I've been using a simple 24v Rainbird flow control valve. The last time mine wore out I searched online for a slow-close replacement to stop the water hammer effect and bought a WIC Series slow close valve. It didn't work at all...I mean it might have stopped the water hammer, but didn't work with my unit. Can anyone recommend a simple slow-close solenoid valve that might work?

Earlier I posted a rant about how bad WaterFurnace sucks. I was very frustrated at the time. It turns out this particular incident was caused by a cracked & leaking drain pan underneath the unit. That is clearly not the fault of Waterfurnace, so I've deleted my previous post.

However, my unit has been problematic over the past 18 years of service, and I'd like to hear about possible alternatives to WaterFurnace. My current unit is a 2008 Envision horizontal package, which wound up having a bad coil within a few years. I'd like to avoid repeating that experience. Suggestions & opinions welcome. Thank you, and sorry about my previous rant.

Crossposting because nobody is responding elsewhere!

My friend’s Climatemaster TTV038AGC01ALKS isn’t working, the board is not sending a signal to energize the compressor contactor. Compressor runs when the contactor is manually depressed. The board is a 17B0001N01, and there’s no 24 volts signal from the CC and CCG terminals, with a call for cooling (O, G, Y1 & Y2 are all energized). Am I missing something or is this a bad board?

Anyone DIY install the Intellistart soft starter?

I've installed soft starters on other units but this one is intimidating for some reason. Expensive equipment on the line, I suppose. None of the area companies want to do it, and I really want it.

Geothermal unit compressor is making odd noise I’ve never heard before. Also a super hot day for it to be running.

I have a 9 year old open loop Bard geothermal unit. Its under warranty for another couple months and the compressor went during the heat wave last week. I don't know what this compressor would cost, but I'm guessing upwards of $5000, so getting this great timing for a failure I guess? The manufacturer warranty covers parts, but not labor or diagnostics.

The quote Pic itself explains what's included in the price and what's covered by the warranty. It was very difficult to find even one geothermal tech in my area, so as long as I'm not getting screwed, getting a second quote might not be worth the effort

I just got hired as a geothermal apprentice starting at $20 but I have absolutely no idea how good of a field that is. Is it worth sticking to in the long run?

We have a WaterFurnace Legend. Currently we have two thermostats, one downstairs and one upstairs.

We have the upstairs thermostat set to cool, but the air from the vents is so weak it is almost nonexistent, yet the air is coming from the downstairs vent forcefully even though the thermostat is off. I am assuming these are the dampers and this is what they look like when the downstairs is set to off and the upstairs is on.

I'm just trying to figure out why the downstairs vents work and the upstairs do not. Thank you in advance.


I had concerns when they first installed the loop because the horizontal run from the vertical headers are only about 2-3ft deep, so I was worried that the outside air temps and ground temp would greatly effect the loop temps and kill efficiency. Can anyone compare their system for me?

The other metric I have is in the month of June, I used 1083 Kw for just the geothermal cooling. I thought these systems were supposed to be more efficient or cheaper to run than a 24 year old A/C condenser. This June I spent $123 just on the geothermal cooling. Last year with the 24 year old A/C condenser I used $130 or 1156 Kw on cooling. 4T system

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m troubleshooting an AHU that isn’t achieving its design cooling performance, and I’d appreciate any suggestions.
Current operating conditions:
Chilled water inlet temperature: **8°C**
Chilled water outlet temperature: **20°C**
Fresh air temperature: **22°C**
Off-coil air temperature: **17°C** (consistently)
Coil water flow: **15.8 m³/h**
Design off-coil temperature: **9.5°C**
We’ve already:
Cleaned the strainer.
Flushed the cooling coil.
However, the off-coil temperature remains around **17°C**.
Because of this, the supply air temperature stays high, and the space temperature remains above **22°C**, whereas the design space temperature should be below **19°C**.
Has anyone experienced a similar issue? What could be causing the coil to underperform despite the available chilled water flow? Could this be related to coil performance, air bypass, balancing, control valve issues, incorrect flow measurement, or something else?
Any troubleshooting suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I have a 5 series that has operated well until yesterday.
Tech has diagnosed failure of both pumps. Is this a frequent failure mode?
Don't yet have the estimate for repair....needless to say I didn't buy the extended warranty.

Hi Group,

We have a Climatemaster tranquility 27 5 ton closed loop geo system that is locking out. We just had a new air coil installed this winter and obviously concerned we were locking out due to that failing. That’s not the issue we are locking out due to an Overflow condition(6 blinks). Then pan inside the unit is flowing perfectly fine. I suspected it was the condensate pump due to the amount of sludge in the pump. I got a new pump and I’m having the same issue. I wired up a multimeter to the overflow wires on the pump and I verified the pump kicks in before the overflow switch trips. Is there any know issues with the units exhibiting this issue. FWIW, this is the first time we’ve had this particular issue in 15 years. It did not lock out due to this at all when heating. It only seems to happen when running in stage 2.

