8/8/06 = They checked the system and nothing wrong with it.  Tech said it is just overloading the system.  When it gets this hot with no rain the ground temp rises above its constant 65F.  This is made worse when the night temp does not get low enough for heat to get out of ground. Nights have stayed above 75F.  So the water in the lines do not get to cool down as much as needed and as temp in water rises so does the pressure – reason for the fault light.

Nothing can do but continue to re-set so it will cool as much as possible until get through this really hot spell and/or get some rain.

8/14/06 = Spoke with mfr = Nicole

She said re-setting the HVAC  repeatedly could damage the compressor, so they do not recommend that.  Not knowing all the details it is hard to say if there is some other problem but if the system checked out okay when serviced and since had system 9 summers and this is the first instance – it sounds like just unusually extreme conditions.  The best thing to do is when know these conditions are coming to try and avoid heating the house.  Close the blinds, not run oven, dishwasher, other appliances unless have to and at night when it is cooler – typical stuff.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated! 

Steve,

My Waterfurance is a 3 to 6 ton spit system,  EZ072S11ADBSSA.  My house is 4200Sq.ft also.  We moved in Feb.06. We notice our problem Jun 06, Same as you, My KW usage is arround 4500KW winter and summer? The unit never goes off when it's hot?  I turn off the breakers and it resets and works for a while.  This unit is costing about $1200 more to operate per year!!!  We have been on our dealer and waterfurance for a year.  If you have not done so, We had to file a formal complaint to the state HVAC board.  Everyone I've talked to besides my installor and waterfurance tells me my duct work is to small. 14' round on a six ton unit.  We are at the point of taking our installor and waterfurance to court.  So, I feel your pain.
Regards,RGT

Thanks for the replies everyone.  A couple of points on the replies:

Soaking the ground may be an option if we do not get rain soon.  Also, I heat my water form the unit so I am wondering if I use up all my hot water in my tanks will it help cool the loop as it replenishes the hot water?  Any one have a suggestion on that?

My loop is horizontal and throughout my front yard so changing to a vertical or putting it deeper etc., is last resort.

It has been continually hot and dry so the problem persist!

The unit has worked great for 8 years so under reasonable summer heat it is fine - it is just this extreme heat and drought that has me zapped right now.  I am very pleased with the unit otherwise - just mother nature not cooperating.

Sounds like form all my research there is no fix - exception being to soak the ground where the loops are and I might try that next.

Thanks again for everyone's input!

Thanks - I'll get one of the themometers - loop length should be fine - never had a problem under normal conditions (normal being blistering heat in the summer) but this season is being ranked as a "100 year drought" with severe heat.  I'll try soaking the ground - I have an irrigation system that I can run that covers the area of the loop - just have to do it at night since we have water bans on.

Thanks again!

Just wanted to update everyone.  I decided to try and soak the ground and see if that works.  I was not sure how I was going to pull that off so I turned on the station of my irrigation system that covered most of the loop area.  I set it to go the max time of 99 minutes for four times during the night and then manually started it for 99 minutes twice this morning after we got up.  So after 6+ hours of watering the ground was pretty soaked.

It seems to work.  Last night I had to get up twice to re-set the unit but after a good night of soaking the ground plus this morning, today during the hottest part of the day it cooled the house down to 79 degrees and did so with some to spare as it did not run wide open the entire time.  I did have to re-set the unit one time about 1:00PM in the afternoon, but that is better than every couple of hours like we were before.  As of 9:30 local time it is running fine.

I am going to watch it over the next few days and if we do not get rain then I'll water again over night about every other night.  I'll have to take out a loan to pay my water bill but it is it worth it to be able to sleep at night and not be miserable during the day until we either get rain and/or cooler weather!

Thanks for the tip and I'll try and update again when I can!!