geothermal and hydronics specialists - carrier · 2020. 7. 30. · installation, operating, and...

Installation, Operating, and Maintenance Manual

Geothermal and Hydronics Specialists

Flo-Link™ and GPM Series Pressurized Flow Centers

Part # 2122Rev. 07FEB2014

Installation,Operating,andMaintenanceManual Rev. 07FEB2014

Table of Contents

GeneralDescription . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1FlowCenterSizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6FlushingandPurging . . . . . . . . . . . . 8AddingAntifreeze. . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21Start-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

NOTES:ThisguideprovidestheinstallerwithinstructionsspecifictopressurizedFlowCenters.Pleaserefertoyourheatpumpmanufacturer’sinstructionsorIGSHPAguidelinesforadditionaldetailedflushing,purging,andinstallationinformation.PleasereviewtheentireIOMdocumentbeforeproceedingwiththeinstallation.Geo-FloProductsCorporationiscontinuallyworkingtoimproveitsproducts.Asaresult,thedesignandspecificationsofproductsinthisdocumentmaychangewithoutnoticeandmaynotbeasdescribedherein.Forthemostup-to-dateinformation,pleasevisitourwebsite,orcontactourcustomerservicedepartment.Statementsandotherinformationcontainedinthisdocumentarenotexpresswarrantiesanddonotformthebasisofanybargainbetweentheparties,butaremerelyGeo-Flo’sopinionorcommendationofitsproducts.

General Description

Geo-Floofferstwotypesofpressurizedflowcenters,Flo-Link™seriesandGPMseries.TheFlo-LinkseriesflowcenterssimplifyinstallationusingFlo-LinkdoubleO-Ringfittingsthateliminatethepossibilityofleaksthatsometimesoccurwiththreadedfittings.Frontflushportsalloweasyaccessduringinstallation.Foaminsulationstopscondensation,andthehighimpactpolystyrenecabinetwillnotrust.Flo-Linkflowcentersareavailablewitheitherdiecastbrassorcompositevalves.Flo-Linkflowcentersofferbothconstantspeedandvariablespeedpumpoptions.

TheGPMseriesflowcentersutilizereliable3-wayvalveswiththesamefeaturesandbenefitsastheFlo-Linkvalves,buthavethreadedFPTconnections.GPMflowcentersareavailableinonetofourpumpconfigurations,andmaybeorderedwithorwithoutthefoamedcabinet.Inaddition,GPMflowcentersareavailablewithiso-lationvalvesforapplicationswheretheflushingvalvesarelocatedundergroundorremotely.

AllGeo-Floflowcentersarefullyassembledandleaktested.Geo-FloutilizesindustrystandardGrundfoscirculators(onetofourpumps).Thecabinetsaredesignedtoallowpumpheadstoberotated,orforupgrad-ing/downgrading(i.e.adding/removingapump).

FLO-LINK&GPMSERIESPRESSURIZEDFLOWCENTERS | 1

Figure1:Flo-LinkFlowCenter(componentsinsidecabinet)

Flush Ports

Ground LoopConnections

Die Cast Brassor Composite3-way Valves

Forged Brass3-way Valves

Double O-ringConnections

BetweenComponents

FlangedConnections

BetweenComponents

Field Upgradable to 2-pump flow center (or add blank-

off kit to convert 2-pump to 1-pump flow center)

Grundfos

Circulator

Heat PumpConnections

Figure2:GPMFlowCenter(componentsinsidecabinet)

Grundfos

CirculatorBlank-off

PlateBlank-off

Plate

NOTE: Geo-Flo manufactures flow centers for some heat pump manufacturers that have the flow rate in the opposite direction of the arrows shown above. Verify direction of flow before connecting to heat pump (see arrows molded or stamped into the cabinet).

2 | Installation,Operating,andMaintenanceManual Rev. 07FEB2014

Flow Center Sizing

Design Notes

Pressurizedflowcenterswithmorethanonepumpareassembledsothatwheninstalled,thepumpsareinseries.Thiscanbethoughtofasa“push-pull”pumpingarrangement.Figures1and2showtransparentviewsofFlo-Link(FL)andGPMflowcenters.

Whensizingpumps,apressuredropcalculationshouldbedonefortheentiresystem.VerifywithonlineCalcu-latorsatwww.geo-flo.com,ortomanuallyselectpumps,usethecurvesbelow.

Performance Curves - FL1 and GPM-1

Flo-LinkFL1andGPM-1flowcentersuseoneUPS26-99(3-speed)oroneUP26-116(singlespeed)ontheleftsideoftheflowcenter.Thecurvesbelowillustrateperformance.OlderFL1andGPM-1flowcentersusedtheUP26-99(singlespeedpump),whichisshownaswell.Usethecurvestodeterminepumpselectionthatmeetsdesignrequirements.

Allpumpcurvesaremanufacturer’sreportedaveragesusingwaterat68°F[20°C]

Flow (U.S. GPM) [l/s]

Grundfos Pump UP and UPS Performance Curves (Single Pump)

Head

(Fee

t) [k

Pa]

[0.32 0.63 0.95 1.26 1.58 1.89 2.21]

[119]

[90]

[60]

[30]


Performance Curves - FLV1

VariablespeedpumpingisavailableforFlo-Link(FL)seriesflowcenters.One(FLV1)ortwo(FLV2)pumpsareavailable.TheGrundfosMagnaGEOvariablespeedpumpcanoperateanywherebetweentheminimumandmaximumcurves,adjustingbaseduponflowratesettingortemperaturedifference.Forexample,a4tontwo-stagegeothermalheatpumpmightoperateat173Wattsonfullloadand12GPM,butonpartloadat9GPMand77Watts,savingmorethan100Wattsversusaconstantspeedcirculator80%oftime.Geo-FlohasanonlinePumpSizingCalculatoratwww.geo-flo.comthatprovidesoperatingcostcomparisons.

Itisevenmoreimportanttocalculatesystempressuredropforvariablespeedsystems.SincetheMagnaGEOhasbetterperformancethanatypicalconstantspeedpump,itcansometimestaketheplaceoftwoUPS26-99pumps,dependinguponthegroundloopconfiguration.


Grundfos Magna GEO 32-140 Performance Curves (Single Pump)

Head

(Fee

t) [k

Pa]

[0.32 0.63 0.95 1.26 1.58 1.89 2.21 2.52 2.84 3.15]

Pump operates inbetween these curvesto maintain flow rateor temperature diff.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

[134.3]

[14.9]

[29.8]

[44.8]

[59.7]

[74.6]

[89.5]

[104.5]

[119.4]

[149.2]

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50




Grundfos Pump UP and UPS Performance Curves (Two Pumps in Series)

Head

(Fee

t) [k

Pa]

[0.32 0.63 0.95 1.26 1.58 1.89 2.21]

[239]

[179]

[119]

[60]

40

60

80

20

(two in series) (two in series) (two in series) (two in series) (two in series)

Performance Curves - FLV2

VariablespeedpumpingisavailableforFlo-Link(FL)seriesflowcenters.ThetwopumpvariablespeedflowcenterusesoneGrundfosMagnaGEOvariablespeedpumpandoneUPS26-993-speedpump.Liketheone-pumpflowcenter(FLV1),thecombinationcanoperateanywherebetweentheminimumandmaximumcurves,adjustingbaseduponflowratesettingortemperaturedifference.WhenusedwithaGrundfosUPC-GEOcontroller,thecontrollerwilltrytosatisfytherequirementwiththevariablespeedpumptomaximizeoperat-ingcostsavings.Ifthesetpointcannotbereachedwiththevariablespeedpump,theconstantspeed(UPS26-99)pumpisenergized,andthevariablespeedpumpslowsdowntoadjustsetpoint.Thiscontrolalgorithmachievestwo-pumpvariablespeedoperationwithamuchlowercostthanusingtwovariablespeedpumps.

