InstaBidsFor homeowners
Types of geothermal: which heat pump ground loop fits your home?
Choose Horizontal closed loop for sites with enough land for a horizontal loop near the building; Vertical closed loop for sites where the soil is too shallow for trenching; Pond or lake closed loop for a property with a pond, where the loops can be laid on the pond bed; Open loop (well or surface water) for sites with an adequate supply of relatively clean water, where all local codes and regulations regarding groundwater discharge are met.
The right choice depends on available land, soil depth, whether the site has a pond or lake, or a clean water supply, and local rules on groundwater discharge.
| Type | Best for | Main advantages | Main drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal closed loop | sites with enough land for a horizontal loop near the building | PNNL Building America Solution Center (2015): an overlapping-coil layout makes horizontal installation possible at sites that are too small for conventional horizontal applications | no official source names one |
| Vertical closed loop | sites where the soil is too shallow for trenching | DOE Consumer Guide to Geothermal Heat Pumps: vertical-loop systems use less land and also minimize disturbance to the existing landscape | no official source names one |
| Pond or lake closed loop | a property with a pond, where the loops can be laid on the pond bed | no official source names one | no official source names one |
| Open loop (well or surface water) | sites with an adequate supply of relatively clean water, where all local codes and regulations regarding groundwater discharge are met | PNNL Building America Solution Center (2015): open-loop systems may involve less drilling and excavation | PNNL Building America Solution Center (2015): water with a high mineral content can foul the pump or the lines; PNNL Building America Solution Center (2015): a growing number of jurisdictions have outlawed open-loop systems that discharge to the surface, because they may drain aquifers or contaminate wells |
InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.
Post your job on InstaBids, and contractors can bid in writing on one written scope.
- Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
- Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
- Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
- You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
For your AI assistant
MCP connector · REST API · plain HTMLHand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.
- MCP connector URL
https://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp - Agent API (OpenAPI)
https://instabids.ai/openapi.json - Start-request link
https://instabids.ai/intake?trade=hvac&from=options-geothermal&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=options&page_type=options#job=geothermal%20heat%20pump%20installation - Prompt for any AI, with your job
- ChatGPTOpens with the prompt
- ClaudeOpens with the prompt
- GrokOpens with the prompt
- GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.
| Priority | Choose |
|---|---|
| soil too shallow for trenching | Vertical closed loop |
| a pond or lake that meets minimum volume, depth, and quality criteria | Pond or lake closed loop |
| an adequate supply of relatively clean water, where all local codes and regulations regarding groundwater discharge can be met | Open loop (well or surface water) |
Get written bids
Contractors who take part bid on one written scope card, so nobody visits before you see any prices.
The contractor you pick may visit once before settling the final price against the percentage the bid stated.
Contractors in your trade see the scope card and your 5-digit ZIP code.
Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.
Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing.
Sources for the facts on this page
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Building America Solution Center, Ground-Source Heat Pumps (last updated 2015-01-23), national laboratory, read 17 October 2026.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), RE-Powering America's Land, Appendix B: Renewable Energy Technology Basics, government, read 17 October 2026.
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Consumer Guide to Geothermal Heat Pumps, government, read 17 October 2026.