Is my Desuperheater plumbed properly??

[DH1]

Hi,

I just noticed that my desuperheater on my Trane GSHP may be improperly plumbed. This might have happened before I bought the house or when the system was replaced 5 years ago.

I have 2 50-gal tanks. Both are wired to the panel and the internal thermostats are set to 115F. Cold water flows into the first tank and out to the second, which is connected to the GSHP by a single pipe connected to the 2nd tank drain. The input and output pipes from the GSHP connect at a tee just before the drain (see photo).

In summary, there are 2 issues:
1. The GSHP appears to be heating the water that comes out of the first tank in the series instead of the other way around.
2. The desuperheater input and output meet at a tee before the tank.

This seems totally wrong and doesn't match any diagram I've seen online. Is there some reason to plumb it this way--aside from gross incompetence? Should I fix it?

Thanks.

Drew

 

[Fitter30]

Can't tell anything from your pic. Could be a desuperheater with preheat tank .

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[DH1]

Sorry for the poor pic. I've attached a clearer, annotated one. As you can see, both the "IN" and "OUT" from the GSHP desuperheater meet at a tee connected to the water heater drain. Shouldn't the "IN" come off a tee at the cold inlet on the top of the waterheater? I can't see how any water heated by the GSHP would circulate in the storage tank with this configuration.

The water in this tank is the second in series and it's heated by electric rather than passively from the GSHP.

I plan to redo the piping to match the diagrams in the manual, but just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

Thanks,
Drew
Drew

 

[Fitter30]

That fitting going Into the drain is a factory made. I would want to take a couple of temperature readings in and out desuperheater at unit with hot water running and not. A ir thermometer isn't as accurate as a probe type. Turn the electric elements off check temp of the first tank. Is there a pump on the desuperheater piping? If the desuperheater wasn't working your electric bill would show it.

 

[John Gayewski]

Do you have any info on that tee? There are cases where a manufacturer makes a specialty fitting for easier install. For this fitting to work it would be a crazy design that I've not seen, but it's the only reason I can think of that someone would pipe like this.

 

[DH1]

Do you have any info on that tee? There are cases where a manufacturer makes a specialty fitting for easier install. For this fitting to work it would be a crazy design that I've not seen, but it's the only reason I can think of that someone would pipe like this.

Unfortunately, I have no info on the fitting into the drain. The diagram in the Trane installer's manual shows a tap off the cold water inlet on the top of the tank going to the GSHP and back to the tank thru the drain. Both tanks have the same model #.

The fact that this tank gets it water from the first tank and sends hot water to the house suggests that the entire configuration is FUBAR. I just was wondering if there was any possible reason for plumbing it this way before I reconfigured it.

 

[Fitter30]

Complete model of the unit and tank? Take some pic of both tanks and piping.

 

[DH1]

Complete model of the unit and tank? Take some pic of both tanks and piping.

Both tanks are Bradford-White MI50l5DS13 manufactured in 1995. Here's a pic of the 2 tanks. Both are wired with 220 and cold water enters the near one first.

 

[Fitter30]

Repipe your system. That strange fitting it will be interesting to see what it is. Out from the hp straight pipe to far side of tank return back to hp piping side.
After repipe turn breaker off first tank.

 

[DH1]

Thanks. just to be clear...you're suggesting I plumb it like this diagram.

 

[Fitter30]

I don't know the answer years ago had four two hundred fifty gallon tanks piped in series in the bottom out the top for a hotel for hot water. and with a ir thermometer water wouldn't mix in the tank. Put a 90° ell on the bottom and top got a better mix. Thinking instead of into the drain might be better into the cold down the dip tube.