Virginia ClimateMaster TE30 Plumbing Question - Electric Valve vs Manual

I have a new TE30 that was just installed. It's my second unit, for the upstairs. It is not working.

The team that put it in, put the electric valve (solenoid?) on the IN piping and a ball valve on the OUT piping. This is the opposite of my existing and working system. I've been through the manual a few times to try to figure out if this is ok or if this is the cause of the unit not functioning. I'd love any advice. Please forgive my ignorance if you need a lot more info than that, just let me know what would help to explain it!

By electric valve I mean a black valve that's wired into the 24v wiring going to the controller board, but it has a screwdriver slot you can turn to manually close or open.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

 

here's the valve I am talking about!

 

In open loop applications it is best to pipe the on/off control valve on the outlet of the HP. This will keep the water coil under pressure. This helps to keep minerals coming out of suspension in the water coil. However, your placement should not prevent operation.

The TE30 is available with internal pumps or internal modulating valves or none. Your model number will tell what you have.

 

Ok thanks! Is it wired in the the unit in a different way if the electric valve is wired to the in flow pipe?

After install of the unit it was showing a high pressure alert on the thermostat and refusing to start. Once my service company got it started the outflow PVC pipe melted or collapsed. :/. Im wondering if it is wired in wrong or if it was supposed to be on the outflow and the unit, when needing pressure, was closing that valve thinking it was on the outflow side but that resulted in robbing it of water.

 

My Model Number says mine has the typical configuration, a '2' so it has an "Internal Flow Controller - High Head Closed Loop"

It's the same as my downstairs unit which has the electric valve on the 'out', but this one had it on the 'in'

the unit sent e2-high pressure warnings to the thermostat before we ran into all the trouble. If the unit was trying to get pressure up and closed the electric valve to prevent water flowing out, or thought it was - it would really be cutting off its own water supply. I can't find a clear wiring diagram in the manual to figure out what the unit would use that solenoid for so I'm just guessing, and using the working downstairs unit as a reference.

 

Your setup has me very confused!

The external solenoid valve pictured above is normally used only in open loop applications. Your unit has an internal variable speed circulating pump for a closed loop application. I have never seen an application where both are used.

What type loop do you have?

 

You're not the only one who is confused! It's why I started looking for a forum to get my head around it before sinking too much more money into it.

I believe that my loop is open. I am not certain. Both of my systems (upstairs and downstairs) have a '2' 'Internal flow controller - high head closed loop' in the model number - but again one is working and one seems to be messed up! (Don't worry - we do have some experts coming and they'll sort it out, I'm just trying to educate myself as much as possible)

My well water comes into the unit from a jet pump in the crawlspace of our house up into the two units. Someone at one point told me it was open but I don't have any idea how to confirm it.

 

If you have a well pump sucking water out of a well and supplying it to your geothermal units, then you have an open loop system (you have no control over the quality or freeze point of the water). So where does the water go after it goes through the units? And having a geothermal unit with 'Internal flow controller - high head closed loop' makes no sense if you have an open loop system. I guess it could be made to work with an external solenoid valve, but it is a complete waste of power to run the internal pump. If you have an open loop, you should have the units with the internal modulating valve instead of the variable speed pump.