Heat Pump Questions

[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

[PoolDoc]

Well, they called it a Hartford loop, but it's not one. It's become common to call any sort of U-shaped piping arrangement near a piece of equipment a "Hartford loop", I guess because they can't think of anything else to call it. (I'm a Master Plumber, so I'm not just saying that.)

What they are try to do is create a point where any gases from a inline chlorinator won't flow back to the heat pump. It's not necessary to have one, unless you have an inline chlorinator. Even if you do, if you install the check valve as show, it's not necessary to have 2 U's, one point up, and one point down. You just need the check valve on the left leg of the upside down U.

They do show the heat pump on a bypass loop. I'd seen this thread, and decided to stay out of it, because I'm so far behind. But, if I were doing it, I'd maintain continuous 2" piping, and put the heat pump on a 1.5" bypass.

Do NOT use Chinese made ball valves for your piping -- I've gotten burnt badly over the past few years using Chinese made stuff from Lowes, even when it was American branded!. The Hayward pool valves are OK. I think these valves are OK:

King Brothers WLT-1500-S 1-1/2-Inch Slip PVC S-40 Commercial Ball Valve, White
King Brothers WLT-2000-S 2-Inch Slip PVC S-40 Commercial Ball Valve, White

Industrial grade valves from Hayward or Spears are fine. One caution though: to winterize a ball valve you MUST put the valve handle at a 45, neither open or closed fully. Otherwise, you trap water in the valve body.

[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!