers.NeuerBauherr schrieb:
Even smaller excavators are funSave yourself the trouble and get a proper excavator. We had a 20-ton machine and finished the 35-meter (115-foot) trench with only two people installing the pipes in exactly 7 hours. With a small excavator, you’ll struggle to reach the necessary trench depth.NeuerBauherr schrieb:
as long as the costs are manageable.Passive cooling works, but including the heat pump, the installation is not cheaper than a split air conditioner. We also wanted passive cooling at first but switched to air conditioning. It mainly gets uncomfortable in summer because of humidity, and passive cooling can’t help with that.The pink forum was already mentioned — you should definitely check it out. There is lots of expertise about ring trench collectors from winni, dyarne, and crink.
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