Performance Curves - FL2 and GPM-2

Flo-LinkFL2andGPM-2flowcentersusetwoUPS26-99(3-speed)ortwoUP26-116(singlespeed)pumps,oneoneachsideoftheflowcenter.Onepumppushes,andonepumppulls,effectivelyplacingthetwopumpsinseries.Thecurvesbelowillustrateperformance.OlderFL1andGPM-1flowcentersusedtheUP26-99(singlespeedpump),whichisshownaswell.Usethecurvestodeterminepumpselectionthatmeetsdesignrequire-ments.



Performance Curves - GPM-3 and GPM-4

LiketheGPM-2,thepumpsareinseriesforGPM-3andGPM-4flowcenters.Figure3showsaGPM-3.TheGPM-4hasonemorepumponthelowerrighthandside.Thepumpsontherightpush,andthepump(s)ontheleftpull.Forperformancecurves,usetheFL1andGPM-1curves,andmultiplytheheadbythenumberofpumps.Forexample,aGPM-3flowcenterwithallthreeUPS26-99pumpsonhighspeedcouldproduce14.5GPMat60ft.ofhead(60=3x20).Likewise,aGPM-4withUP26-116pumpscouldproduce15GPMat104ft.ofhead(104=4x26).Geo-FlohasanonlinePumpSizingCalculatoratwww.geo-flo.comtoassistwithselectingpumpcombinations.


Grundfos Magna GEO 32-140 and UPS26-99 (pumps in series)

Pumps operate in seriesbetween these curves*to maintain flow rateor temperature diff.

Magna GEO + UPS26-99 (high speed)

Magna GEO (lowest duty cycle -- highest flow/head)

Magna GEO (highest duty cycle -- lowest flow/head)

*UPS26-99 is a constant speed pump; Magna GEO is a variable speed pump. When both pumps are running, the Magna GEO operates between duty cycles shown below to maintain set flow rate or temperature difference.

[0.32 0.63 0.95 1.26 1.58 1.89 2.21 2.52 2.84 3.15] 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

0

101520253035404550556065707580

[134]

[15]

[30]

[45]

[60]

[75]

[90]

[105]

[119]

[149]

[164]

[179]

[194]

[209]

[224]

[239] He

ad (F

eet)

[kPa

]

5


Figure3:GPM-3FlowCenter


Installation

Mounting the Unit

Flo-LinkandGPMSeriesflowcentersaredesignedforindoorinstallationonly,andshouldbemountednearthegroundsourceheatpump.Theunitshouldbesecuredusingthesuppliedhardware.

Theflowcentercanbemountedwiththeflowpathseitherverticalorhorizontal(seeFigure4).However,theflowcentercannotbemountedonitsback,upsidedown,oratanangle,asprematurepumpfailurewilloccurwhenthepumpshaftisnotinthehorizontalposition.

Equallyimportanttopumplongevityisterminalboxorientation.SeeFigure5,6,and7forpropercontrolboxorientation.Thepumpterminalboxmustbelocatedinapositiontoavoidcondensationrunningintothecontrolbox,andalsototakeadvantageofthe“weepholes”designedtodrainanycondensationthatmayhaveformed(Figure6).“Weepholes”arelocatedonthreesidesofthepump.

Figure4:AcceptablemountingpositionsforFlo-LinkandGPMseriesflowcenters

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%Figure5:AcceptableterminalboxlocationsforUPS26-99,UP26-99,andUP26-116pumps.

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%


3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%

3(1)+""+)3#(%

&2'&X1%

Figure6:Example“WeepHole”

Weep Hole

Figure7:CorrectterminalboxlocationforGrundfosMagnaGEOvariable speed pump

Plumbing Options

TheFlo-LinkflowcentercanbeplumbedwithawidevarietyofmaterialsincludingHDPE,copper,PEX,andflexiblehosetoprovidemanyoptionstotheinstaller.Figure8showexamplesofFlo-LinkdoubleO-ringadapt-ersandahosekitspecificallydesignedforthistypeofflowcenter.Thepipingshouldbeproperlysupportedtopreventexcessivestressonthethree-wayvalves.

GPMseriesuse1”FPTconnectionsforthegroundloopandheatpumpconnections.Geo-FlooffersawidevarietyofthreadedadaptersforHDPEfusion,hosebarb,andotherconnectiontypes.Ahosekitisalsoavail-ableforGPMflowcenters.Thepipingshouldbeproperlysupportedtopreventexcessivestressonthethree-way valves.

Figure8:ExampleFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringadaptersets

Flo-Linkx1-1/4”HDPEfusion

Flo-Linkx1”barb

Flo-Linkx1”CAM

HosekitforFlo-Linkflowcenters


Flushing and Purging

BeforebeginningthisprocedurecarefullystudytheflushcartdiagraminFigure11tobecomefamiliarwiththevalvesusedthroughouttheprocess.Actualflushingtimewillvarydependingonthesizeandconfigurationoftheloop.However,typicallyflushingwillrequireat least2hoursofcontinuespumpoperation.

1. Positionflushcartneartheflowcenter.Ifflowcenterorpurgevalvesarelocatedinanareadifficulttoaccess(suchasacrawlspace),twoextensionhoses20’longcanbeconnectedtothestandardhosestoprovideadditionalreach.

2. Attach1-1/2”hosesto1-1/2”camfittingsonflushcart.

3. Attachflowcentercamadapterfittingstoflushcarthoses.IfusingaFPTflowcenter,attach1”MPTX1”camfittings,or1”MPTXFlo-Linkfemalefittingstotheflowcenterfirst(Figure9).Thenattachflushcarthoses.The1”MPTXFlo-Linkfemalealongwiththe1”camXFlo-Linkelbowsallowtheflushhosestohangverticallyandprovidearotatingunionconnection.

4. Attachgarden/utilityhoseto1/2”fillvalve(Figure10).Attachotherendofhosetoacceptablemunicipalwatersupplyorpre-mixedantifreezesourceandtransferpump.

WARNING: ONLYUSEPREMIXEDANTIFREEZEINANON-FLAMMABLESTATE.FAILURETOOBSERVESAFETYPRECAUTIONSMAYRESULTINFIRE,INJURY,ORDEATH.

5. Rotate3-wayvalvesonflowcentersothattheheatpumpcircuitisisolatedandfluidisdirectedtowardthegroundlooponly.Figure12showsexamplesofhowthevalvesmaybeoriented.Thiswillvarydependingonthetypeofflowcenterinstalled.

NOTE: Duetothenatureoftheinstallationprocess,thegroundlooptypicallyhasahigheramountofdebristhantheheatpumpcircuit.Therefore,flushingthegroundlooppipingpriortoflushingtheheatpumpandassociatedpipingisrecommended.Thisshouldpreventaccidentlypushingdebristhroughtheheatpump’sheatexchangerand/orthecirculatorpumps.

Figure9:FPTflowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)flushcartfittings

Figure10:FillValve/TankIsolationValve

1”camxFlo-Link elbow

1”MPTxFlo-Linkfemale

Alternate (non-union)fitting:1”MPTx1”cam

1”camxFlo-Link elbow

1/2”FillValve

2”TankIsolationValve


Figure11:FlushcartdiagramwithdescriptionsEachflushcartincludestwoflushhoses;thestyledependsontheflushcartpurchased.Twentyfoothoseextensionsarealsoavailable.