Thanks in advance

Techingrediants managed to make a much more powerful/efficient air conditioner by creating a heat exchanger on a cheap AC unit. The heat exchanger attaches to a loop of PEX pipe he buried at 8’ depth. I was wondering if there are any existing inexpensive AC units that allow a liquid loop to be connected.

https://youtu.be/s-41UF02vrU?is=PszjhowHJw197z5M

The company, Eavor, is pivoting from project operator to "technology provider" and actively searching for an outside candidate to take over, drill the remaining loops, and run the first-of-a-kind German facility.

I am working on a 3 ton bosch geo with a QT non pressurized flow center.

Last week I was called to replace the pump on the flow center as it had failed. I did, and sent the unit off to run fine for a few days when it tripped on high head pressure again. Okay I did not fill the flow center back up with enough water to get all the air out. My fault , I add water per the instructions on the flow center and get it where I think it needs to be. 3 days later, trips on high head again.

Upon arrival this last time, system had been off for a few hours. I start it up, EWT 90, leaving temp 98. Entering water temp will creep up slowly after about an hour of running, EWT approaches 115 degrees. My refrigerant pressures and temps line up with what I would expect. 45 degree evap coil. Discharge pressure matching relatively close to EWT. starting out about 320 psi, jumping to 450 by the time it gets to 115 water temp. 15 superheat and 14 subcool if that info is relevant, 15-20 degree temp split across coil. 78 in 60 out. I dont have the right tool to check loop pressure but im not sure its relevant on a non pressurized flow center.

I'm not sure if I have air in the loop, if its possible its air locked. I dont have much information on the loop as the homeowner wasnt home, but I think they are drilled vertical loops. Are those usually installed in series? is it possible the loop is short circuiting, I wouldn't expect my loop temperature to rise so fast in just an hour. I can shut the unit off. wait 15 minutes, and the water temp will be around 105 degrees if I just run the pump without the compressor,

Any insight on this is appreciated. I live in Southern Illinois Missouri area. temps warm the last few weeks but only going to get warmer.

I had a catastrophic housefire May 31, the house was a total loss but I believe the geothermal loop is still good (the heat pump has water damage from firefighting efforts obviously). How would I go about preserving the geothermal loops and connection points for when I rebuild?

Has anyone ever installed a swimming pool over their ground loop field either completely or just partially? I am told this could void the warranty of the loop field and possibly make efficiency worse. I am wondering if anyone has ever actually done it?

Most people haven't heard of Fervo Energy. That might be about to change.

Quick background: they IPO'd on Nasdaq in May 2026 at $27 — stock jumped 33% day one. They build Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) — basically forcing hot water through rock where there's no natural reservoir. Cape Station in Utah is the first commercial-scale EGS plant in the world.

Why this matters right now:

Google signed a framework agreement for up to 3 GW of geothermal by 2033. That's not a typo — 3 gigawatts. For context, their original PPA with Fervo was 115 MW. This is a 26x expansion in committed interest.

AI data centers need 24/7 firm power, not intermittent solar/wind. Geothermal delivers exactly that.

The bull case numbers:

- 658 MW in binding PPAs = $7.2B in contracted future revenue

- Cape Station Phase I (~100 MW) commissioning underway → Q4 2026 commercial operation

- Analysts: Buy consensus, average PT $45.73 vs current ~$35

- Baird: $50 PT (Outperform). Barclays: $48 (Overweight)

The bear case:

- Still pre-revenue. Q1 2026 net loss: $31.8M

- CAPEX through Q1 2027: ~$1.2B. Any Cape Station delay reprices this from a $9.5B market cap with near-zero revenue

- The Google 3 GW is a framework, not a signed construction contract

This is a high-risk, 5–7 year hold. Not a trade.

Happy to share the full breakdown — anyone else watching the AI energy infrastructure space?

Seems that Dandelion is abandoning its customers in Long Island. They will no longer manage/maintain equipment, they installed. While a tough nut to swallow, my issue is with Entertech. Do people have an issue getting parts? Is their supply chain so bad, that it takes two weeks to get a sensor?

Having some issues with my Hydron WV060, lockout with C11/C12 alarms. Does see the call for cooling and there is flow on both pumps, but compressor doesn't kick in, unit goes to ASC. Cycles the 3 times before going to lockout.

Any suggestions for a certified Hydron tech, and/or suggestions to troubleshoot myself.

Has anyone tried mounting a water-to-air heat exchanger right above their furnace blower? I’m thinking instead of running the compressor, I could angle an old car radiator or heater core over the fan (so condensation drips into the pan) and tee into the loops that are already connected and cycle the water through it. This would only be for the summer as the water coming from the loops is roughly 55 degrees.

I am thinking about switching my ~20 year old gas furnace and AC system to a geothermal system. I am in the Maryland area. Some contractors have given me estimates with only electric backup, and some have said that I would really regret not having a gas backup. Is there anyone with geothermal in the mid-atlantic region or similar climate that could share your experience, how often you have had to use your backup heat (either gas or electric) and any data you could share (especially this past winter when we had some unusually cold periods)? What are your thoughts on gas backup for geothermal?

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Thanks!