The Glitch + The Fix: Swapping one “box” for another
Given the current prices for fuel oil and propane, and current state and federal incentive programs, many homeowners are asking heating contractors to replace their aging boilers with a geothermal heat pump system. One installer, whose typical routine was to swap out an older boiler with a new boiler, with no consideration of the distribution system was asked to make the switch from an oil-fired boiler to a geothermal heat pump. The system he installed is shown in Figure 1. Use your knowledge of heat pump operating characteristics and basic hydronics to identify at least five design errors in this schematic.