Thanks for the reply. I think the open-loop idea is dead: the water in the area is quite acidic, pH's of around 5. Waterfurnace has an acidity/alkalinity pH range of 7-9 - even with cupro-nickel. Now I'm concerned about how do I get decent water for even a ground loop! sean
The contractor I've been working with insists that there will be no problem with pH 5 on an open loop. "I've installed 10's of these in your neighborhood." But when I got his proposal, it was just one year p and l. I asked for 3-5 years, even if it cost more. He told me they weren't "set up for it at the present time" and that I'd have the waterfurnace warranty, so not to worry. I am not happy. sean
Warranty needs to be reveiwed as most manufaturers go to the trouble of publishing water quality standards. Mark
WaterFurnace specifies pH 7.0 to 9.0 for both copper and cupronickel HX; ClimateMaster specifies pH 6.0 to 8.5 for both copper and cupronickel HX. At pH 5, either company is well within its rights to deny warranty coverage for corrosion-related failures. WaterFurnace (see page 8) ClimateMaster (see page 17)
seandarcy Is the extra 4500 worth it? Remember the 30% fed tax credit. Personally, I would not hesitate to add the new household pump as part of the install for tax purposes. Personally, I feel open loop is viable in only a very small number of installs relative to closed loop.. Your pH knocks you out of the box. So, my question to the installer is......of the 10 you installed, how are they working? How long have they been in service? And, what do you charge for yearly maintenance to keep them working? Measure this against the added install cost of closed loop.
