Posted By joe.ami on 07 Mar 2010 09:54 AM
So you are thinking about adding loops just cause you can?
I guess if you want to.....
Measure the LWTemp before you decide there is slush there.
Your proposed methods of attacking the problem may simply muddy the water.
Loop pressure wasssss....?

Joe
55psi       I'm going to get some good gauges next and take it one step at a time before adding loop.  I will check temps. in/out and find out what flow is doing ( pressure drop)  Thanks

Keep in mind that when the unit shuts off the water flow stops and the water coil (source) might drop below LWT since warm water from the outside does not flow through the coil anymore. The coil is the first to freeze. 22F protection with 23F LWT is not enough. Add antifreeze, it will likely solve your problem.

Most home owners have no idea how well a properly installed should actually perform .  Aux. heat at 15-20 deg is pitiful , by my installation standards anyway.  Poor loop design is typically the root of most geothermal problems, sizing likely comes in second.
I do alot of pond loops and they prove not to be as easy as some think , when you drilled a hole in the pond , did you check if the loop was ice lensed ?
Doubt you want to hear it, but I suggest doubling your loop size come summer, then you will see what that 4 ton will do.
Just a Canuck's opinion.

Posted By docjenser on 15 Mar 2010 08:30 PM
Keep in mind that when the unit shuts off the water flow stops and the water coil (source) might drop below LWT since warm water from the outside does not flow through the coil anymore. The coil is the first to freeze. 22F protection with 23F LWT is not enough. Add antifreeze, it will likely solve your problem.

With the warmer temps and snow melt running into pond the unit has not shut down for several days.  I do need to add anti-freeze.  Thanks

Posted By kimko on 16 Mar 2010 12:58 AM
Most home owners have no idea how well a properly installed should actually perform .  Aux. heat at 15-20 deg is pitiful , by my installation standards anyway.  Poor loop design is typically the root of most geothermal problems, sizing likely comes in second.
I do alot of pond loops and they prove not to be as easy as some think , when you drilled a hole in the pond , did you check if the loop was ice lensed ?
Doubt you want to hear it, but I suggest doubling your loop size come summer, then you will see what that 4 ton will do.
Just a Canuck's opinion.

It looks like this is direction  that I'll go.  Pond size is a concern, being a little less than 1/4 acre but with the good 12' depth.  What's your thoughts on the pond size?  Thank you.

Anybody wanna guess why antifreeze and loops were enough last year but not this year?
Something has changed, but not those 2 things.
J

I'll guess but since I'm not a pro I'll guess 3 possibilities that come to mind:

1. Pond is silting in and silt is covering the coils.
or
2. Coils are floating in the pond.
or
3. Water is not flowing through one of the coils

Posted By gregj on 19 Mar 2010 09:45 PM
I'll guess but since I'm not a pro I'll guess 3 possibilities that come to mind:

1. Pond is silting in and silt is covering the coils.
or
2. Coils are floating in the pond.
or
3. Water is not flowing through one of the coils

That's just it Greg
Silt is as good as saturated soil which is about as good as water.
Coils presumably would've been noticed floating when OP made a hole in the ice.
An air blocked coil would not have shown up a year later unless leak occured and the pressure looked good.

It was actually a rhetorical question.

The only real answer that condems the loop field as is would be- colder weather. If OP lives around me it can't be that but perhaps there are places that have had a colder winter this year than last.

Or maybe the pond had a tributary that has lost volume or re routed. Of course if this were true pond level would often drop.

Sensible things to check would be GPM and refrigerant pressure. Another suspect in my mind is the pressure switch. In spite of the high standards of quality control at the "little hands international" plant where these 50 cent switches are made; failure is not uncommon.

Extra loops won't hurt. Extra antifreeze sounds like a good idea. Just can't say either is gonna solve the problem without more info.

j