What Is a Vertical Bore?

A vertical bore is a drilled borehole, typically several hundred feet deep, into which a U-shaped loop of pipe is inserted and then sealed in place with thermally conductive grout. Multiple bores are drilled at spaced intervals and manifolded together to form the complete loop field serving the system.

Also called: vertical loop · borehole · vertical ground loop

Why it matters to you

Vertical bores are the answer when land area is limited — a smaller lot, mature landscaping worth keeping, or a site where trenching is impractical. They reach soil at a steadier temperature than shallow horizontal pipe, at the cost of drilling.

What to do about it

Drilling access and spoil handling are real site considerations worth discussing before the rig arrives. Bore depth, spacing and count come out of the loop design against your calculated load, not from a standard template.