EcoRenovator  

Go Back   EcoRenovator > Improvements > Geothermal & Heat Pumps
Advanced Search
 


Blog 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips Recent Posts Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-12-13, 11:38 AM   #11
randen
Uber EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Strathroy Ontario Canada
Posts: 657
Thanks: 9
Thanked 191 Times in 129 Posts
Default

AC_Hacker I will approach this with some caution. The ground loop now is a mixture of propylene glycol and water protecting from freezing down to -15 Deg C. But if my loop approaches 2 Deg C I'm going to stop the system I don't what to freeze the ground around the loop tubes. I've heard some stories about making permafrost. And airconditioning in the summmer is not the cure.

Randen

randen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-13, 07:35 PM   #12
Mikesolar
Master EcoRenovator
 
Mikesolar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 958
Thanks: 40
Thanked 158 Times in 150 Posts
Default

Randon, I would not be too concerned about the 2C mark. Since the glycol is good to -15C, you will not harm the system going down farther than 2C. Also, you will have a VFD so you can run it at 80% if you like just to keep it closer to the original design. Keep the pumps running regardless.
Mikesolar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-13, 05:48 AM   #13
Mikesolar
Master EcoRenovator
 
Mikesolar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 958
Thanks: 40
Thanked 158 Times in 150 Posts
Default

Randon, how did you filter the propane? I was thinking that there might be non condensables that are keeping your performance down.
Mikesolar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-13, 07:46 AM   #14
BradC
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 148
Thanks: 1
Thanked 48 Times in 34 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikesolar View Post
Randon, how did you filter the propane? I was thinking that there might be non condensables that are keeping your performance down.
Vlad had the definitive cure for that. Just pull it out of the bottle as a liquid. If they can't condense, they can't leave.
BradC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-13, 08:33 AM   #15
Mikesolar
Master EcoRenovator
 
Mikesolar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 958
Thanks: 40
Thanked 158 Times in 150 Posts
Default

Yes, but you can get water with your liquid propane and there is varying amounts depending on supplier. Am I missing something here?
Mikesolar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-13, 05:33 PM   #16
randen
Uber EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Strathroy Ontario Canada
Posts: 657
Thanks: 9
Thanked 191 Times in 129 Posts
Default

Well we have another GSHP running. The Varible Frequency Drive (VFD) is sooo smooth with the way the motor ramps on start-up. Of coarse you can control the presure with the speed. The scroll compressor is soo quiet. It is just running on the bench with no heat exchanging fluids so temps and pressures went crazy after 1 min.
I had programmed in a ramp to 3450 RPM in 5 sec and a ramp down to 0 RPM in 10 sec. If the motor becomes overloaded it will shut down. As the motor is starting you can watch the LED read-out with the current voltage RPM as they change. You can set a fault to wait on re-start. There are so many great capibilities with the VFD. It has low voltage input for the thermostat control. I may have to wait till the weekend to install the GSHP with the loop connections.

Randen
randen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-13, 06:13 PM   #17
BradC
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 148
Thanks: 1
Thanked 48 Times in 34 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikesolar View Post
Yes, but you can get water with your liquid propane and there is varying amounts depending on supplier. Am I missing something here?
No, you're not. I am. I forget you guys get really dirty gas. Ours is about as clean as clean.

Having said that, pulling liquid and then feeding it through a couple of filter/driers would take care of that. The molecular sieves used in those will grab the water pronto.
BradC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-13, 06:18 PM   #18
Mikesolar
Master EcoRenovator
 
Mikesolar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 958
Thanks: 40
Thanked 158 Times in 150 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by randen View Post
Well we have another GSHP running. The Varible Frequency Drive (VFD) is sooo smooth with the way the motor ramps on start-up. Of coarse you can control the presure with the speed. The scroll compressor is soo quiet. It is just running on the bench with no heat exchanging fluids so temps and pressures went crazy after 1 min.
I had programmed in a ramp to 3450 RPM in 5 sec and a ramp down to 0 RPM in 10 sec. If the motor becomes overloaded it will shut down. As the motor is starting you can watch the LED read-out with the current voltage RPM as they change. You can set a fault to wait on re-start. There are so many great capibilities with the VFD. It has low voltage input for the thermostat control. I may have to wait till the weekend to install the GSHP with the loop connections.

Randen
I hope there is a high pressure switch in the loop somewhere set for maybe 325psi (as well as low pressure that can double for loss of refrigerant). You don't want to rely on the the pot for high limits.
Mikesolar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-13, 06:34 PM   #19
Mikesolar
Master EcoRenovator
 
Mikesolar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 958
Thanks: 40
Thanked 158 Times in 150 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BradC View Post
No, you're not. I am. I forget you guys get really dirty gas. Ours is about as clean as clean.

Having said that, pulling liquid and then feeding it through a couple of filter/driers would take care of that. The molecular sieves used in those will grab the water pronto.
I don't think ours is that much dirtier than yours but the mixture is different. Warmer countries have more butane than we would. We all have some moisture in propane or there would be no use for condensing boilers.
Mikesolar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-13, 08:49 AM   #20
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 724 Times in 534 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by randen View Post
Well we have another GSHP running. The Varible Frequency Drive (VFD) is sooo smooth with the way the motor ramps on start-up. Of coarse you can control the presure with the speed. The scroll compressor is soo quiet.
Congratulations!!

Is there some kind of computer control interface to the VFD?

-AC

__________________
I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker...
AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:34 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger
Inactive Reminders By Icora Web Design