Practice Test Geeks(CRD) Certified Residential Geothermal Designer Practice Test
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Ground Loop & Heat Pump Configuration Flashcards

7 cards from real CRD practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Ground Loop & Heat Pump Configuration flashcards as text

  1. When designing a multiple-bore vertical loop field, what is the minimum recommended bore spacing to prevent thermal interference?

    Answer: 20 feet

    IGSHPA guidelines recommend a minimum of 20 feet between vertical bores to limit long-term thermal interference and ground temperature change.

  2. A geothermal heat pump system has a COP of 4.0 in heating mode. If it delivers 48,000 BTU/hr of heat, how much electrical power does it consume?

    Answer: 3,517 W

    Power = Output/COP = 48,000 BTU/hr ÷ 4.0 = 12,000 BTU/hr input; converting: 12,000 / 3.412 ≈ 3,517 W.

  3. Which grout characteristic is most important for optimizing vertical bore thermal performance?

    Answer: High thermal conductivity

    High thermal conductivity grout reduces borehole thermal resistance, allowing more efficient heat exchange between the pipe and the surrounding formation.

  4. In a two-stage geothermal heat pump, what is the primary advantage of first-stage operation at partial load?

    Answer: It improves efficiency by operating the compressor at a lower compression ratio

    At partial load, the first stage runs at a lower compression ratio, yielding higher COP because the temperature lift between source and load is reduced.

  5. What does the term 'ground thermal conductivity' (λ) describe in loop field design?

    Answer: The rate at which soil or rock transmits heat per unit thickness

    Thermal conductivity (W/m·K or BTU/hr·ft·°F) describes how readily a material transfers heat, directly affecting bore length calculations.

  6. A desuperheater connected to a geothermal heat pump primarily recovers heat from:

    Answer: Superheated refrigerant leaving the compressor

    The desuperheater captures waste heat from the hot, high-pressure refrigerant gas leaving the compressor to pre-heat domestic water.

  7. Which loop configuration is best suited for a site with limited land area but access to a nearby pond at least 8 feet deep?

    Answer: Pond/lake closed-loop coil

    Closed-loop pond coils are submerged in a body of water, requiring no land trenching and effectively using the water body as a heat sink/source.

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Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

  1. igshpa.org — Renewal, fees, eligibility, score validity · verified Oct 2026
  2. csagroup.org — Test delivery, exam format, passing score, renewal, retake policy, score release, time limit, score validity · verified Oct 2026