Last May we installed a Hydron HYT072A11MTINSS-6 water-to-air geothermal 6 ton heat pump to replace a 20-year-old ClimateMaster. We chose the Hydron over a ClimateMaster since it had a faster delivery time, and both brands are manufactured by EnerTech. The system was installed by a local plumbing and heating company recommended by the NH distributor, NorthEastGeo.com. Ever since it was installed, the system has been plagued by a low-frequency resonant vibration from the lower part of the unit. I presume this is where the compressor and motor are located. The frequency of the vibration is about 2 Hz, and is audible through most of the house. So far, I have not been able to receive support from either NorthEastGeo, or EnerTech. Neither company is honoring the warranty. One question raised by NorthEastGeo (over the phone --- they have yet to send out a rep) is whether the installation was done correctly. The original unit mounted on the floor, but the hydron is mounted on a hollow plastic base that is raised on concrete blocks. Two pictures attached show the region from which the vibration emanates and the mounting base. Do the forum experts have any comment on this. Is this likely to be an installation issue or a fault with the unit? Any advice on how to proceed in order to get the required warranty support?
Have you or the installer verified that the shipping bolts or pins for the compressor vibration dampers have been removed? This should be described in the installation manual. These pins or bolts keep the compressor from moving excessively during shipping and usually have bright red or yellow tags or markings to help identify them for removal during unit installation. It is not uncommon for those to be missed or forgotten during installation. https://www.geoexchange.org/forum/t...ing-installers-to-remove-shipping-bolts.7551/
Thanks for this idea. I took a look at the installation manual and did not find any reference to these dampers. I removed the lower cover and, holy cow, is it loud! I don't see any obvious tags or markings. The compressor is bolted on 4 soft yellow pads. I also see two locknuts over washers and rubber washers on either side of the mounting plate. These have been loosened off. Do you think that these should be removed completely, or are they meant to be tightened down? See picture.
Based on the suggestion above, I watched the installation video for Enertech Global YT Unit on YouTube. The video directs the installer to remove a blower support bracket for shipping. Sure enough, the support bracket was still there. So I removed it. The transmission of the vibration has been slightly reduced, but the compressor unit is still very loud. I still don't think that it is normal. Unfortunately, in the process, I dislodged what seems to be a thermocouple wire. (The dangers of a homeowner trying to do the work of a professional.) My assumption is that the wire just needs to be tucked against the copper tubing, inside the thermal insulation, which I have done. See pictures below. Does this seem correct?
You might try putting a compressor shield (blanket) over the compressor. It won’t eliminate the noise but should reduce it greatly. Is this unit sitting on a framed wooden floor? I had the same problem and wish I had installed my unit on concrete. Its not that big of deal and the shield made a huge difference. To get the exact shield you will need to get the compressor model number.
My unit was on 4"x4" rubber vibration pads at each corner. It was still noisy. I sprayed a bunch of spray foam under the center of the unit to fill in some of the empty space. It did significantly reduce noise levels.
