Just made the decision to go Geothermal

Nifty

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Does all the drill mud just go onto your property?
 

Smart Red

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Does all the drill mud just go onto your property?
Yes, @Nifty, so far it has. The contractor will use his back hoe to remove much of the powder once the water sinks into the ground. This is a slurry of ground limestone and water. Adding lime to the lawn isn't the worst thing I could do.
 

Smart Red

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One of the reasons I chose this contractor is because others set an allotment for drilling and grout expenses. Anything over that amount would be an extra charge for me. Well, so far we have used over twice the grout projected. We were told there are a few "fissures" in the limestone -- like small cave formations -- where the grout will spread out to fill the space instead of staying in place and filling the bore holes.

One more day of grouting the five bore holes before he's done with them. Then the drilling crew will return to pull the casing around the holes out. Right now the five holes look like five new wells. Once the pipes are pulled out and the manifold buried, there will be no sign in the yard that we have Geothermal heating.

We/he have been lucky with this above normal temperature period in January. I fear it will soon return to lower temperatures that make working outside too difficult. Here's hoping he gets the work done quickly and gets inside the basement with the piping so the system can be finished, up and working soon.
 

Nifty

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Fingers crossed!
 

Smart Red

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All the grout is in the bore holes as per DNR requirements. It took a lot more grout than expected, but the last three holes were topped off today.

Tomorrow, we were promised, is the day the pipes are pulled. Then the yard will no longer have any sign of the geothermal system . . . . . other than the mess we will have to clean up this spring. The contractor says he'll be back on Saturday to dig the trench to the house -- IF -- if the frost isn't too deep, if the limestone isn't too close to the top, if nothing else goes wrong.

Saturday is looking like the best day for the coming couple of weeks. I want him done with outside work before it becomes another reason the system can't get in. Sigh!
 
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