tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89085763046652406202012-01-30T13:58:59.024-06:00The GeoConnections Inc. Company BlogDoug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-30331686718319798442011-10-11T10:23:00.000-05:002012-01-12T16:31:16.869-06:00

LoopLink is the 2011 showcase award winner for “outstanding product innovation” in software for Comfortech 2011. LoopLink’s superior capability and ease of use for residential/light commercial geothermal system design were recognized above a wide array of different software products at this general HVAC conference. With other software packages ranging from fleet trackers for contractors to

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-56670906725096614012011-09-12T09:52:00.000-05:002012-01-12T16:33:42.554-06:00

On September 21 - 23 GeoConnections will be heading out to the HVAC Comfortech conference and trade show in Indianapolis, IN.This is our first time attending Comfortech and the greater HVACR Week so we are pretty excited to be a part of this comprehensive industry expo. Come by and check us out at Booth #511 we will be demoing LoopLink and are available to answer questions for existing users and

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-20628655435757376352011-05-25T09:32:00.002-05:002012-01-12T16:35:53.184-06:00

In his latest writing project Ryan Carda sheds some light on the role geothermal heating and cooling systems play in the achievement of LEED certification. The paper breaks down how LEED points are accumulated, the specific categories GSHP systems affect and how to maximize your points with GSHP.Download: Let Geo LEED the Way (PDF 460KB)

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-64840440951900259372011-05-02T16:39:00.001-05:002011-09-12T10:03:27.201-05:00

Recently we had a user run into an issue where they were unable to print their project summary from LoopLink. They could log-in and get to the project summary page but when they hit print... all they got in return was a blank white page staring back at them like the abominable snowman in a blizzard. So what was going on? We are not entirely sure why this happened but it appears that the issue

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-1793812390610776452011-04-19T10:54:00.005-05:002012-01-12T16:39:21.852-06:00

We are experiencing technical difficulties with our primary webserver for Geo-Connections Inc. In the recent months we have seen an huge increase in site traffic and it appears we have hit a point in our life that we need to upgrade our back end.LoopLink has had only one reported interruption but even one is too many for our liking. We are currently working on moving our website to new digs and

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-29641763126904403282011-04-15T09:57:00.001-05:002011-09-12T10:04:13.812-05:00

Our For Educators program is slowly gaining traction. Instructors are beginning to see the value of being able to offer hands-on design experience in the classroom with software that is easy to learn and even easier to use. LoopLink is portable and capable enough to make that possible. Teachers all across the country are calling to find out how to use LoopLink during their classes. Just the

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-70319754562568940382011-04-11T11:15:00.001-05:002011-09-12T10:04:46.573-05:00

Ryan has written up a brief series on the three most common mistakes made by geothermal designers for HeatSpring. Underestimating the Importance of Accurate Peak Heating and Cooling Load Calculations Not Giving Proper Consideration to Alternatives Over Complicating Things Another great place to check out some tips is our own Dos and Donts section for designers.

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-78334748105266131262011-04-07T17:15:00.002-05:002011-09-12T10:05:03.953-05:00

Internally we argue about which is the best browser. For us, we argue between two: Firefox vs. Chrome but we understand a good portion of our users are still in IE as well. According to our Google Analytics our users' preferences break down like this: Browser% of Users Firefox 47% Internet Explorer 39% Chrome 11% Safari 3% We could write volumes about IE and why it drives us nuts to work

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-51850202492792247752010-12-20T10:07:00.007-06:002011-09-12T10:05:57.157-05:00

If you made it here from the email we sent, then you have already heard about some of the key new features we brought into this update like Fixed Length Mode and the all new RaceTrack Configuration. So we will start this post with the list of less obvious improvements we have made to LoopLink over the past couple of months and then get into the details of the big additions. Zone balance point

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-6151626535473909072010-08-17T16:21:00.004-05:002011-09-12T10:06:33.928-05:00

