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-   -   Water heater heat pump. (https://ecorenovator.org/forum/showthread.php?t=522)

Ryland 05-02-09 09:47 AM

Water heater heat pump.
 
Has anyone else looked in to this?
Airgenerate.com | Adaptive Energy Solutions
It's a heat pump that sits on top of your water heater.
I wrote them a few questions, such as what it's efficiency is in a basement at 55F as their numbers are all base off 68F, I also asked if they have any problems being hooked to a timer and only coming on a few hours per day, so hopefully in a few days I'll have some answers.

Daox 05-02-09 02:41 PM

I've heard of them before, but I don't really know much about them. Overall cost of the unit + fuel I think tends to be equal with a conventional unit. In this case, the unit is more expensive, but fuel costs are lower vs the opposite.

NiHaoMike 05-02-09 04:11 PM

What about build one using parts from a cheap window or split unit A/C?

Ryland 05-02-09 06:09 PM

I figure if their numbers are correct it would pay for it's self in 3 years, my co-home-owner likes the idea of have a dry basement so it would eliminate the need for a dehumidifier down there in the summer and help keep it cooler down there in the summer as well, in the winter we have to heat the house anyway, so it's either the electric heat leaching out of the water heater or it's the cheaper natural gas.
I'm sure that for $700 in parts you could get something that would heat your water, but it might cost alot more making units that don' work, this one they claim can take as little as an hour to install and that has alot of appeal that it's a complete ready to install unit that is self contained.

PaleMelanesian 05-04-09 11:40 AM

I'd love to see some kind of integrated AC-refrigerator-water heater system. The water heater produces cool air as waste, while the fridge puts out heat. If you can get them talking to each other, they both win.

wyatt 05-04-09 01:09 PM

Since a heat pump is based on the temp difference, you will extract less heat from 55deg than from 68deg, but it should still work. Also, the heat pump might take a longer time to get you water up to temp, making the timer have to be 4 or 5 hours instead of 1 or 2, but that would be a "try and see" kind of thing. Hopefully they will get you accurate answers to your questions.

Ryland 05-05-09 11:50 PM

Here is the Email I sent them and what I got back:

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 9:42 AM
Hello,
I was looking at your chart of coefficient of performance and noticed that
it does not give the most common ambient temperature that surrounds a
water
heater, that being the 55F of a basement and so I was wondering what that
number is.
I would also like to know how well your product works with a timer as I
currently have my water heater come on for two hours in the morning and
two
hours in the evening, would this void my warenty or cause any other problems?

>>>>>

We appreciate your interest in our AirTap product!

The testing for our unit's ratings were done per Department of Energy
guidelines with the water temperature being 58'F, and the ambient air
temperature being 68'F. This testing resulted in a COP of 2.5.

We've attached the AirTap informational flyer with the COP at different
temperatures. At 40 F, the COP drops 20% to 2. It is recommended that the
AirTap be operated at temperatures of 50 F and higher for greatest
efficiency. While we do not have an exact COP for 55 F, we do know it will
be between 2 and 2.5.

Also, running your AirTap with an electrical timer should cause no problem
with the AirTap's operation, and will not void your warranty. Just make
sure that the timer supplies the AirTap with a dedicated 15 amps of 110V
current so that there are not any current allocation issues.

Thanks, and if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact
us here at the Sales & Support Center!

-Jason

Jason Baker
AirGenerate Support Center
713.574.6729 option 2
support@airgenerate.com

Daox 05-06-09 07:16 AM

What is COP?

NiHaoMike 05-06-09 08:02 AM

That's a measure of efficiency of a heat pump. It is energy transferred over energy used.

Ryland 05-06-09 06:20 PM

COP is coefficient of performance, or the comparison of how much energy it takes to heat or cool, if I can create twice as much heat in the tank of water with a heat pump per watt of energy then I would if I just had a resistive heating element, then it gets a rating of 2, not great for a heat pup but it would meen your water heating bill would be half.


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