Horizontal vs vertical ground source heat pump systems

Ground source heat pumps are installed either using shallow horizontal trenches or a deep vertical boreholes.

The choice of these will be dependent on the space you have available as well as the costs of installation.

Horizontal ground source heat pump system

Digging trenches for a horizontal system install is more economical than drilling a borehole for a vertical system.

Often only properties in rural areas have space for horizontal systems because of the large amount of outdoor space required.

A typical horizontal system for a mid-sized property will cost around £10,000 - £14,000 to install, with a 12kW system for a large property totalling approximately £15,000-£18,000.

Vertical ground source heat pump system

Vertical ground source heat pumps are far more expensive to install.

A typical vertical system will cost upwards of £30,000 for the installation because of the requirement of specialist heavy machinery to create the borehole.

Which system is the most suitable?

Horizontal and vertical ground source heat pump systems both provide a long term return on investment despite the initial high costs and add value to your home in terms of a eco-friendly method of heating.

The key determining factor will be the space you have available, for example a horizontal ground source heat pump system would need a minimum of 700 square metres for the multiple ground loops.

On the other hand, the minimum vertical system needs two separate boreholes at a 25cm width, and spaced six metres from each other.

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