paramax55,
Welcome to the party!
Glad you made it through the 'Manifesto'. There is a lot of info there.
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Originally Posted by paramax55
I'm looking for information on running r290. I have an old r22 unit that I am going to be installing as a fresh install to an old house that never had AC.
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I need to start every discussion with the warning that R290 is hazardous, especially in large quantities, like you will be using, and that you need to assume responsibility for the consequences.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paramax55
Anyway, back to Florida... We have a lot of heat and a LOT of humidity. About the dumbest thing that's been introduced to Florida is the Energy Recovery Ventilator. The AC just simply can't keep up with the introduction of humidity into the conditioned space.
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I'm surprised to hear that. I suppose that if your cooling system includes in its functioning, a way to bring in fresh air from outside your house, then it might not be so advantageous.
But there are HRVs (Heat Recovery Ventilators) and ERVs (Energy Recovery Ventilators). The biggest difference is that the ERVs return the water of condensation back to the building, so yes you are quite right. But HRVs will bring in fresh air and not lose the heat (or in your case 'coolness'), and the water of condensation is directed out of the house. So in Florida, they should rename the HRV to CRV (Coolness Recovery Ventilator).
The idea of a CRV is that it uses fans but no compressor and relies on a heat exchanger (HX) to bring in fresh air, and not lose coolness, and to reduce humidity (less than the AC but still possible).
Somewhere on EcoRenovatio, I did a study of this very issue and determined that if your CRV is a really efficient one, it can bring in fresh air, and help remove some of the dehumidification burden from the central air conditioner. As I recall, the actual efficiency would need to be in the neighborhood of 80%+.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paramax55
I remember reading about the Taco pump and another brand, but I've dealt with all types of pumps before - diaphragm pumps, centrifugal pumps, impeller pumps, vane pumps, gear pumps to name a few... We use centrifugal pumps in pools down here, but they suck a lot of power. I'm also thinking you need different pumps for the heat exchanger vs the ground loop? You might have 1" - 1 1/2" HDPE for your loop, but 1/2" openings in your heat exchanger? I'm just looking at pictures but, if that's true, the pumping requirements for the two should be very different.
What are the generic details on the different types of pumps and what types seem to work with the least energy consumption?
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I think you really might be on to something here.
If you really start looking into information that is freely available on some of the circulation pump sites, I think you will find what you are looking for.
Essentially, the circulation pump have been in use for such a long time that just about every characteristic that could effect an optimal installation is well understood, and there is reliable design data to be used to choose exactly the right pump.
Some of the circ pumps are designed to maximize volume, and some are designed to maximize the overcoming of fluid resistance, and there are designs that are various shades of compromise.
I'd advise you to raid the manufacturer's technical documents from manufacturers such as Taco, Gundfos, Upinor, Bell and Gossett, etc.
Taco would be the best place to start.
There are many experienced 'regulars' here on EcoRenovator that have had experiences with projects very similar to your own who will be quite happy to help you along the way (that includes myself), so I invite you to start a new project thread, within the "Geothermal and Heat Pumps" area. If you post the URL to your new thread, then readers of this thread will know where to find you.
Best,
-AC