Hello, Total Newbie here. I will try my best to provide all the relevant information that I can. I am looking to get a better understanding of my situation and what I may be up against. Thanks in advance for your help. System: WaterFurnace Spectra SX approximate age 1997-98. Closed Loop horizontal. 3 line run Not sure of model number but house is approximately 2800 sq ft. Not sure what refrigerant type Not sure if glycol or methanol Symptom: When heat is running, red emergency heat light is on. (analog thermostat) House feels cold Set point and actual are about 5-6 degrees off Problem began about 6 days ago Located in Central Ohio area so temperature is cold but not unreasonable this time of year Troubleshooting Completed: Installer/dealer came out right away Found water loop low and topped off Found refrigerant low and added 3 lbs. Later the same day Emerg light returned. Installer returned next day Refrigerant gone again. This time pressure tested with nitrogen and dye. disabled compressor so that system ran on heat pump only (trying to save me some electricity I think) Installer returned today (48 hours after pressure test began) Pressure down again but no visible signs of leak. (UV light shows no trace) Dye is gone. Even drained off some of the loop water but no dye found. Re-enabled compressor and pressurized and added more dye. Plan is to let it run this way over the weekend and return on Monday. Now I will be the first to admit that there is a lot about this system is I do not understand but the technician said that he was wondering if there was a leak in the compressor/coil system that was allowing the dye to escape into the water loop system. I am not sure how they will test for this next week. I have no problems with my installer. They have been a wonderful company to work with over the years and I have always found their prices to be very fair. They actually did all the plumbing work on the home and it is nice to have that type of continuity about the home when issues arise. I did pay for the first service call which included the refrigerant but they have not asked me to pay for the 2nd or 3rd visit and seem to being doing what they can to find this as soon as possible. Extraneous information: I did have a basement flood sever months ago and did not discover it until the water receded. The furnace sits on a 2 inch raised slab and has been working fine until now. I don't know how high the water was but the drywall was stained about 10-12". Could be wicking. I did have to have a lot of drywall and carpet removed because of the water. Is there a possibility any of this could be a delayed issue of that flood? I only ask, as I do have flood coverage on the home and this expense me be covered. What am I in for?: Any thoughts what I am looking at? component failure, total system unit, ground loop leakage? Thanks much.
A leak through the heat exchanger in to your water loop is a strong possibility based on what you said. They may be able to detect the refrigerant and/or dye in your loop water.
If you lost the complete charge in a day, you should be able to hear the leak. I agree with Chris. I had this happen to a unit in CT. I found it by purging the loops and sniffing with a refrigerant detector. I would guess that based on age you are running R-22 is the system. It comes in a green can. It should be on the manufacturer's plate along with model and serial numbers. I think it is time for replacement. If you need a second opinion you are within my A/O. Mark
Marks approach is a good one for finding such a leak, I also agree I wouldn't spend too much trying to preserve this unit.
Thanks for the responses everyone. I do appreciate it. The tech came back this morning and was able to find dye leaking from the coil unit and also in the loop water line. He said that he would have the owner give me a call to discuss. I think that is code for "Get ready for the big one". I think that they are going to recommend that the unit be replaced based on the size of the problem and the age, about 17 years at this point. My wife thinks that the longevity should have been greater given the high cost to buy-in and the payback schedule. Is it uncommon to see a failure like this now, or is it reasonable for 17 years? If I do need to replace, is there other brands beside Waterfurnace that I should consider for better price/performance/payback?
Yes. Other folks make geo stuff. The reason they are all the same size when you go looking on line is that one guy makes them. The sub-sets do their own paint jobs and electronic controls, but they are all equal on the frame. The refrigeration piping and such is all the same. That is why every one has air coil issues, they are made by the same folks. I am touting Bosch, but the size is the same. Their I/O manuals stink. The product looks good. They leave sharp edges on the metal to keep the costs down. Mark
"I think that they are going to recommend that the unit be replaced based on the size of the problem and the age, about 17 years at this point. My wife thinks that the longevity should have been greater given the high cost to buy-in and the payback schedule. Is it uncommon to see a failure like this now, or is it reasonable for 17 years?" Geos tend to last longer than furnaces and airconditioners and 17 years for an appliance isn't bad. As you replace it this time with all the other infrastructure in place, you will find it costs little more than a very high end furnace and airconditioner.
Joe, I got the replacement quote last night. It is for a series 5 model 500a11, 4 ton dual capacity with desuperheater, eal20 backup heat strips, digital therm, and flush closed loop. The price is $12,600 installed. I don't know if that is good or bad for a series 5. Nor do I know if it is in line compared to conventional propane based heat of comparable size. To be honest, his price was less than what I feared would happen. He has been a good service vendor for the 14 years I have had this house so that means something to me. Now to figure which car I am going to have to sell to pay for it......
