Troubleshooting & optimization

Geothermal heatpump installations do not always function as they should. Often the reasons are obvious and quickly sorted, but sometimes it is a real question why an installation is not operating as it should or why the heat pump experiences irregular faults.

Faults can be a result of a system that has not been installed according to specification or as a result of unexpected differences between the design and actual operating conditions. For instance, is the actual pressure loss larger than design pressure loss? Then perhaps pumps are undersized.

Other sources of error commonly encountered are:

  • faulty equipment, do the pumps actually perform according to the manufacturers specification?
  • water quality, bio-fauling or debris in the pipework

Sometimes however there are other problems, such as an error in the principal design or the implementation of the controls, resulting in unexpected conditions and tripping of the heat pump.

There are many heatpump installation that function but that have a poor efficiency. Sometimes this is inherent to the (lack of) design, the wrong components or design and unfavourable temperature setpoints.

 

Second opinion and expertise

Using our experience we can evaluate designs or available monitoring data to track down sources of error and provide suggestions to remedy problems or improve overall system performance.

 

 

 

System evaluation

  • Check equipment supplied to specifications
  • Check commissioning data
  • Check principal design and control strategy
  • Evaluate fault history
  • Evaluate monitoring data and plant performance
  • Advice on causes of fault
  • Advice on improvement of plant
  • Advice on improvement of operation