Flush Cart Diagram

Switch

1/2”Pump/DumpValve

P/TPlug

1-1/2”DeadHead/Return valve

1-1/2”CamFitting-Return

1-1/2”CamFitting-Supply

1/2”PowerDrainValve

1/4”DrainValves

SightTubewithO-ringMarker

BagFilter(InsideTank)

1-1/2”SupplyValve


1/2”FillValve

Garden Hose Swivel

Hosesforflushcart Hosesforflushcartwithballvalves

1”CamFemale

1”CamFemale1-1/2”CamFemale1-1/2”CamFemale

1-1/4”FullPortBallValve(OneperHose)


6. InsertpressuregaugewithlargedialfacewithaP/TadapterintoP/Tportonflushcart.Close1/2”pump&dumpvalve(Figure13).

7. EnsurethatthebagfilterisinplaceonthereturnPVCpipe.Geo-Florecommendsloopingthefilterbagstrapoverthetopofthereturnpiping.

8. Close2”tankisolationvalve(Figure10)andopenthe1-1/2”dead-headvalve(Figure14).

9. Open1/2”fillvalve(Figure10)andallowthelooptofill.Watchthefluidlevelinthetankviathesighttube.Whenthetankisnearlyfull,shutoffthe1/2”fillvalveand1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure14).

10. Openthe2”tankisolationvalve(Figure10)andenergizethepump.Slowlyopenthe1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure14)approxi-mately1/4to1/2open.Airanddebriswillbepushedthroughthereturnpiping.Debriswillbecapturedinthebagfilterandair will be released to the atmosphere.

NOTE: The100micronbagfiltermustbeinplaceduringflushingtofilterdebrisfromtheloop.Debrisisaleadingcauseofcirculatorpumpfailure.

11. Regulatethefluidlevelinthetankwiththe1/2”fillvalve(Fig-ure10)andthe1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure14)whilethepumpisrunning.Donotallowthefluidinthetanktodroptooloworairwillbepushedbackintotheloopextendingflushingtime.

NOTE: Whenthepumpisrunninganyairremainingintheloopwillbepressurized.Therefore,ifthepumpispoweredoffduringtheflushingprocessthecompressedairwillexpandpushingtheloopfluidbackinthetank.Thiscouldcausethetanktooverflow.Ifthepumpmustbeshutoffduringtheprocess,closethe1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure14)andthe1-1/2”dead-head/returnvalve(Figure14)topreventfluidfromreturningtothetank.

12. Whenthefluidlevelremainsrelativelystableensurethatthe1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure14)isfullyopen.

Figure12:FPTflowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)valvepositionsforheatpumpisolation

Figure13:1/2”Pump&DumpValve

Horizontal portionofflow“T”toward heat pump

To Flush Cart

To Flush Cart

To Flush Cart

To/FromGround

Loop

To/FromHeat Pump

To/FromGroundLoop

To/FromHeatPump

“OFF”toward heat pump (both valves)


P/TPlug


13. Allowthepumptooperateuntilthefluidreturningtothetankappearsclearandfreeofair.

14. Whilethepumpisrunning,“dead-head”thepumpbyturn-ingoffthedead-head/returnvalve(Figure14).Then,quicklyreopenthevalveallowingthefluidtoreturntothetank.Thisprocessdrivesthelooppressureuptherebycompressinganyairremainingintheloop.Quicklyopeningthevalvecreatesasuddenhighvelocitysurgethathelpsdislodgeairintothefluidstream where it can be returned to the tank.

15. Repeatthedead-headprocess2-3timesoveraperiodof15minutes.Ifnecessary,addmorefluidtothetanksothefluidlevelisvisibleinthesighttube.

16. Withthepumpcontinuingtorun,markthefluidlevelinthetankwiththeO-ringonthesighttube.

17. Closethe1-1/2”dead-headvalve(Figure14)whilewatchingthefluidlevelinthesighttube.Thedead-headprocessdrivesthestaticlooppressuretoapproximately50psi.Sincefluidisincompressiblebutaircanbecompressed,thisprocedureshowswhetherairremainsintheloop.Ingeneral,thefluidshouldnotdropmorethanabout3/8”to3/4”onatypicalresi-dentialsystem.Theslightdropinfluidisduetotheexpansionofthegroundlooppiping,andtheactualdropwilldependontheloopsize(i.e.howmuchtotalpipeisintheloop)andfluidtemperature.

18. Openthe1-1/2”dead-headvalve(Figure14)andallowthefluidtocontinuetocirculate.

NOTE: Iftheprecedingprocedureisunsuccessfulinremovingallairfromtheloop,powerflushingmaybenecessary.Proceedtothesectionofthisdocumententitled“PowerFlushing.”

19. Rotate3-wayvalvesonflowcentersothatthegroundloopisisolatedandfluidisdirectedtowardtheheatpumponly.Figure15showsexamplesofhowthevalvesmaybeoriented.Thiswillvarydependingontheflowcenterandinstallation.

Figure14:FlushCartValvesinflushingsteps

1-1/2”DeadHead/Returnvalve


1/4”DrainValves

1-1/2”SupplyValve


20. RepeatSteps11through17abovetoensurethatallairhasbeenpurgedfromtheheatpumpcircuit.

21. Rotate3-wayvalvesonflowcentersothatthefluidisdirectedtowardboththegroundloopandheatpump.Figure16showsexamplesofhowthevalvesmaybeoriented.Thiswillvarydependingonthetypeofflowcenterinstalled.

22. Repeatsteps11through17abovetoensurethatallairhasbeenpurgedfromthegroundloopandheatpumpsystem.

NOTE:Ifyoususpectthattheloopsystemiscontaminatedwithveryfinesand,silt,orclay,additionalloopfiltrationisnecessary.Proceedtothesectionofthisdocumententitled“FluidFiltering”.

23. Closethe1-1/2”dead-headvalve(Figure14).

24. Closethe1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure14)totrappressureinthesystem.Turnoffthepump.

25. Usingalargeflatheadscrewdriver,slightlyopentheventscrewonthefaceoftheGrundfospump(s).Afterafewdropsofwaterescapes,retightenthescrew.

NOTE: Thisstepiscritical.Openingtheventscrewandallowingfluidtodripoutensuresthatalltrappedairhasexitedthepumpmotor.Skippingthisimportantstepcouldleadtoprematurepumpfailure.

26. Monitorthepressuregaugefor10-15minutes.Thepressureshouldnotdropsubstantially(typicallynomorethan3-4psi).Theslightpressuredropisduetothelooppiperelaxingandisnormal.Ifthereissubstantialpressuredropthereislikelyaleakinthesystem.Inspectallpipingconnectionsinthemechani-calroomforsignsoffluidandcorrectanyissuesdiscovered.Ifthereisaleakinaflushcartconnectiontheflushcartshouldbeisolatedfromthesystemasshowninstep27.Then,thepres-suregaugecanbeinstalledinaP/Tportattheheatpumptomonitor pressure.

27. Ifinstallingapressurizedsystem,rotatethe3-wayvalvessothattheflushcartisisolatedfromthesystem.Figure17showsanexampleofhowthevalvesmaybeoriented.Thiswillvarydependingonthetypeofflowcenterinstalled.

Horizontal portionofflow“T”toward groundloop

Figure15:FPTflowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)valvepositionsforgroundloopisolation

“OFF”toward groundloop (both valves)


Horizontal portionofflow“T”toward middle offlowcenter

“OFF”toward backofflowcen-ter (both valves)

Figure16:FPTflowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)valvepositionstoallowflowtoboththegroundloopandtheheat pump

28. Openthe1-1/2”SupplyandReturnvalves(Figure14)torelievethepressureinthehoses.

29. Ifusingtheflushcarthoseswith1-1/4”ballvalves,closetheballvalves.

30. Disconnectthehosesfromtheflowcenter.

Horizontal portionofflow“T”toward flushport

“OFF”toward flushport(both valves)

Figure17:FPTflowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)valvepositionsinoperatingposition


Power Flushing

Powerflushingisatechniquethatcanbeutilizedtohelppurgeairfromagroundloopwhenthestandardflushingproceduredoesnoteliminateallairfromtheloop.Thisprocedureutilizestheflushcartpumpandmunicipalwaterpressuretogethertoprovidemaximumsystempressuretocompressandpurgeairpockets.Thefollowingprocedure describes this process and assumes that steps 1-18 in theStandardFlushing/Purgingsectionhavebeencompleted.

