We have been using our Viessmann heat pump for a few weeks now. So far, it only needed to provide cooling and hot water, but now that the nights and days are getting colder, we noticed that the ground loop pipe has developed a thick layer of ice, especially in areas where there is little or no insulation on the pipe. During the day, the ice melts and drips, making the floor wet.
I thought this was due to insufficient insulation, and that fully and properly insulating the pipes should solve the problem. However, I recently read that while insulation may help prevent icing, it doesn’t address the root cause, and that this kind of ice buildup isn’t normal. Does anyone have experience with this?
I thought this was due to insufficient insulation, and that fully and properly insulating the pipes should solve the problem. However, I recently read that while insulation may help prevent icing, it doesn’t address the root cause, and that this kind of ice buildup isn’t normal. Does anyone have experience with this?
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neo-sciliar1 Oct 2020 08:03How does it look this morning? Was the night different from the previous one?
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Stadtvilla191 Oct 2020 10:05So, yesterday I turned off the cooling at around 12 pm, and until 8 pm the compressor only ran twice to produce hot water. This morning at 8 am, the compressor start count had increased from 1127 to 1171!? The pipes were frozen again but not as thick, see the pictures, and by 10 am they were already ice-free again. However, during the system operation this morning, the supply temperature was -7°C (19°F) and the return was -10°C (14°F), which seems a bit low, doesn’t it?
Now, on October 12th, the head of the building services company will come with a colleague to have a look and check it out. I’m curious...
Now, on October 12th, the head of the building services company will come with a colleague to have a look and check it out. I’m curious...
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neo-sciliar1 Oct 2020 10:23If you are only using one-third of the brine line, it’s clear why it is freezing: this could easily be fixed by finally using the other two-thirds. This is where the heating engineer needs to step in.
If the brine is frozen because too much has been drawn from it, the situation will become difficult in winter, as the brine will no longer regenerate. This would require a few weeks without heating and hot water. That could be tight during this heating season. Do you have a secondary heat source (stove, heating element)? How this is handled financially is something where the heating engineer (or the general contractor) needs to be involved much more.
Good luck, and it would be great if you keep us updated.
If the brine is frozen because too much has been drawn from it, the situation will become difficult in winter, as the brine will no longer regenerate. This would require a few weeks without heating and hot water. That could be tight during this heating season. Do you have a secondary heat source (stove, heating element)? How this is handled financially is something where the heating engineer (or the general contractor) needs to be involved much more.
Good luck, and it would be great if you keep us updated.
44 cycles in one night. There must be something wrong with the return line if the activation threshold is reached so often. I have a random idea: could the return line be exposed somewhere near a frost protection device or next to the brine pipes and is pulling down the temperature of the return line?
Perhaps the heat pump keeps shutting off repeatedly due to the supply temperature of the heat source being too low. As soon as it rises by one degree, the compressor kicks in again, and so on. But this is all just theory. In my opinion, it is still most likely that something is wrong with the heat source; everything else is a secondary problem. The fact that your issue is being treated as a top priority is a good sign. In the end, if the borehole is damaged, that would be the worst-case scenario.
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