13
Residential Packaged Units - 60Hz Puron
®
Rev.: 4 Jan., 2012
Table 2: Antifreeze Percentages by Volume
Ground-Loop Heat Pump Applications
GROUND-WATER HEAT PUMP APPLICATIONS
Type
Minimum Temperature for Low Temperature Protection
10°F [-12.2°C] 15°F [-9.4°C] 20°F [-6.7°C] 25°F [-3.9°C]
Methanol
100% USP food grade Propylene Glycol
Ethanol*
25%
38%
29%
21%
25%
25%
16%
22%
20%
10%
15%
14%
* Must not be denatured with any petroleum based product
Open Loop - Ground Water Systems
Typical open loop piping is shown in Figure 13. Shut off 
valves should be included for ease of servicing. Boiler drains 
or other valves should be “tee’d” into the lines to allow acid 
fl ushing of the heat exchanger. Shut off valves should be 
positioned to allow fl ow through the coax via the boiler drains 
without allowing fl ow into the piping system.  P/T plugs 
should be used so that pressure drop and temperature can 
be measured. Piping materials should be limited to copper 
or PVC SCH80. Note: Due to the pressure and temperature 
extremes, PVC SCH40 is not recommended.
Water quantity should be plentiful and of good quality. 
Consult table 3 for water quality guidelines. The unit can 
be ordered with either a copper or cupro-nickel water 
heat exchanger. Consult table 3 for recommendations. 
Copper is recommended for closed loop systems and open 
loop ground water systems that are not high in mineral 
content or corrosiveness. In conditions anticipating heavy 
scale formation or in brackish water, a cupro-nickel heat 
exchanger is recommended. In ground water situations 
where scaling could be heavy or where biological growth 
such as iron bacteria will be present, an open loop system 
is not recommended. Heat exchanger coils may over time 
lose heat exchange capabilities due to build up of mineral 
deposits. Heat exchangers must only be serviced by a 
qualifi ed technician, as acid and special pumping equipment 
is required. Desuperheater coils can likewise become scaled 
and possibly plugged. In areas with extremely hard water, 
the owner should be informed that the heat exchanger 
may require occasional acid fl ushing.  In some cases, the 
desuperheater option should not be recommended due to 
hard water conditions and additional maintenance required.
Water Quality Standards
Table 3 should be consulted for water quality requirements. 
Scaling potential should be assessed using the pH/Calcium 
hardness method. If the pH <7.5 and the Calcium hardness 
is less than 100 ppm, scaling potential is low. If this method 
yields numbers out of range of those listed, the Ryznar 
Stability and Langelier Saturation indecies should be 
calculated. Use the appropriate scaling surface temperature 
for the application, 150°F [66°C] for direct use (well water/
open loop) and DHW (desuperheater); 90°F [32°F] for 
indirect use. A monitoring plan should be implemented in 
these probable scaling situations. Other water quality issues 
such as iron fouling, corrosion prevention and erosion and 
clogging should be referenced in Table 3.
Pressure Tank and Pump
Use a closed, bladder-type pressure tank to minimize 
mineral formation due to air exposure. The pressure tank 
should be sized to provide at least one minute continuous 
run time of the pump using its drawdown capacity rating to 
prevent pump short cycling. Discharge water from the unit 
is not contaminated in any manner and can be disposed 
of in various ways, depending on local building codes (e.g. 
recharge well, storm sewer, drain fi eld, adjacent stream 
or pond, etc.). Most local codes forbid the use of sanitary 
sewer for disposal. Consult your local building and zoning 
department to assure compliance in your area. 
The pump should be sized to handle the home’s domestic 
water load (typically 5-9 gpm [23-41 l/m]) plus the fl ow rate 
required for the heat pump. Pump sizing and expansion 
tank must be chosen as complimentary items. For example, 
an expansion tank that is too small can causing premature 
pump failure due to short cycling. Variable speed pumping 
applications should be considered for the inherent energy 
savings and smaller pressure tank requirements.
Water Control Valve
Note the placement of the water control valve in fi gure 13. 
Always maintain water pressure in the heat exchanger by 
placing the water control valve(s) on the discharge line 
to prevent mineral precipitation during the off-cycle. Pilot 
operated slow closing valves are recommended to reduce 
water hammer. If water hammer persists, a mini-expansion 
tank can be mounted on the piping to help absorb the excess 
hammer shock. Insure that the total ‘VA’ draw of the valve 
can be supplied by the unit transformer. For instance, a slow 
closing valve can draw up to 35VA. This can overload smaller 
40 or 50 VA transformers depending on the other controls 
in the circuit. A typical pilot operated solenoid valve draws 
approximately 15VA (see Figure 22). Note the special wiring 
diagrams for slow closing valves (Figures 23 & 24).
Flow Regulation
Flow regulation can be accomplished by two methods. One 
method of fl ow regulation involves simply adjusting the ball 
en Loo
 - Ground Water S
stem