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Old 12-08-17, 05:54 PM   #1
geoff
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Northern BC
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Default AC Style Heat Pump Build

Thanks AC! Must have read "The Great Thread" front to back three times now.

Aiming for a Randen type setup at the end. There is a 6 ton Copeland 3 phase in my shop that just needs a VFD....a nice PowerFlex would go good with the PLC 5/11 currently running my house.

I spend the last couple years building a house. Solo budget build--not a mansion. Read a book and figured I'd give it a shot. Much like the way you guys build your heat pumps!

Now that we live in this mostly finished house and winter has arrived, the 6kw hot water tank that's presently pumping host water through our floors will not cut it. Admittedly I had some bad air leaks around half installed doors, but after I saw our last hydro bill--holy F.

I picked up a free 3 ton R22 1PH commercial air conditioner with a coaxial condenser. Perfect way to get started using this machine as a ASHP. Just waiting for my eBay tools to arrive.. silver solder, evac pump, gauge set.

Along with the tools are the upgrade parts. Maybe a smarter man would get started on this unit as-is, but according to "The Great Thread" that cap tube needs to go. I've got TXVs coming. Reversing valve, sight glass, filter.. all the goodies.

Naturally she'll run on R290 like any good hacker machine. We're going to start as an air source unit. I do have a backhoe, but my lot is small. Interestingly, the land is swampy black muck that's always 100% saturated in water. May investigate ground source options later.

I've got lots of forums posts to read until my parts show up!

Thanks again all you guys that posted your projects. I'm just copying your hard work.

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