System Design & Costing

Ease of Design
EcoTrol Fluid Control System eliminates engineering calculations required for pipe sizing, antifreeze concentrations, pump sizing and trench length/depth in a simple, easy to understand selection program.  EcoTrol supplies system specifications based on your project’s location and soil type, to ensure success.

Design Adaptability
EcoTrol is adaptable to any vertical or horizontal geothermal design, whether a single or multi-loop system, including reverse return (2X1), in-line, closed pond, vertical, slinky or branched loop variations.

Eliminates Guess Work
EcoTrol supplies a variety of specifications for individual projects, including those for minimal, optimal and balanced heat pump efficiencies. These efficiencies are created simply by increasing or decreasing trench lengths to adapt to seasonal returning water temperature differential in both ground loop systems.

Costing Simplicity
EcoTrol eliminates time consuming calculation of pipe sizes, loop lengths, pump requirements, antifreeze concentrations, header distances, and friction or head losses. Select the appropriate BTU output, efficiencies, loop type and soil conditions for your water source heat pump.

Choice of Loop Type
We developed an estimation software that quickly and efficiently aids in costing for each loop type, depth, soil condition and circuit spacing, providing design information and a fixed price for the  EcoTrol Fluid Control System appropriate for your heat pump…in seconds.

Heat Pump Compatibility
GMG supplies the pipe fitting adapters for connection to any water source heat pump currently available. Simply specify the make and model, and GMG ensures that your EcoTrol  Fluid Control System will be compatible.

System Installation & Start-Up

Minimal Assembly Required
The EcoTrol Fluid Control Center, trench header pipe and branch loop piping are all shipped preassembled, and prefilled with Bioglycol™, dramatically reducing the time and labor required to complete the system installation and start-up.

Ease of Installation
EcoTrol multi-speed pumps assist in the fine tuning of operating efficiencies, while allowing higher flow velocities for purging. Increasing or decreasing the pumps’ speed settings adjusts the temperature differential, setting flow rates to an optimum level, which increases the energy efficiency of the water and heat pumps.

Direct Electrical Connectivity
All units come with 230VAC pumps which can be connected directly to most heat pump manufacturers’ compressor relays. (For relay power requirements or alternate output switching connections, see individual heat pump manufacturer’s recommendations.)

Environmentally Friendly Glycol
EcoTrol Bioglycol™ is the only truly environmentally safe antifreeze available. Derived from corn, rather than petroleum, Bioglycol™ is non-flammable, with no dangerous vapors or inhalation risks. It is approved for use in all states and provinces in North America. Thinner than standard glycols, Bioglycol™ requires far less energy to circulate the fluid through the system, while retaining excellent thermal characteristics.

Eliminates Antifreeze Installation
With the loops already pre-filled with the required concentration of Bioglycol™,  EcoTrol eliminates the need to calculate, add or mix the required antifreeze at the job site.

Ease of Purging
The  EcoTrol “plug and play” fluid control center and loop requires no flushing of loop lines or measured mixing of antifreeze. With the loops completely pre-filled with the proper concentration of Bioglycol™ antifreeze, simple connections, requiring no special tools, are used to interconnect piping. The fully pre-filled loops allow for the automatic purging of any loop type installation, including vertical and horizontal “slinky” designs, with no need for extensive flushing or fluid reversing. The overall purge head pressure on the system remains very low, allowing the fluid control center’s multi speed pumps to easily move any air through the system.

Elimination of Fusion Welding
Requiring special knowledge and tools to complete, as well as pressure testing to ensure welds are water tight, fusion welding is expensive and time consuming. Unlike other systems,  EcoTrol requires no fusion welding. Comprised of plastic and stainless steel, the underground, non-degradable field piping connections, with double locking compression fittings, provide a major  EcoTrol advantage: a water tight connection for every installation.

Elimination of System Flushing
EcoTrol was designed for simplicity. Provide a temporary water supply to the unit, and turn the water on. The system will fill and air will automatically purge from the system. After a few minutes, turn on the heat pump and the EcoTrol pressure tank allows for replenishment of the fluid. The air eliminator keeps the lines permanently air-free. No call backs, and far less time spent flushing the loop, saves hours of work and reduces expenses.

System Performance, Maintenance & Expansion

Quality Control
At GreenBild Manufacturing Company, quality control is maintained through stringent pressure and function testing of all  EcoTrol  Fluid Control Centers and loop systems prior to shipping.

Increased Thermal Ground Transfer
The  EcoTrol plastic loop tubing has a higher heat transfer surface to fluid volume ratio than other products, and the loop piping is longer than standard installations. This causes the fluid to become more turbulent inside the EcoTrol piping and provides a larger surface area for heat transfer, reducing the temperature differential between the returning water and the entering water from the heat pump. The improved heat transfer to the soil, over a greater contact area of excavation, increases heat transfer efficiency. Averaging 20% more loop for the same investment increases the energy efficiency of any geothermal heat pump.

Multiple Heat Pump Capability
Designed for maximum flexibility,  EcoTrol easily accommodates multiple heat pump requirements, meeting the maximum flow and volume of the multi speed pumps.

System Expansion
EcoTrol manifolds are easily adapted for additional heat pumps or increased loop capacity without the need to drain or dismantle the existing installation. Expansion of the loops to increase operating efficiencies, or increase heat pump capacity, is achieved quickly and easily.

Less Troubleshooting
Differing pipe lengths, trench depths, damaged piping, backfill voids or differing sub soil conditions can cause some loops to absorb more of the load than others, decreasing the effective heat saturation area and causing heat pumps to work harder, less efficiently. This can reduce unit operating efficiencies by up to 30% or more, and in extreme cases, render the heat pump inoperable.  EcoTrol allows for easy expansion to problematic loops, permitting the simple repair or replacement of a partial or non-functioning loop.

Ease of Repair
The simplicity of the  EcoTrol Fluid Control System makes repairs much less complex. Should you accidently cut a line, the double locking connector system allows the splicing of loops and tubing together quickly and efficiently, without reducing the interior clear dimension. The tees or couplings do not reduce the overall volume flowing though the loop system, regardless of the number of joints.

Ordering, Shipping & Handling

Toll Free Support
If you require assistance or have any questions about the design or installation of your  EcoTrol ground loop system, call our toll free number, 1-800-481-5932, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., EST.

Faster Delivery
With only three vital, pre-assembled components,  EcoTrol units are shipped quickly and efficiently. For stocking installers, this means lower inventories, less space and ease of inventory management. (Shipping not included. FOB Palatka, FL, or call GMG for shipping rates. Allow three day delivery, to most areas of the continental US.)

Ease of Handling
EcoTrol loop piping is thick walled, yet pliable enough to be handled by a single person, and is shipped pre-coiled and fully filled in 250 foot lengths of fewer than 50 lbs for ease of handling and installation.