Heat Pump Questions

[BigTallGuy]

IMHO I think you're fine. The reducers from 2" to 1 1/2" shouldn't really do anything to harm the Heat Pump, you May slightly reduce the flow and there by reduce the efficency SLIGHTLY, but nothing to worry about. As you stated, you have plenty of overlap on your capacity ratings. The 60' dedicated circuit with 8 gauge wire along with a 40 amp breaker should be no problem.

[BigDave]

Are you planning to plumb the recommended bypass and isolation in 2"? Leave enough pipe length next to your 1.5"x2" reducers to cut them off and add new 2" piping in the future without losing the whole bypass / isolation.

[jmihalko]

Good point. I wasn't thinking of plumbing that in 2" but that would make more sense as I would have more of the system I can re-use on an upgrade. Thanks!

[psciotti]

John - I was looking at this heater myself and my local pool companies want big $$ for it. I was thinking of buying online and have my electrician hookup (I can do the plumbing). Is the electrical hookup as complicated as the wiring diagram shows or is everything prewired inside and you just have to feed it?

Thanks ~ Paul

[jmihalko]

Paul,

The heat pump is all pre-wired so you only need to hook up the 2 hots and the ground to the correct blocks inside the unit. If you look at the diagram it shows 2 line connections, just run your hots to there and hook the ground up to the ground lug. You will also need to get a grounding rod and hook up an external ground from the location on the outside of the unit to the grounding rod.

You should also run the wiring inside of watertight conduit. I ran 8/2 w/ground interior wire to a junction box then #8 thhn from the junction box, thru the watertight conduit to the unit.

Here is a photo of mine after I hooked it up:




- John

[PoolDoc]

Just a caution . . . none of us can 'sign' off on your installation as being "AOK", just from your description and a picture. That's not a criticism; just an observation and a caution.

Good luck!

[psciotti]

Thanks for your help. I will have my certified electrician do it, I just didn't want to spend good dollars on the unit and then find out some pool installation knowledge was needed (above and beyond the basic plumbing hookups).

Also, did you follow the plumbing diagram shown in the owners manual? It looks like it shows both a Hartford loop and a check valve.... anyone know if I need both? My old unit had check valve in internal plumbing and no Hartford loop so I'm not sure. BTW - I do not have a chemical feeder...use BBB method!

page 10: http://ak.poolsupplyworld.com/wpdf/hp21104t_install.pdf

Thanks ~ Paul

[BigDave]

...You will also need to get a grounding rod and hook up an external ground from the location on the outside of the unit to the grounding rod...

Check you local electrical code. Driven rod may be OK in some places not in others. That lug should probably be connected to your pool's bonding grid. Your electrician should know - ask him/her.

[psciotti]

As always - thank you for all the expert advice and the time spent giving it!