The Homemade Heat Pump Manifesto

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by S-F

What we need now is a DIY well drilling thread.

S-F, I think that this is an excellent idea.

There's already some rumbling in the 'Manifesto' thread from people starting to work out the problems of drilling GSHP wells.

Why don't you start a thread for DIY GSHP well drilling?

Best Regards,

-AC_Hacker

[S-F]

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

S-F, I think that this is an excellent idea.

There's already some rumbling in the 'Manifesto' thread from people starting to work out the problems of drilling GSHP wells.

Why don't you start a thread for DIY GSHP well drilling?
Best Regards,

-AC_Hacker

Ha ha!

Done

[Blauhung]

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

Did you get your treadmill?

Right after I read your post, I went out and found one too. $40, but not quite so good a motor as what you show (mine is 1.5 HP). I plan to use mine to run my band saw. Right now, it's set up for wood, and I want to be able to cut metals & plastics, which require slower speeds.

I did a 'biopsy' on the treadmill, finding what wires were actually needed for the motor and speed controller, and what wires were not. I isolated and removed the speed controller unit yesterday, today I pulled the motor and relevant hardware.

I didn't even take the treadmill out of the pickup, did all the surgery right in the bed of the pickup truck. Makes it easier to haul the remaining carcass off to scrap metal recycling.

BTW, did you get my message about the extra compressor(s)?

You asked, and I responded, but I never heard back from you.

-AC_Hacker.

Yes I did, but still got the side job of taking care of the pregnant wife. Our first is supposedly due tomorrow! And about the compressor, I did get the PM but hadn't gotten around to calling. I plan on posting some details on the treadmill I done tore up tomorrow as well, that is if the baby doesn't start trying to work her way out ;-p

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Blauhung

...that is if the baby doesn't start trying to work her way out ;-p

Wife & baby are definitely more important.

Best wishes regarding your big family event.

-AC_Hacker

[Blauhung]

ok, posting some pictures on the thread S-F started about well drilling

[Drake]

Would building a heat pump that only heats be simpler than one that reverses to heat or cool?

[pachai]

Originally Posted by Drake

Would building a heat pump that only heats be simpler than one that reverses to heat or cool?

It is actually on my todo list today to draw this...
My current plan is to use one or more retired window
air conditioners to move heat from a cold buffer tank
to a HOT buffer tank.

I can't make the old Air conditioner reversible,
but I can swap which pipes are going in which
direction (as I said, I didn't draw it - yet :-)

I already received my hydronic air handlers
for the new space in my house (covers 800sf),
and they will be installed soon.

Someone posted here in response to my
question on this - there is a valve that works
for water like a "4-way switch" - it
allows you to switch source/sink of the loops.

I (sometime) need to draw it, to make sure
there is a way to do that without mixing water
and antifreeze....

Although, I might not need antifreeze.
The pipes go underground, so the only
reason the water would freeze is because
I extracted too much heat from a cold loop.
but if I monitor each loop and protect them,
perhaps that won't happen.

(Is anyone else here in a heating-dominant area?)

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by Drake

Would building a heat pump that only heats be simpler than one that reverses to heat or cool?

Yes, it would be simpler.

If you never built one before, a heat-only heat pump would be a good starting point.

-AC_Hacker

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by pachai

Is anyone else here in a heating-dominant area?

AC_Hacker (Portland, Oregon)
Heating Degree Days = 4576
Cooling Degree Days = 695

I used this web site to get the data.

Regards,

-AC_Hacker

[randen]

Response to pachai

It is our plan as well to convert a 3 ton unit to a GSHP for the shop. I like the idea to reverse the water/glycol solution only with a 4 way valve omitting a reverse valve for the refrigerant. Both the ground loop and the air handler will have the water/glycol solution which will switch between evaporator and condensor HXs. That way if the temp drops below freezing in the evaporator HX no damage would occur. In our home with the comercial GSHP in air-conditioning mode the air leaving the evaporator is 4 deg C. For our conversion project the last thing we want is a frozen plate heat exchanger. The project as it is the air-handler is now mounted to the ceiling in the shop. For the up coming air-conditioning season the chilled solution will be circulated and cool the shop and the following heating season of coarse warmed solution. The desired in-floor heating for the shop floor may have to wait until next summer to be installed. In the office/lunchroom area of the shop the floor is already heated with in-floor. In the winter when we had the in-floor heating operational I had noticed a number of times our office associate had her shoes off enjoying the comfort.



As luck would have it I had found a manufacturer that was closing and obtained the HDPE tube for the ground loop at a very good price. We will wait until the dryer weather to install the loop. We will hire a excavator for the work to trench in the 2400' of tube. This is enough loop for 4T load for this area plus a little more for the ground type. A little over-kill in this situation is well worth the price (more effiency)



As time will permit I'm lookig forward to hacking the unit up to somthing useful in stead of scrap to were it was headed Thanks to this thread. I will post some illustrations and pictures of the 4 way valve we will be using.



Randen