Talk to me about "Earth Loop" cooling

[NoPaint]

If I install an earth loop in my land for cooling and run water through it, how do I know how much pipe to run? Would it help if I just ran PVC pipes to a 6' deep x 6' diameter pond and then to some horizontal earth looping and then into the home to cool?

Also, talk to me about the condenser that fits inside. What exactly will that entail and could I build that myself? I assume since water does not transfer heat like the condenser inside the A/C unit in the basement that I would have to make a pretty huge radiator to be fed by the underground loop?

Thanks!

 

[btuser]

are you talking about geothermal heating, with a real condenser or just a water loop with a fan and radiator?

 

[semipro]

are you talking about geothermal heating, with a real condenser or just a water loop with a fan and radiator?

I'm not sure what the OP was asking but I've always wondered if what you suggest would work for cooling at our house. It seems like the 50 degree water coming out of the ground could be passed through a water/air heat exchanger with a fan to to do air conditioning (cooling and dehumidification). Others have told me that the water is not cool enough to dry the air. Seems to me if the heat exchanger is sweating sufficiently and condensate water is produced then the air must be getting drier. I've never tried it but maybe the airflow from the fan prevents the condensate from forming and air is cooled but not dried?

We already have a geothermal system so this question is really academic although if this worked I could avoid using the power that my refrigeration compressor requires.

 

[NoPaint]

I'm asking whether I could plumb water through my property, into a sealed well, and then back into the home to a radiator/heat-pump type device to be used as a refrigerant to cool my home. If it comes out of the ground around 50 degrees then it shouldn't be too difficult to keep my home at 72. What do you guys think? If it seems worthwhile I am going to start on this in the fall.

 

[benjamin]

It can work, but it's not as easy as it might seem. I've worked on units that are just like an evaporator coil except bigger manifolds and use a lot of water which is then dumped away from the source. If you have cold enough water and enough of it and a place to dispose of it then it works great.

Because you're working with a relatively high temp "coolant" it's easier to remove the sensible heat (ie from 80 degrees to 75 degree) than the latent heat (ie 70degree dew point to 50 degree dew point). One solution I've considered, but won't try because we really don't need it where I live, is to run the water first through a coil, and then through the radiant floor, concrete only of course, so the wood doesn't rot out.

Another idea that I may try someday is a spray cooling heat exchanger where the water is sprayed directly into the air inside of a duct with a drain. If the air the air would be saturated at whatever temperature it reached but that could easily be a lower dew point than the air coming in.