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6
11. If the water still contains mineral debris, and if the
flow through the unit did not improve along with
an increase in the temperature difference between
the water supply and discharge, repeat the entire
procedure listed above.
12. Reset the heat pump for normal operation.
b. Chlorine Cleaning (Bacterial Growth)
1. Turn the thermostat to the "Off" position.
2. Connect a submersible circulating pump to the
hose bibs on the entering and leaving water sides
of the heat exchanger.
3. Submerse the pump in a five-gallon pail of water
and chlorine bleach mixture. The chlorine should
be strong enough to kill the bacteria. Suggested
initial mixture is 1 part chlorine bleach to 4 parts
water.
4. Close the shut off valves upstream and
downstream of the heat exchanger.
5. Open the hose bibs to allow circulation of the
bleach solution.
6. Start the pump and circulate the solution through
the heat exchanger for 15 minutes to one hour.
The solution should change color to indicate the
chlorine is killing the bacteria and removing it
from the heat exchanger.
7. Flush the used solution down a drain by adding a
fresh water supply to pail. Flush until the leaving
water is clear.
8. Repeat this procedure until the solution runs clear
through the chlorine circulation process.
9. Flush the entire heat pump system with water.
This procedure can be repeated annually, semiannually, or
as often as it takes to keep bacteria out of the heat
exchanger, or when bacteria appears in a visual flowmeter
to the point the flow cannot be read.
Another alternative to bacteria problems is to shock your
entire well. Shocking your well may give longer term
relief from bacteria problems than cleaning your heat
exchanger, but will probably need to be repeated, possibly
every three to five years. Contact a well driller in your
area for more information.
c. Miratic Acid Cleaning (Difficult Scaling
and Particle Buildup Problems)
1. Consult installer due to dangerous nature of acids.
2. Iron out solutions and de-scaling products are also
useful.
IV. HYDRONIC HEAT
EXCHANGERS
A. Radiant Floor Heating
Hydronic side heat exchangers can be a variety of
different types. Probably the most popular form of
hydronic heat exchangers is radiant floor heat tubing.
Radiant floor heating gives excellent comfort and very
high efficiencies by supplying low temperature water to
the floor slab, and keeping the heat concentrated evenly
near the floor. Radiant floor systems heat the occupants
and surfaces directly with radiant energy. Forced air
heating moves heated air around the building, which
transfers the heat to the occupants. Air movement can
create drafts, temperature stratification, and air rising to
the ceiling, which must be considered when designing
heating systems. Always remember that hot air rises, heat
does not.
Radiant floor heating usually consists of 1/2 inch plastic
tubing, approximately one linear foot of pipe per square
foot of floor space. This value is doubled for one pass
along the outside walls to concentrate more heat in this
area. The tubing is generally laid into the concrete slab
floor of the building. New construction techniques have
also made installation into wood floors and suspended
floors possible. The amount and spacing of the tubing is
sized to meet the capacity of the space at a certain fluid
temperature inside the tubing. To optimize efficiency and
capacity, the fluid temperature inside the tubing should be
maintained as low as comfortably possible.
The type of floor covering and the spacing of the pipe in
the floor have the greatest effect on operating fluid
temperature. Table 2 gives a rough estimate of expected
operating temperatures for specific floor coverings:
Table 2 – Expected Operating Floor Temps
Floor Covering Temp (
o
F)
Carpeting 115
Tile/Linoleum/Hard Wood 100
Concrete/Quarry Tile - Residential 85
Concrete/Quarry Tile - Commercial 70
ECONAR designs its hydronic heat pump line using a
115
o
F leaving water temperature design point. This
leaving water temperature is the ideal maximum fluid
temperature for radiant floor systems. Operating
temperatures higher than this would result in an
uncomfortable hot feeling in the conditioned space. In
fact, boilers connected to radiant floor heating systems
must be restricted to a 115
o
F maximum operating
temperature by mixing valves or other control devices.
Distributors of radiant floor heat exchanger tubing can
help size the length of pipe and fluid temperature required
for your specific radiant floor heat exchanger
applications. Be sure to include insulation under the slab
and around the perimeter. Two inches of polystyrene
under the slab and two to four inches on the perimeter
down to a four-foot depth are required. This insulation
reduces the heat loss to the ground and decreases the
response time of the heating system. Building insulation
is important in radiant floor heating, as in other methods
of heating. Poorly insulated buildings can result in higher
floor temperatures needed to heat the building, which
could exceed the level of human comfort.
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