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MCS guidelines and complaints - Ground Source Heat Pump installation and servicing

 
Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHPs)
Last Post by Transparent 3 years ago
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 phowardstutterheim
(@phowardstutterheim)
Trusted Member Member
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 34
Topic starter 20/03/2023 10:34 am  

I have been trying to learn about what standards, guidance, and training the MCS provides for corrosion prevention in GSHP systems, and have not been able to learn anything in the past three months of searching. I also would like to know whether GSHP installers/service providers need to have a Water Regulations Certificate and/or an Unvented Hot Water Certificate for installation, commissioning, and servicing of GSHP - as OFTEC requires as a pre-requesite for anyone who wants to take their GSHP courses.

In order to file a complaint against an MCS-certified installer, one needs to know whether they may be in violation of MCS standards. Or is the MCS missing standards for water quality and corrosion prevention in GSHP (or heat pumps in general)??



   
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Transparent
 Transparent
(@transparent)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2876
20/03/2023 3:44 pm  

Hi @phowardstutterheim - I did spot your post arriving on your other topic this morning, but I was busy trying to resolve an unrelated issue in China.

There may be others here who know/understand the regulations for GSHPs and MCS approved installations.

But in the meantime, could you give us any better idea of what sort of water you have in your location?

I grew up in Wiltshire (think - chalk steams) and now live in West Devon (granite & soft water).
So I appreciate the widespread differences in water types which are geographically imposed.

 


Save energy... recycle electrons!


   
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 Derek M
(@derek-m)
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Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 4425
20/03/2023 3:54 pm  

Posted by: @phowardstutterheim
↑

I have been trying to learn about what standards, guidance, and training the MCS provides for corrosion prevention in GSHP systems, and have not been able to learn anything in the past three months of searching. I also would like to know whether GSHP installers/service providers need to have a Water Regulations Certificate and/or an Unvented Hot Water Certificate for installation, commissioning, and servicing of GSHP - as OFTEC requires as a pre-requesite for anyone who wants to take their GSHP courses.

In order to file a complaint against an MCS-certified installer, one needs to know whether they may be in violation of MCS standards. Or is the MCS missing standards for water quality and corrosion prevention in GSHP (or heat pumps in general)??

If you have not already done so, I would suggest that you get the water analysed to see what may be causing the corrosion.

 



   
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 phowardstutterheim
(@phowardstutterheim)
Trusted Member Member
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 34
Topic starter 20/03/2023 5:03 pm  

@derek-m

 

Have done/am doing so, via Hydratech - https://www.hydratech.co.uk/fluid-testing-and-analysis-closed-loop-systems

They found no inhibitors in the hot water side, and the pH was 6.

They are analysing the refrigerant side now. Yesterday, my husband measured a pH of 6, Brix = 15.5 (polypropylene glycol content = 20% 2/2 or 19.4% v/v, and small particles are present - when exposed to oxygen, the water turned rust colour.

Apparently, only MCS-certified installers have full access to the standards?

 

 



   
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 phowardstutterheim
(@phowardstutterheim)
Trusted Member Member
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 34
Topic starter 20/03/2023 5:07 pm  

@transparent

Our mains water quality is fine - just on the hard side. Water analysis found no scaling in our system, no biological contamination on the hot water side. We just installed a Sorbox filtration system that supposedly takes care of everything - but not in time to prevent a lot of corrosion that has already occurred. We want to know what our installer/service company were trained / told they should do to prevent this.



   
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 Derek M
(@derek-m)
Illustrious Member Member
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 4425
20/03/2023 5:52 pm  

Posted by: @phowardstutterheim
↑

@derek-m

 

Have done/am doing so, via Hydratech - https://www.hydratech.co.uk/fluid-testing-and-analysis-closed-loop-systems

They found no inhibitors in the hot water side, and the pH was 6.

They are analysing the refrigerant side now. Yesterday, my husband measured a pH of 6, Brix = 15.5 (polypropylene glycol content = 20% 2/2 or 19.4% v/v, and small particles are present - when exposed to oxygen, the water turned rust colour.

Apparently, only MCS-certified installers have full access to the standards?

 

 

So the brine is acidic.

 



   
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Transparent
 Transparent
(@transparent)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 4 years ago
Posts: 2876
20/03/2023 6:01 pm  

pH isn't high enough.
I'm unsure whether system inhibitor would've been adequate to raise it.

I would expect it should be lying between 7.3 - 7.8


Save energy... recycle electrons!


   
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