1. Besurethereissufficientcapacityinthetanktoaddmorefluid.Ifnecessary,removefluidfromthetankbeforeproceeding.

2. Withthepumprunning,closethe1-1/2”deadheadvalve(Figure18)and2”tankisolationvalve(Figure19),andopenthe1/2”fillvalve(Figure19).

3. Monitorthepressure;itwillquicklyclimbto80-100psig.

4. Whenthepressurereaches80-100psig,closethe1/2”fillvalve(Figure19).Then,openthe1-1/2”deadheadvalve(Figure18)andthe2”tankisolationvalve(Figure19)simultaneously.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 above.

6. Returntostep16oftheStandardFlushing/Purgingsection.

Figure19:FillValve/TankIsolationValve

1/2”FillValve


Figure18:FlushCartValvesinflushingsteps



1/4”DrainValves

1-1/2”SupplyValve


Fluid Filtering

Thecirculationpumpsusedinclosedloopgeothermalsystemsrequirecleanfluidtooperateproperlyandreliably.Thestandard100micronfilterprovidedwiththeflushcartisacceptableforcapturingrelativelylargedebrissuchaspipeshavings,gravel,andmediumsandparticles.Incertaininstallationlocationsothersmallermaterialssuchasfinesand,siltandclaymaybepresentinthewatersupplyorintroducedtotheloopsystemduringinstallation.Thesefineparticlescantraveltothecirculationpumpsusedduringsystemoperationpos-siblycausingerosionofthepumphousingand/oralockedrotorandpumpfailure.Debrisintheclosedloopsystemisaleadingfactorinprematurepumpfailure.Therefore,itisgoodpracticetoalwayspreformadditionalfluidfiltrationtoensuretheclearestfluidpossiblebeforecompletingasysteminstallation.Thefollowingpro-cedureassumesthatsteps1-22oftheStandardFlushing/Purgingsectionhavebeencompleted.

NOTE: Priortousingtheonemicronfilter,rinseitthoroughlywithcleanwatertoremoveanyresidualdebrisfromthemanufacturingprocess.

1. Turnoffthepumpanddrainfluidfromthetankuntilthelevelisbelowthebottomofthefilter(makesurethattheleveldoesnotdropbelowthesuctioninlettothepump).Thisstepisnecessarytopreventdebriscapturedinthe100micronfilterbagfrombeingreintroducedintothetank.Ifpossible,capturethefluiddrainedfromthetankinacontainersoitcanbeaddedbacktothetankinstep3.

2. Replacethe100micronfilterwithaonemicronfilter.

3. Replacethefluidremovedinstep1torefillthetanktothelevelitwasbeforefilterreplacement.

4. Rotatethevalvesontheflowcentertodirectthefluidtothegroundlooponly.Figure12showsexamplesofhowthevalvesmaybeoriented.Thiswillvarydependingonthetypeofflowcenterinstalled.

5. Runtheflushcartforatleast30minutes,whilemonitoringthefilter.Thisveryfinefilterwillcatchclay,sandandotherdebris.Ifthefilteroverflowsduringtheprocess,stopthepumpandcleanthefilterasnecessary.Continueuntiltheloopfluidiscompletelyfiltered.Cleanthe100micronfilterwithcleanwaterwhiletheonemirconfilterisbeingused.Rotatethevalvesontheflowcentertodirectthefluidtotheheatpumpandallowthepumptorunforanotherfiveminutes.Figure15showsexamplesofhowthevalvesmaybeoriented.Thiswillvarydependingonthetypeofflowcenterinstalled.

6. Turnoffthepumpanddrainfluidfromthetankuntilthelevelisbelowthebottomofthefilter(makesurethattheleveldoesnotdropbelowthesuctioninlettothepump).Thisstepisnecessarytopreventdebriscapturedintheonemicronfilterbagfrombeingreintroducedintothetank.Ifpossible,capturethefluiddrainedfromthetankinacontainersoitcanbeaddedbacktothetankinstep8.

7. Replacetheonemicronfilterwithaclean100micronfilter.


8. Replacethefluidremovedinstep6torefillthetanktothelevelitwasbeforefilterreplacement.

9. Returntostep21oftheStandardFlushing/Purgingsection.

NOTE:Dead-headingthepumptocheckforairintheloopsystemisnotpossiblewiththeonemicronfilterinplace.Thefluidinthetankisdrawndownfromthetankfasterthanitpassesthroughthefilter.Therefore,ifthepumpisdead-headedwiththeonemirconfilterinplace,thefluidlevelinthetankaroundthefilterdropswhilethefluidlevelinthefilterremainsatahigherlevel.Afterfilteringwiththeonemicronfilterandre-installingthe100micronfilter,itisimportanttorepeatthedead-headingproceduredescribedintheStandardFlush/Purgingsectiontoensureairdidnotenterthesystemduringthefilteringprocess.

Adding Antifreeze

Antifreezeisusedinagroundloopsystemwhentheloopfluidenteringtheheatpump(EWT)isexpectedtodropbelow40degreesFahrenheit.Ingeneral,antifreezeisaddedatconcentrationhighenoughtoachieveafreezeprotectionlevelthatis10degreeslowerthanthelowestexpectedenteringfluidtemperature(EWT)totheheatpump.Forexample,ifthelowestdesignorexpectedEWTis35F,antifreezeisaddedtoachieveafreezeprotectionlevelof25F(seetable1).Addingtoomuchantifreezewillresultinreducedloopcapacityandincreasedpumppowerconsumption.Thefreezeprotectionleveldependsonthetypeandconcentrationofantifreeze.Theantifreezetypesmostcommonlyusedaremethanol,ethanol,andpropyleneglycol.Puremethanolandethanolareextremelyflammableandthefumescanignite.Extremecaremustbeexercisedwhenhandlingthesechemicals.

Table2providestheflashpointofethanolandmethanolsolutions.Theflashpointisthelowesttemperaturewherethealcoholwillevaporateenoughtoformacombustibleconcentrationofgas.Therefore,theflammabil-ityofethanolandmethanolantifreezesolutionsdependsonthetemperatureofthemixture.Puremethanolorethanolshouldneverbemixedinanenclosedarea.Sincetheflashpointofpropyleneglycolisabovetheboilingpointofwater,thereislittlefirehazardinstorageorhandling.Geo-Florecommendsusingonlypre-mixedalcoholantifreezesinanon-flammablestateorpropyleneglycolatthejobsite.Somemunicipalitiesrestricttheuseofcertainantifreezesolutionsinthegroundloopsystemsobesuretocheckwithstateandlocalauthorities.

WARNING: ONLYUSEPREMIXEDANTIFREEZEINANON-FLAMMABLESTATE.FAILURETOOBSERVESAFETYPRECAUTIONSMAYRESULTINFIRE,INJURY,ORDEATH.


Pump and Dump Method of Adding Antifreeze

1. Calculatetheamountofantifreezeneededtoachievethefreezeprotectionrequiredforthesystem.Geo-Floprovidesafreeon-linecalculator(gotoanyofthepressuredropcalculatorsatwww.geo-flo.com)toas-sistindeterminingthequantityandfreezeprotectionleveloftheantifreezechosenforaparticularinstalla-tion.Table1providesfreezeprotectionlevelsforethanol,methanol,andpropyleneglycol.

