New Hampshire Basic Configuration Questions for Standing Column Well

So, we've had installed Climatemaster 6 ton split system (3 ton unit in the basement, 3 ton in the attic), and we're trying to hash out some efficiency (and perhaps some well and installation) issues; it's a standing column well installation, which is important to note and our installer has done a number of these. I have some faith in the company that installed the system, but after doing a lot of reading and a little homework, I want to be sure that things are working the way they should. So here are a couple of questions.

1. Right now, the well temp. hovers around 47 - 48 degrees, and it's bleeding some percentage of the water. Since it's been pretty warm out, we haven't needed that much heat, should we be dumping water already? In other words, ideally, at what incoming temperature from the well should the system begin to bleed? From what I've read, 47 or 48 degrees to begin bleeding seems high to me, but I'm not sure.

2. We have a split system, 3 tons heating the first floor, and the attic unit heating the second and third floors. Right now, the first floor unit is carrying most of the house's load, since we keep the downstairs warmer than the mostly not-used (except to sleep) upstairs. This means the downstairs unit is on almost exclusively, unless it (ever) gets colder. Are there downsides to keeping one of the units much more active than having both units on, especially during the non-frigid months?

3. The downstairs unit stays in stage1 for a long run time. At what point should the unit just go to stage 2 (not aux, but just a higher heat setting) and be done with it? It seems at times it sits in stage 1 for longer than an hour or 2, which doesn't seem right?

Thanks

 

Multi stage equipment can run for many hours in stage 1, without going into stage 2. That is normal.

 

Set point temps for the bleed off are job specific if controlled by temp monitoring valves. If the bleed is not controlled by temp sensors, a percentage of water is always bled off based on local experience and mileage of similar systems.
eric

 

Thanks, yes. We have a temp sensor for the bleed. I believe it was mis set when they were trying to figure out a couple of unrelated issues. As far as I could tell, the incoming water temperature was around 48, and the bleed temp was set to 47, which makes no sense to me (or our well guy). I now have the bleed set to go off at 44 degrees, and there's been no bleeding and the temp. in the well recovers nicely. Not that I'm going to mess with it now, but as things get colder, what's the lowest reasonable bleed temp up here in the Northeast? I'm assuming that anything lower than 42 or 43 degrees and you're not really getting much heat from the water anyway?

 

I do not have my climatemaster book in front of me, however you can prolly access it online. Anyway, in the book there is a chart for the amount of btu's that can be extracted at a given incoming temp. for heating in the northeast, I would not be afraid of a bleed temp setting around the 38 degree mark.
Eric

 

Aren't you getting close to freezing the heat exchanger at bleed temps around 38F? No idea about standing column wells, just a question for me to learn. I had ice accumulations on the inside of the what exchanger around 38F LWT in open loop systems.

 

Thanks. I'm trying to learn as much as I can now as well. We have plenty of water (I think), and so far the temperature recovers quite nicely now with one unit running on and off at stage 1, so I'll be curious to see how this turns out. I don't see the well temps getting anywhere close to that low (42ish if there's a 4 degree EWT/LWT spread) - in our area, we've heard of some standing column well folks never actually bleeding their systems, so we'll see. I'm just glad that we now actually have a standing column well system, as opposed to a semi open well system with all the water we bled over the last few weeks.

 

Yes, you are riding the edge at 38 degrees. Many standing well systems do not have the capacity or recovery that the OP's do. Standing systems can take a lot more fine tuning as the seasons go by than many of us are used to.
Eric

 

We are in VT so probably not much difference in well water temp. We use a 420' standing column well with a porter shroud which was designed for 5 Ton.
We are actually using a 2ton CM 30 digital. I also monitor the water temp and run a dump valve when incoming water gets below 48 deg. Our well can produce 8-10 GPM and we don't use much water for our domestic use so dumping water does not cost us anything. The higher I can keep the water temp the cheaper I can heat my house so I would rather keep the temp up with new replacement water and dump a couple of GPM.

This is the second Geo HP I have installed and Some things I have noticed about the CM sensors. They all seem to be a bit conservative. The EWT is about 3 degrees colder than it actually is when measured with calibrated instruments. The LAT is also off by a couple of degrees but these really do not matter much as long as I know the offset. We do run these systems on the edge of what CM would recommend.

 

Most sensors are western digital. They ohm out at temperature.

Test, test, test, then condemn.

 

Mark no condemnation at all I love the CM system, just facts with my system. It performs very nice and I enjoy the quality.

 

I would guess that with open loop or SCW EWTs of 40-42*F or less one would need to pay some attention to refrigerant low side pressure to ensure saturation conditions stay above 32*F. Once ice gets going in a heat exchanger it'll "'snowball"

 

Nice thinking for a Florida guy.

 

I haven't always lived in Fla...grew up north of Boston and did time around Philly.

I have dim memory of water as a solid in nature, though not in the past 20 years.

 

Didn't i see Curt doing some crazy homemade North Florida snow a few years back? I think there has to be a yearning for the frosty kinship with solid water which is rarely found in Clay County.

 

Yea - I attempt snow making when OAT gets down around 25*F...hasn't happened here yet this winter.

In an odd coincidence one of our installers drove his family all the way to Asheville, NC this weekend so his kids could see snow.