MCS guidelines and complaints - Ground Source Heat Pump installation and servicing - Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHPs)

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

Transparent — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 18:01:05 +0000

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

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

Derek M — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:52:08 +0000

@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.

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

phowardstutterheim — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:07:01 +0000

@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.

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

phowardstutterheim — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:03:48 +0000

@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.

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

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

Derek M — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:54:17 +0000

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.

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

Transparent — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 15:44:42 +0000

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.

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

phowardstutterheim — Mon, 20 Mar 2023 10:34:15 +0000