GSHP failure is most commonly caused by improper design or installation of the system, not by failure of the mechanical equipment. Choosing a designer and installer that is properly trained, has a good reputation in your area and is willing to stand behind their work with a guarantee or warranty is important. Use this guide to help you make sure that the most important part of your system,

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-50719255837366663072010-06-15T15:21:00.000-05:002010-06-15T15:21:04.548-05:00

If you have already started your hunt for equipment you know that there are a lot of options for geothermal heat pumps. What follows are some things to think about to help narrow your search. There are plenty of good manufacturers and heat pump brands out there, so rather than list every reputable manufacturer, we’ll give you a couple of guidelines to follow when looking for a ground source heat

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-12351607822109283582010-06-02T09:15:00.000-05:002010-06-02T09:15:37.521-05:00

Instead of just showing you the highlights of the installation of the GSHP system we are installing for our new facility, we decided to take things a step further and turn this into what we are calling a Project Highlight. As the project progresses we will go through and provide you with the full details of the decisions we have made with regard to the project and the reasoning for those

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-85015230238818539022010-05-24T17:43:00.006-05:002010-05-26T07:58:54.552-05:00

First things first, we missed a change to the login script on the software page of our site. Sorry to those of you that tried unsuccessfully to log-in through that page over the weekend. We corrected the problem early Monday morning however, you may need to refresh your browser to get the fix to work.Now that we have that issue sorted out lets talk about some of the updates we introduced this

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-13370221636844964312010-05-19T14:32:00.002-05:002010-05-19T14:34:17.545-05:00

Geo-Connections broke ground on the bore holes for our new facility late last week. The system was designed with LoopLink (of course) and consists of twelve, 200' vertical loops on fifteen foot centers. The builiding it will supply is 120'x60' with 20' side walls. We thought we would share photos as the project progresses. Drilling is going a little slower than planned but the soil contained a

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-7439905058430150992010-05-17T16:26:00.000-05:002010-05-17T16:26:51.045-05:00

One of the core beliefs of Geo-Connections and our staff is that our success depends on the ability of the GSHP industry to become a mainstream technology. To make that goal a reality, we know that a properly trained workforce coupled with well-designed systems are key. We have had a couple of instructors from universities and trade schools approach us about using LoopLink to help teach their

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-78799078435974622742010-05-15T15:41:00.002-05:002010-05-19T15:13:33.731-05:00

Horizontally-bored loopfield installations are becoming a more widely recognized viable alternative to the vertically-bored loopfield configuration.  However, designers must be aware of the different aspects and limitations associated with HDD (horizontal directional drills) loop installation to properly design such a system.  Special attention must be paid to the installation depth, soil

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-56163737350959602012010-05-14T16:34:00.000-05:002010-05-14T16:34:39.809-05:00

Cash is king.  In uncertain economic times, can a ground source heat pump (GSHP) serve to shelter us from the forces that cause our energy prices to fluctuate (and generally increase with time)?  Those of us in the GSHP industry already know of the many benefits that these systems retain over conventional heating and cooling systems, especially in the areas of environmental impact,

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-85551709752251139112010-05-14T16:30:00.000-05:002010-05-14T16:30:22.530-05:00

In 2009, Geo-Connections, Inc. finished work on the complete rewrite of the IGSHPA Residential and Light Commercial System Design & Installation Manual. The goal was to create a comprehensive reference source for the geothermal heat pump industry based on sound scientific and engineering fact learned through our more than 50 years of combined professional experience. Ryan Carda, one of the

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908576304665240620.post-50513005914263971482010-05-14T14:59:00.001-05:002010-05-14T15:24:35.653-05:00

We are finally up and running with our new blog. What was formally our Articles and Interviews section is now going to be replaced with this blog. This format combined with our LoopLink Twitter account will make it easy to keep everyone informed about where and when we are training as well as all of the new developments with LoopLink.

Doug Carruthersnoreply@blogger.com