'Water Source' heat Pumps Prove Their Mettle on
the Water
When WaterFurnace dealer Len Muller of ThermAll Company in Kirkland, Washington, received
the call regarding a cruise ship from Seattle's Pacific Fisherman Shipyard, he recalls thinking it
was "a little unusual." ThermAll and its predecessor have been installing GeoExchange systems
in the Puget Sound area for ten years and are
recognized as experts in lake loop systems. they have
installed closed loop systems for many waterfront homes
and even Seattle Houseboats, but no one had ever
inquired about a ship.
The sight seeing ship, Spirit of Columbia, was in the
shipyard for major modifications. Here new owners had
decided to add a complete third deck and pilot house as
part of a major retrofit for her new cruising grounds of
the Columbia river and coastal Pacific Northwest. Their
plan was to air condition the new cabins and pilot house with WaterFurnace water source heat
pumps.
An Unusual Past
Thermall's inspection revealed a surprising story behind the request for help. It was one thing to
want a new Spectra SX unit for the new cabins and pilot house, but they were surprised to find
four, older 5-ton WX models already installed. A quick check of their serial numbers revealed that
the units were at least four year years old. "But what really amazed us," recalls Len, "was that all
the WX units were on an open loop system which had been drawing unfiltered seawater through
the units for over four years." There were no air filters being used either. "The seawater had
corroded through elbows on the copper water lines, but the coaxial heat exchangers, which were
cupronickel, were basically okay. To top it off the remote thermostats weren't designed with that
kind of an environment in mind."
John Farlow, ThermAll's field superintendent, states, "we were pleased to discover that after a
slight acid cleaning of the coax and some miscellaneous tune-up work, the old units worked just
fine. I always knew WaterFurnace built a quality piece of equipment, but this just cemented my
opinion."
In contrast, when WaterFurnace was asked to provide the HVAC system for the ex-Presidential
yacht, Sequoia, a titanium plate and frame heat exchanger was used to isolate the WaterFurnace
system form the corrosive effects of seawater.
While ThermAll repaired the existing units and altered some of the ductwork to Coast Guard
specifications, the new deck and pilot house had been prefabricated off site, barged over to the
ship, and craned into place. Working in very tight quarters, they then installed a new horizontal
Spectra SX 3-ton heat pump right under the raised pilot house deck. Temperature is now
controlled throughout the ship by separate thermostats in the pilot house utilizing remote sensors
in different zones. "That way the captain can easily control the system," says John. He continues,
"Working to Coast Guard spec was difficult, but it was really different for our crew. I think they
enjoyed it."
A WaterFurnace Spectra unit shown installed below the pilot house is
one of five WaterFurnace units that provide the heating and cooling
for the Spirit of Columbia.
Comfortable for Guests and Crew
Working on a tight schedule, ThermAll signed off on a ship shape HVAC system which met all
Coast guard specifications just days before the ship sailed. A year later, Spirit of Columbia was
back at the yard for her annual overhaul where a pleased Captain Leigh Reinecke reports that
she has been more than satisfied with the WaterFurnace system on board. Our guests have
remarked to us how comfortable they are ,even during the unusually hot summer days we had
last year,: she says.
Alaska Cruise Lines is so satisfied with ThermAll's work that they have asked them to work on
another cruise ship. A highly unusual installation has been a success, leaving everybody
concerned in a win-win situation and proving that water source systems can be effectively used
for innovative applications.
"In my territory, we've done everything from small houseboats here in Seattle to large waterfront
estate homes with ocean loops in British Columbia. I think any type of water source application
merits serious consideration," concludes WaterFurnace Territory Manager Gerard Del Monte.
Facility
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200 foot-long cruise ship
Open Loop (sea water)
5 units
23 HVAC Ton
Location
The Spirit of Columbia cruise ship sails on the Columbia River and along coastal Pacific
Southwest.
Contact Information
WaterFurnace International, Inc.
In USA: 9000 Conservation Way, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46809, 1-800-222-5667
In Canada: 2943 Rainwater Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 6K8, 1-800-463-8108
http://www.waterfurnace.com/
Taken with permission from the US Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, http://www.geoexchange.org. Copyright reserved by GHPC.