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Geothermal pipe locations

  • 21-08-2018 9:19am
    #1
    mp3guy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,954 ✭✭✭


    We're in the process of purchasing a property and are interested in finding out the exact locations of the external geothermal piping.

    We've been told the pipes are "to the right of the drive" immediately as you drive into the property, but this would place them at a distance of approximately 100m from the property (5 bed), which seems unusual?

    We want to recover as much land for usage as possible where the pipes may be and it's currently unclear how much of the land has piping below.

    We've been told you can't a) plant trees and b) put horses on the land the pipes lay in, and we'd be interested in doing both so mapping the piping location is important for us to essentially fence off that area (with some buffer) to avoid interference.

    Does anyone know how this can be done? Do companies exist that can do this? We have been informed that the original plans no longer exist.


Comments

  • #2
    Hector Savage
    Registered Users Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭Hector Savage


    Sorry I can't help you, but I am curious, geothermal sources ? in Ireland ? or are you in Iceland ? :)


  • #3
    mp3guy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,954 ✭✭✭mp3guy


    Maybe my terminology is a bit off, but this technology; https://www.ashgrove.ie/product-range/geothermal-heat-pumps/


  • #4
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,070 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    mp3guy wrote: »
    We've been told you can't a) plant trees and b) put horses on the land the pipes lay in, and we'd be interested in doing both so mapping the piping location is important for us to essentially fence off that area (with some buffer) to avoid interference.

    I never heard anything about not having horses on top. I can't see any reason why you couldn't do that. How would a horse interfere with a pipe a metre underground? Who told you not to have horses on it?

    It is correct that you can't/shouldnt have large trees as the roots could damage the pipes. Smaller shrubs/plants etc would be fine.

    Basically you need to ensure that nothing touches the pipes and you need to ensure that rainwater continues to soak into the ground above the pipes. Common sense after that will tell you what you can and cannot do.

    mp3guy wrote: »
    Does anyone know how this can be done? Do companies exist that can do this? We have been informed that the original plans no longer exist.

    I don't know the answer here. I do know there is equipment to detect cables etc underground but I'm not sure they would be good enough to find geo pipes as they are at least 1m underground so I'd say you'd need specialist expensive equipment for that.

    I'd revisit the advise about the horses first and see if you really need to map out the pipes at all!


  • #5
    mp3guy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,954 ✭✭✭mp3guy


    We've gotten mixed advice regarding horses, hence the confusion. Some people (and a couple companies) like yourself say it's no problem, others (including at least one company) say you can't as they can end up churning the ground up in "soft" weather and maybe end up pushing down rocks or something?


  • #6
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,070 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    mp3guy wrote: »
    We've gotten mixed advice regarding horses, hence the confusion. Some people (and a couple companies) like yourself say it's no problem, others (including at least one company) say you can't as they can end up churning the ground up in "soft" weather and maybe end up pushing down rocks or something?

    Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me that a horse would be able to puncture a pipe 1m down. It would need to be really really soft soil and I suspect you wouldn't have the horses on it if it was that bad/soft.

    Having said that, its possible the pipe isn't 1m down in places.

    If its just one company saying it and all others saying its OK I'd be inclined to go with the majority but you have to be comfortable with that yourself.

    Personally I wouldn't have an issue with animals grazing on mine. If you plan to put up jumps and start training horses on it then that would be a different matter entirely.


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  • #7
    mp3guy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,954 ✭✭✭mp3guy


    KCross wrote: »
    Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me that a horse would be able to puncture a pipe 1m down. It would need to be really really soft soil and I suspect you wouldn't have the horses on it if it was that bad/soft.

    Having said that, its possible the pipe isn't 1m down in places.

    If its just one company saying it and all others saying its OK I'd be inclined to go with the majority but you have to be comfortable with that yourself.

    Personally I wouldn't have an issue with animals grazing on mine. If you plan to put up jumps and start training horses on it then that would be a different matter entirely.

    It would just be for grazing. The main concern stems from the fact we were eyeing a similar property where the owners had geothermal and specifically rented an adjacent field for the horses to avoid them standing on the piped area.

    Would you have any companies / plumbers to PM that I could ring up and just ask what they reckon? Getting a consensus would be good.

    I was thinking maybe thermal imaging would be a way to go with grossly mapping the piped area, I know there are a couple companies doing thermal drone mapping. I wonder would a temperature delta show up, particularly in cold weather? Only need 1 or 2c difference for it to show up as a smudge.


  • #8
    KCross
    Registered Users Posts: 12,070 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    mp3guy wrote: »
    It would just be for grazing. The main concern stems from the fact we were eyeing a similar property where the owners had geothermal and specifically rented an adjacent field for the horses to avoid them standing on the piped area.

    Still seems excessive/paranoia to me.

    mp3guy wrote: »
    Would you have any companies / plumbers to PM that I could ring up and just ask what they reckon? Getting a consensus would be good.

    PM Sent.

    mp3guy wrote: »
    I was thinking maybe thermal imaging would be a way to go with grossly mapping the piped area, I know there are a couple companies doing thermal drone mapping. I wonder would a temperature delta show up, particularly in cold weather? Only need 1 or 2c difference for it to show up as a smudge.

    That would be a good idea, even just to know for yourself where they are if it ever developed a problem. I suspect that survey won't come cheap but if it resolves the issue for you then go for it.

    Would a temp diff show on a pipe 1m under the ground. I don't know. I would have thought a radar or sound emitting systems would be better suited....
    http://www.pvcpipelocators.com/buried-pvc-pipe/

    Maybe contact the tool hire companies, they might have radar based systems you could hire for reasonable money for a day.


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