2. Attachahosetothe1/2”pump&dumpvalve(Figure20).Directtheoppositeendofthehosetoanappro-priate drain.

3. Rotatetheflushvalvesontheflowcentertodirectfluidtothegroundlooponly(Figure12).Sincemostoftheloopfluidisinthegroundloop,mostoftheantifreezewouldlikelydumpdownthedrainifantifreezewere introduced toward the heat pump.

4. Openthe1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure20).

5. Closethe1-1/2”deadheadvalve(Figure20).Thispreventsfluidfromreturningtothetank.

6. Slightlyopenthe1/2”pump&dumpvalve(Figure20).

7. Energizethepump.Thewaterfromthetank/loopispumpedtothedrain.Closelymonitorthefluidlevelinthetankandturnoffthepumpbeforethefluidleveldropsbelowthesuctionpipesoairisnotdrawnintothesystem.Ifairisdrawnintothesystem,theflushingproceduredescribedabovemustberepeated.

Table 1: Freeze protection and specific gravity for common ground loop antifreeze mixtures (source:Geo-FloCalculatorapps,www.geo-flo.com)

Table 2: Flash point* for ethanol and methanol mixtures (source:engineeringtoolbox.com)*Theflashpointofachemicalisthelowest temperature where it will evapo-rateenoughfluidtoformacombustibleconcentrationofgas.Theflashpointisanindicationofhoweasyachemicalmayburn.


8. Carefullyaddtheantifreezefluidtothetank.Propylenegly-colcanbepoureddirectlyintothetopofthetank.However,methanolandethanolshouldbehandledwithextremecau-tion.Thesechemicalsshouldneverbepoureddirectlyintothetopoftheflushcarttankwhentheflushcartislocatedinan enclosed space such as a home or mechanical room. Pure methanolandethanolareextremelyflammableandthefumescanignite.Always pre-mix alcohols before taking them to the job site. Forexample,ifthedesiredconcentrationofmethanolis12.5%(16.2deg.Ffreezeprotection),bringa25%mixturetothejobsite,andsimplyusefourtimesasmuchofthemixturevs.puremethanol.Extremecaremustbeexercised,especiallyinhotweather,as25%methanolbyvolumehasaflashpointofabout100deg.F.

9. Energizethepump.Thewaterfromthetank/loopispumpedtothedrainwhiletheantifreezeispumpedtothegroundloop.Closelymonitorthefluidlevelinthetankandturnoffthepumpbeforethefluidleveldropsbelowthesuctionpipesoairisnotdrawnintothesystem.Ifairisdrawnintothesystem,theflushingproceduredescribedabovemustberepeated.

10. Repeatsteps8and9untiltherequiredantifreezehasbeenadded to the loop.

11. Closethe1/2”pumpanddumpvalve(Figure20).

12. Openthe1-1/2”supplyvalve(Figure20)andenergizethepumptomixtheantifreezewiththewaterintheloop.

13. Rotatetheflushvalvesontheflowcentertodirectthefluidtoboththeheatpumpandthegroundlooptoallowtheantifreezetomix.Allowthepumptorununtilthefluidisthoroughlymixed.Ifinstallingapressurizedflowcenter,pres-surizethesystemasdescribedintheStandardFlushing/PurgingProceduresectionofthisdocument.

Figure20:FlushCartValvesinaddingantifreezesteps


P/TPlug



1/4”DrainValves

1-1/2”SupplyValve

WARNING: ONLYUSEPREMIXEDANTIFREEZEINANON-FLAMMABLE

STATE.FAILURETOOBSERVESAFETYPRECAUTIONSMAYRESULTINFIRE,INJURY,ORDEATH.


Verifying Antifreeze Concentration/ Freeze Protection

Theantifreezeconcentrationischeckedusingaspecificgravityhydrometerorrefractometer.Besuretousetheproperspecificgravityhydrometerfortheantifreezetypeused.Table1andFigures21through24providespecificgravityversusfreezeprotectionformethanol,ethanol,andpropyleneglycol.

1.000

0.99

0.98

0.97

0.96

0.95

Figure21:Typicalhydrometer(above);readingahydrometer(below).Intheexample,thishydrometerwouldbereadas0.975,approximately25%ethanolbyvolume.NOTE:Therearetwotypesofhydrometers,oneforfluidslighterthanwater(ethanolandmethanol);andoneforfluidsheavierthanwater(propyleneglycol).


Free

ze P

rote

ctio

n, d

eg. F

Antifreeze Mixture, % by Volume

Freeze Protection, deg. F

Spec

i�c

Gra

vity

Freeze Protection, deg. F

Spec

i�c

Gra

vity

Figure22:Freezeprotectionforcommongroundloopantifreezemixtures(source:Geo-FloCalcu-latorapps,www.geo-flo.com)

Figure23:Specificgravityforalcohol-basedantifreezesoverarangeoffreezeprotectiontem-peratures(source:Geo-FloCalcu-latorapps,www.geo-flo.com)

Figure24:Specificgravityforpropyleneglycoloverarangeoffreezeprotectiontemperatures(source:Geo-FloCalculatorapps,www.geo-flo.com)


Water Quality

Unfortunatelyforsomesystemowners,waterqualityisnotconsideredforclosedloopsystems.Oneoftheleadingcausesofprematurepumpfailureispoorwaterquality.Waterqualityrelatedtopumporsystemcom-ponentfailuremaybecategorizedintofourareasofconcern,namely:

• Suspended Solids:Suspendedsolidscanincludedirt,silt,sand,biologicalgrowth,insolubleorganicmatter,and iron. Suspended solids act like sandpaper in the system. It is common to see examples of suspended solids in pump tear-down analyses of warranty returns.

• System Insufficiently Purged of Air:Oxygeninthesystemattacksferrousmaterials(castironvolutes,steelpipingincommercialbuildings,etc.).

• pH level:AsthepHofthesystemwaterincreases(movestowardthealkalinesideofthescale),thecor-rosivenessofthewaterdecreases.However,asthepHofthewaterincreases,theformationofscaleincreases.LowpHisacidic;highpHisalkaline.Accordingthe2011 ASHRAE Handbook -- HVAC Applications,normalsystempHshouldbeinthe6.5to9.0range.

• Hardness:Asthehardnessofthesystemwaterincreases,thecorrosivenessofthewaterdecreases.How-ever,asthehardnessofthesystemwaterincreases,theformationofscaleincreases.

Poorwaterqualitycanaffectpumpsandsystemcomponentsinanumberofways.HeatpumpheatexchangerfailureorpumpvolutecorrosionistypicallyaresultoflowsystempHlevel.However,waterhardnessisalsoaproblemwithregardtopumpbearingfailure,pluggingofvalves/orifices,andcoatingofsystemsurfaces(de-creasedheatexchange).

Determiningwaterqualityrequirestestingasample.Inmostcases,contractorsonlyneedtodotwotothreewaterqualityteststogetageneralfeelforthewaterqualityinthearea.Forexample,ifmostofthegeother-malapplicationsareina30mileradius,theremayonlybetwotothreemunicipalwatersystemsintheservicearea.

Table3provideswaterqualityguidelinestohelpprotectthelooppump(s)fromprematurefailure,assumingthatalldebrisisfilteredfromthesystemfluid.However,followingtheseguidelineswillalsohelpprotecttheheatpumpheatexchangerandothersystemcomponents.

ItisimportanttochooseatestingcompanythatcanprovideawaterqualityanalysisthatispertinenttoHVACapplications.Figure25showsanexamplereportfromRockyResearchinBoulderCity,Nevada(http://rockyresearch.com,702-293-0851).

