Geo Therm for dog house

[kthompson]

I am planning on a water circulation system to cool and heat our dog house. Talked with a good friend who owns an hvac business who works some with geo therm and he gave me some recommendations. But have some points hope you can help me with. Built the dog house ourselves. about a four feet square and three feet tall. Walls have two inch foam in them and the "attic" is insulated. Seems odd to say attic in dog house but still an attic. Nope, no stairs.

Was told about 5 feet deep will give me stable temp about 50 or do degrees F. If the house is heated to even 45 degrees F that should be plenty but our summer temps can reach 100 for days with high humidity. I think copper would be best material for the temp transfer in the ground and in the house. My first question is what would be the second best option in material? Believe pex would be lowest cost option. Next is the diameter of the pipe or tubing needed. I think 1/2 inch would be fine. Yet when I read the gpm it seems too small. Any idea the gpm needed to produce the temps desired in the house? Plan to make a copper coil or such design to lay on the floor with suitable material over it (need thoughts on this also) to serve as a radiator. Am planning on using a water pump for small pond as what I understand being a loop the pump is not really lifting the water like in a well.

Any other recommendation..

Thanks.

 

[mikester]

I say go at least 40’x60’ and add running water, a kitchenette, a cot, 3 piece bath, and 400A service with 3 phase power. I would also epoxy the floors. If you are in the doghouse at least you will be comfortable.

 

[richarsm]

Whatever you place the cooling coil inside will probably need to be sealed up airtight. If humid air is flowing across the coils, you'll have massive amounts of condensation, and it will turn into a mold factory.

 

[ovrszd]

Interesting concept. Curious how it turns out.

My shop hydronic floor heat uses 1/2" pex. A foot of pex per sqft of floor space flowing at 2.8 gpm. Not sure that info is of any value to you though.

I agree with richarsm's comment above concerning condensation.

 

[Carl_NH]

I would build a dog bunker underground a few feet then banking the sides for those hot or cold days. A concrete 2' H 3' diameter drain tile with a roof or buy something like this. Amazon.com : DogEden 6A Underground Dog Grey House With Anchor : Pet Supplies

 

[Smokeydog]

I wouldn’t let copper contact concrete. Pex will work fine.

Only problem cooling with hydronic floors is condensation. Wet floor would not be good.

We have a good spring. Get all our water for the farm and three houses. 58 degrees year round. Lots of thoughts how to augment heat and cooling. One house has hydronic floor heat. Much more cost effective to use mini-split heat pump on our log house than ground source heat pump.

Our pasture Great Pyrenees dug her a dirt house under a large stump. Helped her out with some sheet plastic roof, drainage and winter bedding. She used it only when she keep an eye on the goats.

Interesting idea.

 

[EddieWalker]

I thought about doing this for livestock, kind of lost interest the more I got into planning it. Copper is too expensive and for what you are doing, I doubt you will notice any sort of benefit to justify the cost.

Lowes and Home Depot sell 300 foot rolls of PEX, and that's what I was thinking of using. Just dig a trench about 150 feet long and lay the PEX in the trench. My plan was to go 6 feet deep. Then where the PEX connects to the pump, run PEX through the base of the slab on some foam. Put some wire mesh over it and pour concrete. Since no vehicles would drive over it, I think it would be fine with the PEX resting on the foam at the bottom of a 3 1/2 inch thick pad.

Now that I've had goats and horses for awhile, I'm no longer thinking this is something that the need or even want. I'm amazed at how they just lay out on the frozen ground with the temps are in the teens.

With dogs, I have 4 Akita's and they all live inside the house. I have 3 extra large doggy doors that the come and go when they want. I cannot figure out what they prefer, I've seen them out in the direct sun in the middle of sun, sound asleep. And then too hot to pet when they come in!! In winter, they love the cold and rarely come into the house when it's freezing outside.

 

[woody]

just my thoughts and I am no expert. I would dig where I wanted the dog house put some 3 or 4 in plastic pipe in about four to six feet deep, allow one end of each pipe to come up through the floor at the sides of the wall. as the ground heats or cools the air in the pipe it will have natural circulation heating or cooling the inside of the house. add a doggy door and call it good.

 

[kthompson]

mikester, you cracked me up. Have myself taken care of, this is really for the four legged dog.
richarsm, BOY, thanks for that thought. Will be big issue here. Thank you.
ovrszd, yes the info is good. First gpm I have found anywhere.
Carl_NH, sorry, already have normal Dog House with too much money in it. Think it is hurricane proof. Well maybe.
Smokeydog, agree on concrete and copper. Locked into wood floor but still have to come up with moisture solution.
EddieWalker, man can not believe you make your animals live like they are homeless or such. Some group will certainly come after you. Few years ago reached out to a rescue place for an outside dog, was told I was not fit to have a dog if I was not going to keep it inside. I told the lady I am sorry for you. You have never seen a happy dog till you see you that is allow to run free across a field. Learned she did have a bad family as child. We got the puppy on Dec 17th 2019. By the time our cold weather was getting over realize he by then was large enough 40 degrees to him was comfortable. We have had 90 degree days a few and know that he is not happy in that.
woody, I had studied the air system as you described some and my understanding is you need a fan to move the air and needed a drain hole in the pipe with it installed in an slight angle with a drain hole in it. They were quick to point out air was not very efficient in temperature transfer. However I am open to learning more on this type if you have knowledge on them.

Just to be sure all realize this house is about 48 cubic feet. I think have enough copper pipe of 1/2 and 3/4 to make the in grouch exchanger as quick look like 40 feet of the 3/4 and about 60 feet of 1/2. Would want to run the copper out the ground to connect with flexible lines (maybe washer machine hoses) for the pump then to an exchange for the house. As to moisture, might have a drip pan made to fit the exchange in with a drain. At same time might mount it below the floor with a vapor barrier. Still will need to drain the condensation away.

 

[Topzide]

If your set on a geothermal setup, I would use a transmission cooler as heat exchanger with a 12 volt fan to move air. You could use 12 volt pump and then use solar and battery for night to run unit. The air moving when humid will help with cooling like a swamp cooler. Could put simple thremostat on to set temperature and control fan and pump. Good luck on project!