[stevehull]

from AC Hacker . . .

[I][I][I]Ko_deZ,

I used cooking gas (propane) in my prototype system, which I built to see if I could build a working heat pump. It worked better than I would have imagined.

If you search around, regarding what the 'extra' components are of cooking gas, it probably varies from country to country.

What I found out about local propane is that its purity may vary from 65% to 95%, it will have some moisture in it and the substance that gives it a 'rotton-egg' smell contains sulfur. It will also have some percentage of iso-butane, which is better for cooling, and worse for heating in a heat pump.

The water + sulfur can combine to form sulfuric acid which is not good.

Another poster has reported that he uses this cooking gas in his system successfully, but uses two in-line dryers in series to remove the water, and he claims it removes sulfur also... I have my doubts.

There are a lot of people who use cooking gas to build CPU chilling machines, but in that case the issue of reliability is not as crucial as keeping a home in Norway warm through the winter.

I have decided to use a commercial R-22 organic replacement refrigerant which looks to be super-refined, dry, pure propane with a non-sulphuric scent agent.
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So here is my question - what is wrong with dried propane if you are using it? And what is wrong with the many other people on this site that have used it?


Steve