IncertainpartsofNorthAmerica,bronzeorstainlesssteelvolutesarepopular.Inmostcases,watertreat-mentortheuseofantifreeze(withcorrosioninhibitors)atstartupissignificantlylessexpensiveovertimethaninstallingamorecorrosion-resistantmaterial,evenifantifreezeisnotneededforfreezeprotection(Southernclimates).Selectionofbronzeorstainlesssteelwillprolongtheservicelifeofthepumpvolute,butthereareothercomponentsinthesystemthatwillbeattackedbytheharshsystemwater.


Forthemostpart,therearetwosolutionstoprovidinggoodsystemwaterquality,namely:1)treatmentoflocalwater;or2)transportationofwatertothejobsite.Infact,mostantifreezemanufacturersrequirede-ionizedordistilledwateraspartoftheirwarrantypolicy.

Treatmentoflocalwatercanbedifficult,especiallyifthelocalwaterqualityispoor.Althoughwatertreatmentsystemsmayberentedorpurchased,theexpenseisoftenhigh.Transportingwaterorusingapre-mixanti-freezemaybeabettersolution,especiallyconsideringtheadvantages.Forexample,puremethanoldoesnotincludecorrosioninhibitors.Purchaseofapre-mixantifreezecouldsignificantlyimprovesystemreliabilityifthewaterqualityiscontrolledandthereareadditivesinthemixturetoinhibitcorrosion.TherearemanyexamplesofsuchfluidsonthemarkettodaysuchasDowfrost™GEO(pre-mixpropyleneglycol),Environol™1000(pre-mixethanol),andothers.

Whenusingapre-mixwater/antifreezesolution,extremecaremustbeexercisedtokeepdirtanddebrisoutofthesystem.Sincethefluidthatwillbeusedtofill/flushthegroundloopwillbethefinalsystemfluid,everyattemptshouldmadetocappipesandkeepdebrisoutofthesystemduringloopinstallation.Notethatthestandard100micronfilterontheGeo-Floflushcartisacceptableforcapturingrelativelylargedebrissuchaspipeshavings,gravel,andmediumsandparticlesbutisnotcapableofcatchingverysmallparticles.Geo-Floprovidesaonemicronfilterfortheflushcartthatmaybeusedforfinalclean-uponceairispurgedfromtheloop(see“FluidFiltering”section).Table4providesparticlesizeofvarioussoiltypes,showingthevalueofutilizingaonemicronfilter.

Ifparticulatematterisaconcern,itmaybeadvantageoustouselocalwaterforpurgingairandfilteringdebrisfromthesystem,andthenusethe“pumpanddump”methodforreplacingthepurgingwaterwiththepre-mixantifreezesolution.Considerationofwaterqualitycaneliminatemanysystemfailuresandhelpmaintainsatis-fiedcustomers.

Table 3: Water quality guidelinesTable 4: Grain size

Installation Tip:Considerapre-mixantifreezesolutiontocontrolsystemwaterquality.


Sulfate 231 ppmS04 <25 ppm ppm mg mg/

Chloride 24 ppmCl <25 Total Hardness 788 mgCaC03/L <75

Nitrite 0 mg/L 250- 1000 Bicarbonate Alkalinity 270.9 as mg CaC03/L

Carbonate Alkalinity 0 as mg CaC03/L Hydroxide Alkalinity 0 as mg CaC03/L

Total Alkalinity 271 as mg CaC03/L pH 7.9 8.5-9.5

Total Dissolved Solids 667 ppm <1000 ppm

Closed Loop Water Analysis

Customer Name Job Name JobiD Manufacturer Model Number Serial Number Equipment Name Equipment ID

Heat Pumps ‘R Us GF3000000 None None None 0 Closed Loop Cooling Water GF650001

Sample Number Customer Sample No. Collection Date Collected By Receive Date Analysis Date

ABC123 131 5/30/2013 Service Tech 5/30/2013 5/31/2013

Sample Data Limits

S04 Cl

CaC03/L L

MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS: The sulfate level is above 25 ppm, which will contribute to corrosion. Total Hardness is above the limit, which will cause scale in the system. The pH is low, corrosion protection may be compromised. No corrosion inhibitors were detected. Replace the charge with distilled or deionized water to remove contaminants. A water treatment program with corrosion inhibitors and pH buffers is highly recommended.

Customer Comments: None

This report is based on a single sample. Sampling regularly and tracking the data provides the clearest insight to the solution chemistry of your unit. A large change in any result may make a resample advisable.

Figure25:Samplewaterqualityreport(courtesyofRockyResearch)


Start-Up

WARNING: OPEN THE MAIN POWER SUPPLY DISCONNECT SWITCH AND SECURE IT IN AN OPEN POSITION PRIOR TO PERFORMING ELECTRICAL WORK. VERIFY THAT POWER HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED PRIOR TO WIRING THE PUMP(S). FAILING TO SECURE THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

Preparing Flow Center for Start-Up

1. WirethecirculatorpumpstotheheatpumpsasshowninFigure26.Followallelectricalandlocalcodesforwiringandfuse/breakersizing.

2. Opentheventscrewinthecenterofeachpumpmotorwithalargeflatheadscrewdriverallowingafewdropsoffluidtodripout.Then,retightentheventscrew.

NOTE:Step#2iscritical.Openingtheventscrewandallowingfluidtodripoutensuresthatalltrappedairhasexitedthepumpmotor.Skippingthisimportantstepcouldleadtoprematurepumpfailure.

From heat pump #1fused/circuit breaker

protected pumpconnections

N

L

Ground

L2

L1

N

L

Wiring forNPD3 and NPD4

(2nd pump onLH side)

N

L

N

L

Wiring forNPD4 (2nd pump

on RH side)



Pump #3 Pump #4

Pump #1 Pump #2

Capacitor

Speed Switch

Terminal Strip

Ground

L2

L1

Figure26:Pumpfieldwiring.ToppictureshowsUPS26-99controlbox;bottompictureshowsUP26-116controlbox.

From heat pumpfused/circuit breaker


Ground

L2

L1N

L

N

L

Pump #2

Pump #1

Speed Switch

Terminal Strip



Ground

L2

L1

Wiring forNPD3 and NPD4

(2nd pump onLH side)

L2

L1

L2

L1

L2

L1

L2

L1

Wiring forNPD4 (2nd pump

on RH side)



Pump #3 Pump #4

Pump #1 Pump #2

Capacitor

Ground

L2

L1

L2

L1


3. Startallflowcenterpumpsandallowsystemtooperateforseveralminutes.

4. Measureandrecordtheflowrateusingthemethodsdescribedinthefollowingsectionofthisdocument.IfusingUPS26-99threespeedpump(s),theflowcanbeadjustedbychangingthepump(s)speed.Theflowrateshouldbewithintherangesuggestedbytheheatpumpmanufacturer.

5. Verifytheperformanceoftheheatpumpsperthemanufacturer’sliteraturebycalculatingtheheatofextractionand/orrejection(HE-HR).TheGeo-Flowebsitehasafreecalculatortoassistinthiscalculation.Gotowww.geo-flo.com,selectDesignCalculatorsthenHE-HRCalculator.TheHE-HRshouldbewithintherangespecifiedbytheheatpumpmanufacturer.

6. Installallvalvefacecoversandflushportcaps/plugsincludedinthehardwarebag.

Measuring System Flow Rate -- Flow Rate from Pressure Drop

Thesystemflowratecanbedeterminedbaseduponthepressuredropacrosstheheatpump’sheatexchanger.

