Quote:
Originally Posted by AC_Hacker
Yes, the system does need to be balanced.
But out of curiosity, does your little booklet also have pictures of how a homemade heat pump should be built, or is the picture that is in the booklet meant to discourage all readers from building their own?
I have noticed that HVAC folks that are 'in the trade' treat real DIY people very poorly.
If the word got out that it is possible to make your own heat pump, some of those HVAC folks could be looking for another job. |
Oh, Wojciech Oszczak's book is great for anyone who wants to actually understand how a heat pump works and why it is more efficient than other ways of heating a house. It's got lots of info on things like: how to size and balance the system, what types of heat sources are good, how and where a ground loop should be made and how to do it yourself, what a heat pump is made of and what role each part plays, etc.
There are lots of graphs and tables, a map of Poland showing average temperatures at different depths, how those temperatures vary during the year. There is also information about which house-side system is best for efficiency (hydronic floors). The author often stresses how easy it is to do each part of the system yourself. One chapter is about the most common errors in hp installations (both commercial and DIY), mostly about how important it is to have a balanced system, and when and how certain errors can be corrected. Another chapter is pure DIY: pictures of homemade heat pumps and ground loops, a list of parts to use (maker and model#), etc.
The author stresses that making a GSHP yourself isn't that hard, while it is much cheaper than a commercial installation and can be better tailored to the house's requirements. He is very helpful and gives his contact info. He was very nice when I phoned him.
The main differences between the book and this thread are:
- The info in the book is more organized.
- AC_Hacker showed how to make your own drilling set-up - the first I've seen. All info on DIY ground source that I've seen until now only tell you how to bury the tubes in a horizontal loop, no deeper than 1-2 meters. This is very important, since drilling is often the most expensive part of a GSHP system.
- AC gives more info on actually putting each part together - soldering, filling the system up, etc.
- This thread shows how the system was built step by step - AC_Hacker shows not only what works, but also what not to do. This is just as valuable as the info in the book, since it shows firsthand everything that needs to be done (or not done), not just a case study of why such-and-such system didn't work as expected.
- Other HP builders also pitch in to this thread with info from their experiences.
- This thread is in English, which makes it available to a much larger audience.
- AC didn't give out his phone number
In summary, I would say that AC's thread and Oszczak's book complement each other. It is possible to build your own GSHP using info from only either one or the other, but reading both made me soooooo much smarter
Thanks, AC_Hacker
