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ASHP cage, surround or protection

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)

Last Post by bretix 3 years ago

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bretix

(@bretix)

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Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 79

Topic starter 17/12/2022 2:06 pm

I understand there has to be certain distances for air flows but has anyone ever embellished or put any form of protection near the pumps ie picket fencing etc?

Ours is totally freestanding but the installer did mention it may be an idea to have a low level fence approximately 1 metre from the unit and never thought to question why at the time.

2 10kw Grant Aerona3
Heat loss calc 16.5 kw @ -2.8 degrees
4.32 PV

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Mars

(@editor)

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Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 3357

17/12/2022 2:45 pm

@bretix, provided that ASHPs have "breathing" space you can do what you like. Our heat pump has a 2m high log store and fence behind the heat pump and along the sides, and it's open in front where the fan blows outwards. It's all about ensuring that you're not trapping cold air in and around the evaporator.

Did you have something in mind?

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Oswiu

(@oswiu)

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Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 121

17/12/2022 10:02 pm

I've seen people do this for aesthetic reasons (possibly harming their performance), but what is the motivation behind a protective fence? To protect from wildlife?

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bretix

(@bretix)

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Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 79

Topic starter 18/12/2022 12:23 am

@oswiu the pumps and condensate blow near a path that very quickly turns into an ice rink!

Maybe I need to look into my condensate drainage further but wondered if a picket fence maybe might prevent the path icing.

2 10kw Grant Aerona3
Heat loss calc 16.5 kw @ -2.8 degrees
4.32 PV

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Saz

(@saz)

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Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 119

18/12/2022 12:11 pm

If your path is turning into an ice rink there is likely a problem with the condensate drain which the installer should have done properly. The condensate is usually directed into a pipe that goes about a metre deep in a gravel bed.

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Morgan

(@morgan)

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Posts: 618

18/12/2022 12:15 pm

I have an 'ice rink' by my ASHP simply because the normally adequate drain pipe has frozen.

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2 ESS Smile G3 10.1 batteries.
ESS Smile G3 5kw inverter.

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Saz

(@saz)

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Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 119

18/12/2022 12:29 pm

@morgan My heat pump has some kind of heat wire going into the drain (well it will have when it is redone as at the moment it is hanging over the ground a short distance away from any pipe and it should be vertical over the pipe)

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bretix

(@bretix)

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Posts: 79

Topic starter 18/12/2022 12:56 pm

@saz

It's set on a concrete pad with a gravel strip about a meter in front before reaching a path. There's a gravel bed the left of the setup. The installer did mention he was surprised a ?different condensate pad was not included for the installation?

2 10kw Grant Aerona3
Heat loss calc 16.5 kw @ -2.8 degrees
4.32 PV

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Saz

(@saz)

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Posts: 119

18/12/2022 4:17 pm

@bretix This is what it says in the installation manual for your pump.....

'3.5.3 CONDENSE DISPOSAL
The underside of the heat pump has a condensate outlet (refer to
Figure 3-2) that allows any condensate to drain from the heat pump.
Provision must be made to safely collect and dispose of the
condensate.
For example, use 40 mm waste pipe to form a condensate disposal
system into which the condensate flows from the opening in the
bottom of the heat pump casing running to a suitable gulley or
soakaway.
! WARNING !
It is essential that the condensate is able to drain away and
not allowed to run onto any adjacent paths or driveways
where, in winter, this will result in icing and a potential hazard for anyone walking near the heat pump.
The top of the concrete base must be either level with, or
above, the surrounding ground level'

👍

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AllyFish

(@allyfish)

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Posts: 490

18/12/2022 5:13 pm

Condensate drains could have been routed through the concrete pad to drain into the hardcore substrate underneath. A 50mm core cutter would have made light work of that to about 12" deep to soak away below the frost penetration line. They did that with my 10kW Aerona and it has worked fine in this cold snap. Is the outdoor unit pipe insulation external grade? At first my installers just put internal grade pipe Armaflex insulation and I insisted on Armacell Tuffcoat waterproof, which is more UV stable, designed for outdoor use and has a weatherproof outer skin. It looks to be different diameter on the RH unit (?)

👍

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bretix

(@bretix)

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Posts: 79

Topic starter 18/12/2022 6:40 pm

@allyfish I'll have a look at this closer in daylight.

Thank goodness for this forum for the questions I keep finding.

I'm not sure where I stand legally as out of interest just checked on companies house and the company that installed the system have been liquidated 🤦🏻‍♂️

2 10kw Grant Aerona3
Heat loss calc 16.5 kw @ -2.8 degrees
4.32 PV

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