Installation of a ground water heat pump for the average household
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Date
1983-12
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Ground water is an economic, efficient and unlimited source of energy. It is known that the high specific heat of water allows a high yield of heat energy. Ground water is sent through various components that raise and lower water temperature to produce warm or cool air and hot water. With storage management, as much as 85 percent of the United States has enough water for heat pump usage. When a well is drilled for heat pump use, it should be designed to produce about 10,000 gallons per day. A non-heat pump household well yields about 400 gallons per day. A well pump should be able to supply 30 to 50 psi to household fixtures. The well screen should allow a water velocity of 0.1 feet per second. The well pump should be tested in situ by the following methods: the constant rate test; the recovery test; and the step test. Used ground water can be disposed of by the single well system which needs 100 feet of vertical separation for every 12,000 BTUs of heat energy supplied. The alternating two well disposal system needs two pumps to operate. It has been found that both of these methods are expensive and impractical. The best system is the non-alternating two well disposal system which uses one pump and is the least expensive. Stainless steel tubing and components should be used in a heat pump system to minimize chemical deterioration. Equipment should be rinsed with a 211 solution of water and bleach. The higher the ground water temperature, the less work is put on a heat pump system to operate. In central Ohio, ground water temperature is about SJ degrees Fahrenheit. Ground water heat pumps can function efficiently at J9 degrees Fahrenheit. The average efficiency of a ground water heat pump is 330 percent. Central Ohioans can expect to pay between 1250 and 3750 U.S. Dollars for a complete ground water heat pump system, with a payback period of about 10 years.