The continuous concrete and narrow quarters of the big city are no impediment to a direct-access geothermal system. Contractor Mike Sumple took on the challenge in the heart of Manhattan and provided an energy-efficient system that has resulted in approximately a 50 percent lower electric bill for the homeowner.

Sumple, president of CHW, LLC, New Milford, Conn., installed a direct-access ground-source heat pump from ECR Technologies Inc., Lakeland, Fla., for the new owner of a four-story townhouse located on the lower west side in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. According to Sumple, the direct-access heat pump was the first of its kind installed in Manhattan. The project required drilling three vertical bores, 100 feet deep, for the ground loops for the geothermal heat pump. Drilling had to be accomplished in a 5-foot by 20-foot section of sidewalk between the townhouse and the street. After the three holes were bored, a trench was dug into the basement. Three copper loops were installed in the holes, connected to manifolds (vapor and liquid). A lineset was run from the manifolds to the heat pump.

ECR’s EarthLinked™ direct-access ground-source heat pump uses copper loops containing refrigerant, instead of the water loop of a standard geothermal system, for direct heating and cooling of the refrigerant by the earth.

For more information, contact Sumple at 860-210-0028, 860-355-4340 (fax), or advgeothermalsys@aol.com.

Publication date: 08/25/2003