Loop type
Horizontal fields
A horizontal field is pipe laid in trenches across open ground below the frost line, then covered and restored.
When it fits
There is open ground, such as a meadow, an orchard row or a large lawn
A new house is not yet landscaped
Rock is deep or soft enough to trench
You'd rather trench than drill
The site visit
When we come out to the lot.
- 01
Step 1: We walk the lot
We look at the mechanical room, the yard, the well and septic, and where a rig could reach.
- 02
Step 2: We listen to the house
We ask which rooms run cold, how the house is used and what you heat with now.
- 03
Step 3: We measure what we need
Rooms, windows, insulation, duct sizes and the electrical panel, for the heat loss calculation.
- 04
Step 4: You get a written quote
It lists the loop, the heat pump, the distribution, the permits and the restoration as separate lines, and says how long it holds.
The number
What sets your number.
No prices here. These are the things that move the quote, and your written quote shows each as its own line.
Area available
Trench length is set by the heat loss and the soil. We mark it on a site sketch.
Soil and moisture
Damp, even soil carries heat better than dry sand.
Trees, utilities and drainage
Roots, septic, wells and buried lines change the layout.
Machinery and weather
Frost and wet ground limit when trenches can open.
The heat pump and distribution
Ducts or tubing, new or reused.
Restoration
Grading, topsoil and seed, with who does each part on the quote.
Questions about this loop.
How much yard does a loop need?
It depends on the loop. A vertical loop goes down, so a few bores can fit beside a house. A horizontal field needs open ground, often a good part of an acre. A lake loop needs no yard at all, only the right water. We size the field from your house's heat loss and say what it needs before you decide.
Will it tear up my lawn?
Some. A drill rig and trucks leave ruts, and trenches leave a scar until the ground settles. Your quote says where the equipment goes, what we restore and what we leave to you, such as seed and watering.
Does it keep up in a northern Michigan winter?
The ground below the frost line changes little between January and July, which is why the loop works at all. The heat pump is sized to your house's heat loss, and some systems add electric backup for the coldest days. Your quote says whether yours does and why.
Related
Other loops and pages.
Vertical loops
The same system where space is tight.
Vertical loopsNew construction
Fields go in before the landscaping.
New constructionSeasons
When the ground is workable.
Seasons
Ask about horizontal fields.
Tell us the address and how the house is heated now. We'll call to set a time.