I'm not convinced my ground loop is working perfectly this season.  My HVAC guy is getting back to me about issues like low EWT triggering a lockout, etc.  In the meantime, I've been reading about disabling the desuperheater. 

Now, I'm not sure if my GeoMax2 from Heat Controller *automatically* shuts down the desup. during stage 2 heating or stage 3 (aux) heating, but in theory, it should.  I mean, whatever heat I'm getting from the ground is also going to my hot water.  At this point I'd rather have it going to the house than the hot water.  The hot water heater ALSO has an AirTap mini-heat pump on it, as well as electric backup, and my wife and I use very little hot water.  She's the only one showering...I shower almost every day at the gym.

But to get back on topic (!), I've read that anywhere from 10 to 20% of the heat from the ground is going into the hot water.

During the summer, I don't care.  I don't need the heat anywhere.  But right now, I do. 

How does one actually disable the desuperheater for the season?  The lines that run to the water heater are ALWAYS quite warm, no matter what the unit is doing.  Is that right?  Should there be check valves?  Might they be there?  If there weren't, would that be bad?

I can't just shut off the desuperheater lines, right?  Because the circulation pump for the desup would still run.  It would be better to turn off the pump somehow.  A fuse?  A switch? a breaker?

I didn't follow what you would gain by doing this. If you aren't using much hot water, then the desuperheater isn't removing much heat from your geo system.

WaterFurnace Envision models have a switch on the access panel to disable DSH.

It wouldn't be difficult to rig a switch to disable the pump on other models. Don't merely valve off or otherwise deadhead the pump

Check valves are normally not installed unless there are 2 or more geo units with DSH feeding a single tank.

Some warmth in water lines near water tank is likely normal owing to natural convection

In addition some water may make its way from the tank around the DSH loop during periods of hot water use depending on plumbing arrangement - that would warm the pipes.

@jonr
My understanding about desupers is that they are always (when the system is on) heating the water in the water heater, regardless or whether I'm using any of the water. I didn't think they were on-demand or even had a temperature cut-off. I may be wrong and turning it off would gain nothing.

The red and blue lines from the desuper run across the basement ceiling, about 30 feet to the water heater tank. Both lines, although are heavy PEX tubing, are nice and warm to the touch the entire way across. And the basement is about 57 (uninsulated, I just discovered).

@engineer
If water was making it's way "backwards" around the system when I'm using hot water, would some of that energy be then going into the house? Or is it lost? Or does it remain in the water?

If the basement is partially unheated, then yes, heat lost through the pipes into the basement is partially lost. But there can be a savings by using geo for water heating. Might be best to just insulate the lines.

Some have a temp cutoff at 130-135 EWT, for user safety.

Definitely insulate those water lines unless you don't mind them putting heat into the basement

Basement is definitely unheated, throughout. Goals over the next year are to insulate the walls properly in 1/2 the basement (and floor), and put insulation batts in the basement ceiling in the other 1/2, to separate the house proper from the basement. I'm in the process, this winter too (new house) of sealing all the leaks from the outside. But the basement is definitely cool. I'll ask my hvac guy about the desuper and what he thinks. I think the convenience of being able to turn it on and off, especially as I have other efficient ways to get hot water, might be worth looking into.

I'll compare degree days from last year. It's all so new. I don't know if it's working well, or working poorly.