Pond Loop Guidelines

When considering a pond loop, a number of design guidelines must be taken into account and are as follow:

•The pond must be a pond year-around. Even in the shallowest conditions, the pond must be 8 to 10 feet deep at the location where the loop is installed.

•In a heating dominated climate a spring-fed pond or fast moving body of water (e.g. stream, river) should be avoided, as the loop will become too cold for heat transfer.

•A minimum of ½ acre of surface area is required for a residential installation of 3 to 6 tons. A larger body of water is always better.

•The mat loop is recommended for heating dominated climates, since the larger surface area allows better heat exchange when extracting heat from the water. The coil loop is recommended for cooling dominated climates.

•The pond should not be too far from the home. More than 200 to 300 foot distance is normally not practical, since the pump size must be increased. Plus, with large distances to the pond, the installation may become a horizontal loop by default (i.e. the supply and return lines become a loop).

•Some public and private bodies of water have restrictions, not allowing pond loops.

•A pond loop must always be a closed loop. Using pond or lake water directly will increase heat pump maintenance