Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Geothermal

Sorry if this question has been answered but I didn’t find anything specific upon a search. I will be getting a pond loop installed very shortly. I was going to wait until fall so I’d be more ready for the whole process but our existing unit just took a dump on us, so no time like the present eh? I need to get everything done by the time the summer heat hits us.

My question is about the trench into the pond. I’ll be talking to my contractor a bit more about it in these coming days but I figured I’d get a little back knowledge myself on the matter. My understanding is that they have to trench into the pond a few feet down to get below frost line. That worries me because I’m fairly confident that my pond has a clay liner. How is this addressed? What have others done when getting geo installed in pond? This is the biggest obstacle I’m seeing and I don’t want to abandon the project because of it but I don’t want the pond ruined. Thanks for any input!

Just like putting a drain in the pond, the clay needs to be compacted around the pipe going into and out of the pond.

If they don't get it compacted enough and it is leaking in that area, I think throwing SoilFloc in that area will fix the problem if there IS a problem.

Ok cool so I guess it’s no big deal? I’m assuming he will pile the clay up separately and then pack it back in when the pipes are ran. I know the ditch is going to have to be about 3 ft deep so I’m assuming we will be completely through the lining at that point. I’ll get more details on his part beforehand and he’s also ran pond loops before. Was just nervous about the process. Thanks

You will want to use anti-seep collars on the lines in & out of the pond.

I'm sure your installer thought of this if he's done these before, but make sure your house is well above pond level. The previous owners of the house I am in currently had a pond loop installed and the system flooded the basement during a really wet spring.

The wet spring coincided with a system failure, so the likelihood of that happening is extremely low. Something worth considering though.

What Imoore said, I have dug several of these in for heating and air contractors back in the day but every time the house was above the pond and we were digging up hill on the upper side of the pond, not anything close to or thru the dam, so leaking wasn't an issue.
They have pretty much quit even using pond geothermal in this area for some reason or other, they said they will freeze up in the colder winter months and get a very bad rate of heat exchange, even at deep depths. I don't have any clue about the systems, just repeating info.