Does it cost more for vertical loop or horizontal? Which works better?
Generally a vertical loop would be more expensive than a horizontal loop, simply because drilling is normally more expensive than trenching. The reason that you would use a vertical loop over a horizontal is in a situation where the land that you have available cannot support the space needed for a horizontal loop. For a horizontal loop you would need a minimum of 7,200 square feet of yard or field space. Although there are prescribed minimums, more pipe and ground mass is generally better than less. A vertical loop can be more efficient than horizontal loop (depending on soil conditions) because when a vertical loop is drilled, it can and generally will go through aquifer (water table) levels which increase heat transfer. A horizontal loop is laid in a trench which is generally 1 foot below the frost level in a given area. It normally takes about 1.5 days to completely install a horizontal loop. Horizontal loops are more common for the cost reasons as stated herein. Vertical loops are