1. Measurethepressuredropacrosstheheatpump’sheatexchangerviatheP/Tportslocatedatthewaterconnectionsoftheunit(Figure27).Useasinglelargedialfacepressuregaugetoallowformoreprecisemeasurement.

2. Determinetheflowrateusingthemanufacturer’spublishedtablesforpressuredropversusflow(Table5).Ifthepressuredropisoffthemanufacturer’schart,theflowratecanbedeterminedusingafreeonlinecalculatoravailableonGeo-Flo’swebsite.Gotowww.geo-flo.com,selectDesignCalculatorsthenFlowRateCalculator.

Figure27:Measuring pressure drop

WPD

PSI FT

3.0 0.9 2.24.5 1.8 4.26.0 2.9 6.83.0 0.9 2.14.5 1.7 4.06.0 2.8 6.63.0 0.9 2.04.5 1.7 3.96.0 2.8 6.43.0 0.9 2.04.5 1.6 3.86.0 2.7 6.2

20

EWT °F

Flow gpm

50

40

30

Table5:Exampleofheatpumpmanufacturer’stableofpressuredropvs.flowrate

Example O

nly


Maintenance

ThereisnoregularlyscheduledmaintenancerequiredforFlo-LinkandGPMSeriesflowcenters.However,thereismaintenanceassociatedwiththegroundloopthatcouldaffectpumplongevity.The“LoopPressurization”sectionbelowaddressesgroundlooppressurechanges.Ifthepumpdoesneedtobereplacedatsomepointintime,Geo-Flooffersapumpheadreplacement.Thevoluteisfoamedintotheflowcenter,andwouldnottypi-cally be replaced.

Loop Pressurization

Groundlooptemperaturesinsomeclimatescanswingasmuchas70to75deg.F,whichcausesthegroundlooppipingtoexpandandcontract.Insummer,thepipeexpands,causingthepressuretodecreaseinapres-surizedsystem;inwinterthepipecontracts,increasingthelooppressure.Foryearstheindustryrecommendedagainstexpansiontanks,insistingthatthePEpipehadenoughexpansioncapability.Inareaswherelooptemperaturesaremilder,itispossiblethatanexpansiontankwouldnotbeneeded.InmostareasofNorthAmerica,experiencehasshownthatexpansiontanksareneeded.Geo-Flo recommends either a Pressure Bat-tery (polyethylene expansion tank) or a Geo-Prime tank on all pressurized systems(seeFigures28and29)asamethodofalleviatingconcernswithlooppressurization.TheGeo-Primetankactsasanexpansiontankandairseparator,effectivelyturningapressurizedsystemintoahybridsystem(pressurizedflowcenterwithnon-pressurizedcharacteristics).

Tank Volume = 0.75 U.S. gallons (2.8 liters)

7-1/8”(181mm)

13-1/4”(337 mm)

14-3/8”(365 mm)

8”(203 mm)

Tank halves are butt fusedin controlled factoryenvironment for a leakproof tank

Figure28:PressureBatteryExpansionTank

Figure29:Geo-PrimeTank(left)andtypicalGeo-Primeinstallationwithpressurizedflowcenter(right)


SystemswithoutaPressureBatteryorGeo-PrimeTankmayneedtoberepressurizedwithagardenhoseifthesystemfallsbelow10to15psig.Otherwise,thetemperatureswing,andresultingpressurechangecouldcauseprematurepumpfailureifthesystempressuregoestozero.Anyairinthesystemwillexacerbatetheproblem.Grundfoscirculatorsarecooledandlubricatedbythefluidflowingthroughthepump.Figure30showsatypical“LoopGooser”thatallowsthepressureinthegroundlooptobeincreasedbydomesticwaterpressureviaagardenhosethroughtheheatpumpP/Tport.Itisimportanttobleedairoutofthegardenhosebeforeat-temptingtopressurizetheloop.Theballvalveshouldbeopenedsothatasmallstreamiscomingfromtheendofthe“LoopGooser”beforeinsertingitintotheP/Tporttoavoidintroducingairintothesystem.

Figure30:LoopGooser assembly (allowsgardenhoseattachmentforincreasinglooppressure)

Replacing Circulator Pump

WARNING: OPEN THE MAIN POWER SUPPLY DISCON-NECT SWITCH AND SECURE IT IN AN OPEN POSITION PRIOR TO PERFORMING ELECTRICAL WORK. VERIFY THAT POWER HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED PRIOR TO WIR-ING THE PUMP(S). FAILING TO SECURE THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.

1. Determine whether the circulator pump needs to be replaced. The pumpmotorshouldonlybereplacedaftersuccessfullytrouble-shootingthesystemanddeterminingthatthepumpisnotfunction-ing.SeeTroubleshootingsectionofthisdocumentformoreinfor-mation.

2. Rotatebothvalvestoisolatethegroundloop.(Figure31).• Important (GPM series):Rotatetheleftvalveclockwise,and

therightvalvecounter-clockwisetoavoidreintroducingairintotheloopfromtheflushport.

• Important (Flo-Link series): Rotatetheleftvalvecounter-clock-wise,andtherightvalveclockwisetoavoidreintroducingairintotheloopfromtheflushport.

3. Verifythatpowerhasbeendisconnectedfromthecirculatorpump(s)usingamulti-meter.

4. Disconnectwiringfrompump.

5. Removescrewsholdingpumpmotortopumphousing(volute),andremovethepumpmotor.Positionabucketunderneaththepumptocatchthefluidbetweenthe3-wayvalveandthepumpvolute.

Horizontal portionofflow“T”toward groundloop

Figure31:GPM(FPT)flowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)valvepositionsforgroundloopisolation

“OFF”toward groundloop (both valves)

Flo-Link Adapter


6. Inspectthepumpmotorandvoluteforsignsthatindicatethemodeoffailure.Forexample,ifdebrisispresentinthepumporvolute,thegroundloopshouldbere-flushedwithaqualityflushcartequippedwithafilter.

7. Cleanthepumpseatonthepumphousing(volute)withaclothtoremoveanydebrissothatthegasketonthepumpwillsealproperly.Installthenewpumpmotorandreconnectwiring.Makesurethattheterminalboxisinthe12o’clock,3o’clock,or9o’clockpositiontoavoidpotentialmotorfailureduetocondensationbuild-upinsidetherotorcan.See“MountingtheUnit”(InstallationSection)formoreinformation.

Figure32:Geo-FloFlushKit

Flo-Link adapter (use forGPMflowcenters;notneededforFlo-Linkflowcenters)

Flo-Linkxgardenhose adapter

Flo-LinkxCAMadapter (used withflushcart)

8. ForGPMseries,threadontheFlo-Linkadapter(Figures31&32),whichprovidesaunionconnectionandeasierinstallation/removalofthegardenhose adapter. This step is not neces-saryforFlo-Linkflowcenters.Figure32showsthefittingsincludedwiththeloopflushingkit.Thiskitprovidesalloftheadaptersneededwhenoriginallyflushingtheloop,aswellasthefittingsneededwhenreplacingapump.

9. ConnecttheFlo-Linkxgardenhoseadapterstotheflowcenter.Usingtwogardenhoses,connectonehosetoeachsideoftheflowcenter.Connectthelefthosetoanearbywaterspigot;runtherighthosetoadrain.Donotturnthe3-wayvalves.Whenchangingapump,theflowcenter,heatpump,andconnectingpipingcanbepurgedofairwithagardenhoseunlessthereisanexcessiveamountofpipebetweentheheatpumpandtheflowcenter.Inmostcases,ahosekitwillbeinstalledbetweentheflowcenterandtheheat pump.

