Ground Source Heat Pumps

lstevensuk

Morning all, my IVT pump has had a repeating error last few days and last night I noticed my smart meter was having a panic attack due to the kwh used The error is quote generic - "Motor circuit switch (MB1) for compr. has triggered. Possible cause: *The set valve is too low. *Compressor error *Overload on power line *Temporarily erroor. I hit the acknw button but it keeps coming back. Any think I can check myself?

beardymarrow

lstevensuk said:

Morning all, my IVT pump has had a repeating error last few days and last night I noticed my smart meter was having a panic attack due to the kwh used The error is quote generic - "Motor circuit switch (MB1) for compr. has triggered. Possible cause: *The set valve is too low. *Compressor error *Overload on power line *Temporarily erroor. I hit the acknw button but it keeps coming back. Any think I can check myself?

Hi, Have you also reset the motor cutout? Fuse 1. Let me know if you need a copy of the manual with the location and I'll upload.

Motor cut-out compressor (MB1)
Possible cause 1: Intermittent fault or overload on the power supply. Action: 1. Press the Ackn. button. The alarm indication goes out even if the fault has not been rectified. 2. Reset the motor cutout on the heat pump. (Fuse 1). 3. Wait for the heat pump to start.
Possible cause 2: Current level (A) on the motor cut-out is set too low. The current drawn by the compressor varies during summer/winter operations. Action: 1. Contact your dealer.
Possible cause 3: Contactor or cut-out faulty, or loose electrical connections to the compressor. Action: 1. Contact your dealer.
Possible cause 4: Compressor error. Action: 1. Contact your dealer

lstevensuk

Thanks @beardymarrow - if you could send how to reset that fuse please

beardymarrow

lstevensuk said:

Thanks @beardymarrow - if you could send how to reset that fuse please

Here's the link to the manual.
 https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZCjGYXZPcHhhW7eRNR8qHTFFgu8fSh3Y86X
Page 32, you just need to flick that breaker. From memory it's a switch that turns 90 degrees when it trips and it should be vertical when it's on.
Now, obviously if it's tripping for a reason, that won't fix it, but it might have been a one off (fingers crossed).

lstevensuk

Thanks again @beardymarrow . Alas it has tripped again   Am I assuming that's a call out?

Anyone know of an engineer in Bedfordshire area? I normally use Alto Energy.

Patrol

lstevensuk said:

Thanks again @beardymarrow . Alas it has tripped again   Am I assuming that's a call out?

Anyone know of an engineer in Bedfordshire area? I normally use Alto Energy.

Can't help with details but it sounds like your soft start has failed. If you're still getting hot water the unit has probably been set up to use the cassette so running at 6kW rather than the lower ground loop consumption and that would explain the smart meter alerts. Much better to happen now than in the depths of winter

Patrol

& post where I had this https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/67524983/#Comment_67524983 obviously a long time ago now

beardymarrow

Patrol said:

lstevensuk said:

Thanks again @beardymarrow . Alas it has tripped again   Am I assuming that's a call out?

Anyone know of an engineer in Bedfordshire area? I normally use Alto Energy.

Can't help with details but it sounds like your soft start has failed. If you're still getting hot water the unit has probably been set up to use the cassette so running at 6kW rather than the lower ground loop consumption and that would explain the smart meter alerts. Much better to happen now than in the depths of winter

I haven't ever needed to use Alto, but it's who I would use. I phoned them up once to ask them to come to a problem I had, and they actually told me how to solve it myself over the phone, which I was super impressed with. I'd never been a customer of theirs either.

You could try just replacing the capacitors in the soft start. They are just cable tied into the soft start box and the most likely failure mode. Be very careful as even with the power disconnected they will pack an almighty punch if you touch the connectors and they aren't faulty.

Alternatively a whole new soft start unit is about £650.
https://www.ivtspares.co.uk/collections/ivt-greenline-ht-e9-1x230v/products/ivtsp10209
(although you'd need exactly the right one for your unit, this is just an example for an HT+ E9 which is what I have).

Compressor would be about £1500 https://www.ivtspares.co.uk/collections/ivt-greenline-ht-e9-1x230v/products/ivtsp10055 and that's definitely not a DIY job due to the refrigerant (so hopefully it's not that) :-)

JS Energi also do spares - https://jsenergi.co.uk/ivt-spare-parts/by-model/ivt-greenline-ht-plus-e9.html

beardymarrow

beardymarrow said:

Actually, while I'm on, I've got an HT+ E9 and have been getting high GT8/GT9 delta alarms. I cleaned the filter, which was really badly blocked up, and increased the P2 pump speed from 2 to 3 and the alarms have gone away, but the delta is still high.
I took a look at the flexible hoses and they were both really badly blocked up, and so it seems is the heat exchanger/condenser (at least the ports on it are). I took the lower flexible hose off and flushed it through with a garden hose and it's now clear. I'll do the same with the top hose (once I can find a spanner thin enough to undo the nut where it attaches to the bottom of the immersion heater :-) ).

So, my question is, should I try to back flush the heat exchanger too. I think it's a 3/4 BSP thread, so I can easily put a normal garden tap end onto it and attach to the hose and go gently (not full mains pressure until I'm happy it's nearly clear). Obviously I can't remove it from the GSHP as the refrigerant side is soldered in place, but I've got good access to it in situ. Any other advice?
Once done, I'll be getting a powerflush of the rads (not been done in at least 11 years) and magnetic filter added to hopefully reduce the likelihood of it happening again.

I decided to go for it, anyway. Took both flexible hoses off and flushed out the top one (bottom one I did a few days back). It took quite a while to get it to run freely as it was very badly blocked, and at one stage it was actually worse as stuff obviously shifted about inside the pipe and blocked it more. I kept having to flush one way then the other using a hosepipe. The heat exchanger I flushed as well, but that was actually not too bad. The ports are a bit blocked, but the internals seem OK as water flows freely through it.

This is how I did the pipe (the y piece was just so I had an easy way to switch the water on and off, I could have just stood closer to the tap :-)), if anyone is interested.


This is the flow before flushing at full mains pressure.

and this is the heat exchanger being done (although it didn't really need it)

beardymarrow

Oh, and GT8/GT9 delta has gone from peaking at 13 (sometimes slightly over and causing a GT8/GT9 alarm) to peaking at 11. now Not perfect as it should be between 6-10, but I'm happy with that, without having to buy new hoses or condenser/heat exchanger.