Ground Heat Exchanger Installer

Urban Institute

National (OA)

National Occupational Frameworks

Documents

Individual state requirements may vary. Please contact your local apprenticeship office to ensure this version is suitable to your state’s requirements.

Work Process Schedule

Work Process Content

On the Job Training

Anonymous

Skills

Practices proper safety, documentation, and communication practices

Practices safe working habits and works in such a manner as to ensure personal safety and that of fellow workers
Maintains work area and equipment in a safe, clean, and orderly condition, inspects equipment for defects and to ensure proper working order
Uses personal protective equipment (e.g., safety glasses, hard hats, gloves, respirators, fall protection)
Adheres to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other applicable safety requirements prior to, during, and following the installation of the ground heat exchanger
Practices the right to execute a Stop Work Authority (SWA) to prevent catastrophic events
Inspects rigging
Prepares and maintains logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed
In coordination with others on job site, conducts safety meetings and crew check-ins, outlines hazardous tasks, and evaluates employees' condition at the start and end of every day on site
Exhibits awareness of health and safety plans, such as hot work, working at heights, rigging, trench and excavation permitting, confined spaces permitting, and lock out/tag out procedures as necessary

Adopts various drilling methods to create boreholes for horizontal or vertical loops

Prepares and attaches drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as borehole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed
Operates drill rig in accordance with operation manual, job requirements and industry practice, including regulating operating pump and/or compressor pressures, pump pressure, rotary speed, type of drill bit, and weight on bit, according to the type of material being drilled and drill bits selected
Monitors drilling operations, checking gauges and listening to operating equipment and monitoring outflow to assess drilling conditions and to determine the need to adjust or alter drilling equipment
Ensures proper disposal of drill cuttings and drilling fluids as required by applicable regulations
Verifies appropriate drilling methodology for the geologic conditions, using knowledge of rock or soil characteristics, depths and formation
Verifies tooling selection, including drill bits, bottom hole assembly and drill rods based on knowledge of rock or soil characteristics, depths, and formation
Operates controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills
Operates controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills (vertical drilling)
Verifies depths of drilled boreholes to avoid interference with other boreholes (horizontal drilling)
Starts, stops, and controls drilling speed of machines
Uses location equipment to measure drilling progress and position of the drill in accordance with planned routing (horizontal drilling)
Adjusts the operation of the drilling machine to control the direction and penetration of the drill head (horizontal drilling)
Monitors materials and required fluids according to master drilling log
Maintains standardized logs to record observations of cuttings for geological data, drilling techniques, materials used, drilling progress and required fluids, taking note of any special drilling conditions such as lost returns, tool drops, and unexpected down hole condition
Troubleshoots drilling problems encountered during drilling operation
Undertakes drilling disinfection procedures

Utilizes other tools as necessary to install loop wells

Works with other small tools and power tools as appropriate (e.g., cordless battery-operated drills, pipe threading machines, pipe wrenches, pipe fusion tools)
Pressure tests loop assembly prior to insertion into boreholes using pipe pressurization test tools, pipe fusion tools, and flushing equipment tool
Circulates approved fluids into boreholes as needed to cool drill bits, remove cuttings, stabilize borehole and maintain design borehole diameter using industry acceptable tools and procedure
Assembles and installs temporary or permanent well casing as required by borehole conditions and regulatory requirements
Installs verified and pre-pressure tested loop assembly into borehole for quality assurance with tremie pipe secured near the u-bend for grouting of borehole where required
Maintains a complete listing of all directional tools and survey equipment on location

Oversees the mixing and placement of grout

Recognizes the need for adding additional grout if settlement is greater than specified depth during the time appropriate to the grout, or the locally specified or regulated level
Clean-up work areas and remove debris after placement of grout during and after completion of loop well construction
Follows grout specifications to add correct quantities of water, grouting material, and thermal enhancement material
Oversees the grout mixing and addition of materials
Verifies mix quantities and documents volume of grout mixed, bulk materials and volume placed
Performs tests on the grout as required in the project specifications
Dismantles, cleans, reassembles, and maintains grouting equipment, using hand tools

Demonstrates customer service and professional skills

Adheres to employer communication policies, rules regulations, and process instructions
Accepts constructive feedback and criticism to improve performance
Demonstrates effective one-on-one communication skills with supervisor and coworkers to discuss workplace challenges, personal limitations, and questions
Demonstrates ability to receive questions and direct individuals to the proper professional to answer any questions or issues
Demonstrates ability to direct proper questions to driller, site supervisors, engineer, or client
Attends professional trainings and learns about industry changes and standards
Effectively communicates with neighbors, curious passersby, and visiting industry professionals
Establishes clear communication and rapport with customers to accurately assess requests
Works with customers to understand and address the permitting process for geothermal installation projects

Information, documentation, and regulation

Demonstrates understanding of arithmetic, algebra, and geometry
Reads and understands drawings and specifications when provided
Assesses proposed requirements and locations for drilling to determine feasibility
Abides by applicable codes and regulations that pertain to drilling ground loop heat exchanger design and construction
Demonstrates understanding of bore planning and the potential for intersection with other underground structures depending on the site
Verifies depths, accuracy, and/or alignment of boring positions
Understands and displays permits for ground heat exchanger installation projects
Reviews proper setback requirements between onsite utilities and the ground loop heat exchange system above and below ground
Verifies appropriate location for the ground heat exchanger given site limitations, including soil heat transfer and water saturation
Confirms that proper digging permissions and/or ground penetrating radar (where applicable) has been performed

Related Instruction Outline

Ground Heat Exchanger Installer

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