10. Turnonthewaterandletthewaterrunthroughthepipinguntilallairhasbeenpurgedfromthepiping.

11. Turntherightvalvetonormaloperatingpositiontoturnoffhosegoingtodrain.IMPORTANT: Do not turn off the water to the left hose in this step.• GPMSeries(FPTfittings):Rotatetherightvalveclockwisetoturnofftheflushportconnectedtothe

righthose(Figure33).NOTE: It is very important to turn the valve clockwise. Otherwise,aircouldbereintroducedintotheloopthroughtheflushport.

• Flo-LinkSeries(doubleO-ringfittings):Rotatetherightvalvecounter-clockwisetoturnofftheflushportconnectedtotherighthose(Figure33).NOTE: It is very important to turn the valve counter-clockwise.Otherwise,aircouldbereintroducedintotheloopthroughtheflushport.

12. Withthespigottothelefthosestillon,pressurizethegroundlooptothedesiredpressure(typically30to50psig).

13. Usingalargeflatheadscrewdriver,slightlyopentheventscrewonthefaceoftheGrundfospump(s).Afterafewdropsofwaterescapes,retightenthescrew.

NOTE: Step#13iscritical.Openingtheventscrewandallowingfluidtodripoutensuresthatalltrappedairhasexitedthepumpmotor.Skippingthisimportantstepcouldleadtoprematurepumpfailure.


Figure33:GPM(FPT)flowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)valvepositionsforpressurization

“OFF”toward flushport(rightsideonly).DONOTmoveleftvalve.

Turnoffflushport(rightsideonly).DONOTmoveleftvalve.

Horizontal portionofflow“T”toward flushport

“OFF”toward flushport(both sides)

Figure34:GPM(FPT)flowcenter(top)andFlo-LinkDoubleO-ringflowcenter(below)valvepositionsfornormaloperation

OFF

“OFF”towardgroundloop(leftsideonly).DONOTmovethisvalve.


14. Rotatetheleftvalvebacktotheoperatingposition(Figure34).Turnoffthespigottothelefthose,andremovehosesandfittingsfromflowcenter.

15. Verifysystemperformancebycheckingtheflowrateandtemperaturedifferential,andcomparingthevaluestotheheatpumpmanufacturer’spublisheddata.IfinstallingaUPS26-99(3-speed)pump,besuretosetthepumpspeedthatprovidesaflowratewithinthemanufacturer’srecommendrange.

16. Replacevalvefacecoversandflushportplugsorcaps.

Converting From GPM-1/FL1 to GPM-2/FL2

FollowprocedureforReplacingCirculatorPump,exceptremovetheblankplateinsteadofthepumpmotor.Besuretoremovethegasket(Figure35).

Gasket

Cover Plate

RubberCover

Figure35:Removingcoverplate


Troubleshooting

Problem Possible Cause Checks/SolutionNoflow/lackofflow(alwayscheck pressure drop across coaxtoverifyflow)

Valve(s)inwrongposition Rotatevalve(s)tooperatingposition

Pumpnotoperating Ensureproperpower/voltageatpumpmotorNo power at pump Ensureheatpumpcontactsareoperating

Resetfuse/breakerinheatpumpStuck/lockedimpeller Removeventscrew;rotateshaftwithsmallflathead

screwdriver;ifshaftwillnotrotate,replacepumpmotor.

Frozenheatexchanger Thawheatexchanger;check/correctantifreezelevel.Power at pump but not operat-ing

Removeventscrewandrotateshaftwithasmallscrew-driver.Replaceventscrewandre-energizepump.Replace pump power head

No/lowsystempressure

Pipeexpansion Noproblem;bumpsystempressuretoacceptablelevel.Addexpansiontankand/orantifreezemakeupsystem

Pipeexpansion+Airinloop Flushsystem;pressurize.Leak Find and repair leak

AddantifreezemakeupsystemNoise Mechanicalvibrationdueto

pump motor resonanceProvidevibrationisolationbetween:1)pipingandflowcenter2)flowcenterandunit3)flowcenter&mountinglocation(wall,heatpump,etc.)

Air/debrisinsystem Flush loopAddair/dirtseparatorandexpansiontankand/oranti-freezemakeupsystem

Highvelocitywater:pumpover-sizedorpipingundersized

1) Usesmallerpump2) Turnpumpspeeddown3) Removeoneoftwopumps4) Addflowrestriction(ballvalve)5) Increasepipesize

Pumpcavitation IncreasepumpsuctionpressurePumpmotornoise-squealing 1) Ventpump;ensurenotdryrunning.

2) Bearingfailure:replacepumpValveLeak Debris in valve Rotatevalve360degreestodislodgedebris

Removevalvespool;cleanvalvebodyandspool;re-placeO-ring(s)onvalvespoolifnecessary.

Sideloadingvalvespoolwhenrotatingwith3/8”drivetool

Rotate valve spool so that no side load is placed on spool

Pinched/twistedO-ring Rotatevalve360degreestoreseatO-ringFluid leaks out valveface

CutO-ring ReplaceO-ring;kitsandinstructionsareavailable.Pinched/twistedO-ring Rotatevalve360degreestoreseatO-ring

Troubleshooting continues on next page


Troubleshooting (Con’d)

Problem Possible Cause Checks/SolutionFluid drips around adapt-er/fittings

Incorrectfittingused(i.e.threadedfittinginsteadofFlo-LinkdoubleO-ringfitting)

Replaceincorrectfittings

Poorfusionjoint ReplacejointCondensation InsulatepipingO-ringsealfailure(Flo-Linkfittings)

Removefitting;cleanvalveportandfittings;replaceO-ringsifnecessary.

Pipemisalignment;side-loadingO-rings(Flo-Linkfittings)

Removefittings;checkO-ringsandreplaceifnecessary;alignandsupportpiping

Leakatthreaded(MPT)fitting TightenMPTadapter(ifpossible)Replacefitting

Fluid leaks out “HeatPump”endofflowcenter

Condensation Insulatepiping/fittingsCrackedflange:overtighteningMPTfitting(flangedFPTflowcenter)

Replaceflowcenter

Leakfromabovedrippingdownthroughflowcenterandoutbottomholes

Investigatefurther;seeotherfluidleaktroubleshootingitemsinthissection.

Internalleak-volutecorrosion/erosion due to poor water quality

Replaceflowcenter

Internalleak-sealfailureduetohightemperature

Replaceflowcenter;checkwiringtobesurepumpisnotpoweredcontinuously.

Fluid leaks out “GroundLoop”endofflowcenter

Seeabovefor“HeatPump”leak(exceptcrackedflange)

Seeabovefor“HeatPump”leak

Fluid leaks out ofcabinet(outback,aroundvalve,aroundpump,etc.)

Leakfromabovedrippingdownthroughflowcenterandoutpathofleastresistance

Investigatefurther;seeotherfluidleaktroubleshootingitemsinthissection.

Manual Updates Table

Date Description of Changes Pages07FEB2014 Completere-write;addedFlo-Linkflowcenters All

OCT2008 Updatesforproductchanges Various

1998 First published All

Installation, Operating, and Maintenance ManualFlo-Link™ and GPM Series Pressurized Flow Centers

Part # 2122

Members of ...

Geo-FloProductsCorporationiscontinuallyworkingtoimproveitsproducts.Asaresult,thedesignandspecificationsofproductsinthisdocumentmaychangewithoutnoticeandmaynotbeasdescribedherein.Forthemostup-to-dateinformation,pleasevisitourwebsite,orcontactourcustomerservicedepartmentatjmoan@geo-flo.com.Statementsandotherinformationcontainedinthisdocumentarenotexpresswarrantiesanddonotformthebasisofanybargainbetweentheparties,butaremerelyGeo-Flo’sopinionorcommendationofitsproducts.

geothermal and hydronics specialists - carrier · 2020. 7. 30. · installation, operating, and...

Documents