Chile Forum

Does anyone know if geothermal radiant heat systems are available in Chile yet?

Canuck wrote:Does anyone know if geothermal radiant heat systems are available in Chile yet?

Among others - company called Geotermia in Stgo.

http://www.geotermiaingenieria.cl/SGEO.html

Termas de Puyehue famously took advantage of their location at a hot springs to use geothermal radiant heating for the hotel.

There is also a company called "EE Chile" German/Chilean company based in Valdivia that has done some pilot/demonstration/ proof of principle projects using geothermal/heat transfer such as the new building for the Colegio Alemán in Puerto Varas. http://www.eechile.cl/logrosdestacados2.htm

Geothermal heat pumps available

http://www.essachile.com/bombas_geotermicas.html Components including pumps and heat exchangers also from CHILECTRA

Can your average Chilean gasfiter and trades people do this sort of thing? Of course not. But it would be an interesting project if you don't mind paying for the specialty engineering and installers, or doing it yourself since the materials and heat exchangers appear to be available.

it was discussed at length in this post sometime ago:
topic2318.html#p21454

As we are in the late design phase of our house, I am leaving open the possibility of adding it later to our house. Not up to doing it right now for cost reasons, but anywhere in chile I think geothermal would work great.

great link to a forum on greenbuilding and the geothermal section:
http://gbt.buildcentral.com/Forums/tabi ... fault.aspx

My idea has always to hedge the bets and create a system the provides for multiple options. Solar, geothermal exchange, possibly composting furnace. All have the same basic system, some are cheaper than others for a DIY project. The distribution systems in the house are essentially the same as the stock radiant floor heating systems, it is just where the heat comes from that is different. I see no reason you could not have all of them in a house design, other than likely at some point it becomes overkill.

I love the intellectual tinker challenge, so I am planning to do it more out of the mad scientist in me.

One thing I have learned in my research, that is often poorly explained, is that it is really about using the combined gas law ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_gas_law ) to manipulate the temp in your house. The source of the heat sink is relatively unimportant component of the system. The backyard will do just fine, as long as you have a sufficiently large backyard.

This kind of heating is growing very popular in Scandinan countries due to the increase of the price of electricity. A popular method there is to install the heat exhager into a well. Of course the well depth has to be sufficient.

The soil type and humidity of the earth is an important factor when installing the heat exchanger coil into the ground. If you live in a place where it rains more in the winter you need less surface area because the heat transfer is better.

This system is not the easiest thing in the world to install. I would never let anybody install a system like this without proper supervision.

admin wrote:One thing I have learned in my research, that is often poorly explained, is that it is really about using the combined gas law ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_gas_law ) to manipulate the temp in your house.

Yes, clearly what you really need is to get allodial title to the property, declare sovereignty and use a different value of Boltzmann's constant indoors.

Yes, clearly what you really need is to get allodial title to the property, declare sovereignty and use a different value of Boltzmann's constant indoors.jehturner

Please translate engineer/geek into laymans English......

I think you mean subsurface rights, do your own thing, and an obscure physics concept. Please enlighten us. This is a worthwhile discussion

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic

Right, I was just joking . Only God can change Boltzmann's constant (that's why it's a constant).

But the government can change the time, which is pretty cool.

jehturner wrote:But the government can change the time, which is pretty cool.

And the values of currency and labor, which is not cool.

I know this is a old thread but I just saw it.

Geothermal Heat Pumps are the way to go and are very energy efficient and work well up to about -9.4 C. They are available in Chile. As far as installing they are normally pretty easy for residential use, but if someone needs help installing after I get to Chile I will be available as I will be looking for work.

For those who want to save money and have access to firewood there are several systems available from Radiant Heat to Central Heat and they will also heat your water. These are also easy to install and affordable. Again once I get to Chile I'll be available.