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Geothermal heat pump condensate problem. opie 08-04-2006
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Posted by opie on August 4, 2006, 9:15 am
We just replace a 25 year old Florida Heat Pump with a new identical
unit. The co that installed it 3 months ago has gone out of business.
I have noticed that my insulated vent pipes in the utility room where
the FHP is located are condensating pretty bad. There seems to be no
water going into the condensate pan itself.
Is there something that could have been done during installation that
could cause this.
A friend suggested that I put a supply plenum into the utility room.
I don't see how this could help, since nothing is going into the
condensate pan.


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Posted by dpb on August 4, 2006, 10:38 am

opie wrote:
> We just replace a 25 year old Florida Heat Pump with a new identical
> unit. The co that installed it 3 months ago has gone out of business.

That's always a bad sign... :( Any indication of why that occurred?

> I have noticed that my insulated vent pipes in the utility room where
> the FHP is located are condensating pretty bad. There seems to be no
> water going into the condensate pan itself.

I don't know what a "vent pipe" could be venting??? The geothermal
system I had (Water Furnace, _fabulous_ system, btw, shameless plug for
them :) ) is completely closed loop, no venting.

> Is there something that could have been done during installation that
> could cause this.

Possibly, but indications would be you're in a humid climate and this
utility room is in a basement and isn't air conditioned itself? I'm
thinking you simply are seeing the result of high RH and cool pipes.
Are these copper lines or plastic? The WF unit only had a very short
run of copper from the recirc pump to the condenser unit and the field
loop and the piping to/from the pump to the field was all plastic. No
condensation problems there in our installation in E TN which was also
pretty humid, but the basement was walk-out on the back side so wasn't
_too_ terribly bad but was also all finished living space so was
conditioned.

Is the condensate from the condenser unit running down the side of the
unit and following these pipes out instead of falling into the
catchpan, perchance? I had a unit which the WF replaced which for some
reason did not run into the collection channels but dripped everywhere
else. When the fan operated, the wind force kept the condensate from
falling, but when the fan kicked off, it would then land in the bottom
of the inlet plenum. Perhaps something similar is happening in your
case except it's finding its way along the supply/return pipes.

> A friend suggested that I put a supply plenum into the utility room.
> I don't see how this could help, since nothing is going into the
> condensate pan.

Sounds like the friend is suggesting if pull conditioned air into the
room it will lower the humidity there and reduce or eliminate the
source of condensation. It would seem if there's condensation on the
supply lines, there would have to be condensation occurring on the
exchanger that would have to go somewhere. If it is a lot, it seems
likely that at least some of it is what you're seeing.

You might test the idea by putting a dehumidifier in the utility room
for a while and see if it eliminates the problem or at least reduces it
significantly. Other thought is, is there any chance there's actually
a pinhole leak and it's not actually condensate at all???


Posted by JimL on August 4, 2006, 12:18 pm

> We just replace a 25 year old Florida Heat Pump with a new identical
>unit. The co that installed it 3 months ago has gone out of business.
> I have noticed that my insulated vent pipes in the utility room where
>the FHP is located are condensating pretty bad. There seems to be no
>water going into the condensate pan itself.
> Is there something that could have been done during installation that
>could cause this.
> A friend suggested that I put a supply plenum into the utility room.
>I don't see how this could help, since nothing is going into the
>condensate pan.

Add more insulation.


Posted by opie on August 5, 2006, 8:42 am

JimL wrote:
>
> > We just replace a 25 year old Florida Heat Pump with a new identical
> >unit. The co that installed it 3 months ago has gone out of business.
> > I have noticed that my insulated vent pipes in the utility room where
> >the FHP is located are condensating pretty bad. There seems to be no
> >water going into the condensate pan itself.
> > Is there something that could have been done during installation that
> >could cause this.
> > A friend suggested that I put a supply plenum into the utility room.
> >I don't see how this could help, since nothing is going into the
> >condensate pan.
>
> Add more insulation.

Actually I mistyped. The moisture is coming off the large thingy that
feeds the ducts. There is so much water coming off, that I am catching
about an inch in a 12 x 12 in container during a 24 hr period.


Posted by JimL on August 5, 2006, 5:38 pm

>
>JimL wrote:
>>
>> > We just replace a 25 year old Florida Heat Pump with a new identical
>> >unit. The co that installed it 3 months ago has gone out of business.
>> > I have noticed that my insulated vent pipes in the utility room where
>> >the FHP is located are condensating pretty bad. There seems to be no
>> >water going into the condensate pan itself.
>> > Is there something that could have been done during installation that
>> >could cause this.
>> > A friend suggested that I put a supply plenum into the utility room.
>> >I don't see how this could help, since nothing is going into the
>> >condensate pan.
>>
>> Add more insulation.
>
>Actually I mistyped. The moisture is coming off the large thingy that
>feeds the ducts. There is so much water coming off, that I am catching
>about an inch in a 12 x 12 in container during a 24 hr period.

Add more insulation to the thingy.

No kidding. When moist or nondry air meets a cool surface,
condensation results.

So make that surface non-cool. Add more insulation. Maybe 2 to 4
inches thick.





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