Arizona Starting to regret buying Climate Master TZ22 - no support

6 ton unit with only 800ft of pipe. That doesn't seem correct at all.... No paper work anywhere for the install?
They flushed he system only using the circulator pumps... not good.

Any good geo installers in your area at all? Seems much more like a bad install problem then a equipment problem.

 

Thanks for that idea..I'm going to have a look at that in a moment.
Before I installed this I contacted every local HVAC company I could find within 100 miles. They had to be pre-certified with Arizona Power for me to get the incentive payment which was at 50% then. Only one company was willing to take on the work...and as I said they have gone out of business.
I contacted several local guys in a 50 mile radius ...none are up to work on it!

GOOD NEWS.. One of the companies who was on the Climate Master site (but no longer works with them) got back to me with the number for a an HVAC guy in Albuquerque. I talked with him on the phone and he works on geothermals in general and seemed very familiar with my system and was asking questions which suggested he knew what he was talking about. He's also willing to take the 4 hour drive out here

To be honest , I wouldn't have been able to have a meaningful conversation with him without the knowledge ive gleamed on here.

I'll let you guys know how it goes. Kev

 

Hey my memory fails as I get older ..It might have been 800ft of trench. Ill try and find the installation paper work. The whole design was supposedly checked by Arizona Power as they paid half.

 

Just checked and theres a comp in Star Valley 80 miles away - Ill call them tomorrow

 

Good luck, let us know how you make out.

 

Make sure he brings one of these.
http://www.climatemaster.com/geothe...al-geothermal-heating-and-cooling-systems.pdf

 

TY geoxne, I did not know that was out there.

Mark

 

Well just like climate master , they said theyd call back and didn't. Im going to pursue this with the guy I found in Albuquerque

 

? how long did you give them to call back? It sounds like you're giving up on them pretty quickly.

 

Kev.

Where did you get the Model # from? The 2 signifies an internal flowcenter, Your pic shows an external flowcenter. They are not compatible.

If there is a seperate breaker for the external flowcenter, and the model # is correct, then turn that breaker off and see what happens

 

I believe OP has a commercial model evidenced by galvanized corner post and brown access panels in the picture posted. If this is true the model key is slightly different. The "2" would designate filter frame and extended range options. The "5" would designate a modulating valve for closed loop.
http://www.climatemaster.com/downlo...ater-source-heat-pump-installation-manual.pdf

If this is true, it adds even more questions than answers to this "confused" system.

 

Hi Kev. Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Contact me and I think we can talk you through this. I was not aware of a TZ with external flow center. send me full model and serial number. FWIW I find tech support through the supply house and CM quite good.
amigeothermalatgmaildotcom

 

I finally got a guy out from Albuquerque who knew about this model. We think we found the problem in that there is no pressure in the ground line when the pumps rum. He suspected air in the line. The line leaves the unit and goes up into the attic and over the garage before dropping down in the wall and into the ground trenches. The original installer , who went out of business, had put air bleed valves at the high point of the line and they have leaked about a gallon or more of fluid into a drip tray. Also when we were in the attic and the unit tried to start up you could hear some bumbling from the pipe or valves.

Unfortunately it appears you need very specific fitting to tap into the pumps to fill or flush the lines. So the plan now is to get those from Climate Master (the HVAC guy knows a direct number to their techs.) and flush the line to remove air. We are also going to replace the bleed valves with normal valves and bleed them during the fill re-flush operation. George, the HVAC guy, said he'll leave the fittings and show mw how to flush the line so if it reoccurs I should have a chance of fixing it myself.

Of course 4 hours each way and an hour on site ran like $900. By the time we do the return visit, and if successful the cost will have wiped out any savings I made in propane since it was installed!

 

Kev, it's good to hear you are making some progress. Reading your problem it's understandable why the installer is no longer in business.

The fittings for the pump station are just normal CAM fittings.... a bit too special for the big box stores but I've found them at other plumbing supply houses.

 

Kev, why not consider building your own flush system?

 

Go find a swimming pool pump and a bucket and I will give you the rest of the materials list.

 

Hmm were at 5,600ft high in the foot hills of the white mountains so there's not too many swimming pools around here and Id prop have to go to Phoenix for a pump!!
More seriously...having watched this done in the past the installer used the in line pumps to flush the lines. I gather were talking about two connectors to the pumps which I'm leaving to George the HVAC guy to make sure they are the right spec. Then a couple of hoses and a bucket. The installer seemed to have a way of running the pumps independently.

George is going to leave all materials behind so hopefully Id be able to do it myself in future if required.

 

I really do hope George is going to show up with a flush cart to really purge you loops... as I said before, trying to purge all air from a fully configured loop field with the circulator pumps on the pump pak will not end well for you. You need a flush cart to purge all the air.

 

OK Im not completely sure what a 'flush cart' would look like. These pumps have some kind of 3 way valve built in. When the installer filled and reflushed to loop it was done with 2 pipes, one form each pump into a large bucket where he added water and antifreeze. Seems this is that manufactures procedure for this.