The Homemade Heat Pump Manifesto

[waterdigger2]

Old. Has very little ram most of hd is full. Been time for new computer. Not only that . Being their is 1590 post on here and im a very slow reader. It would take me a couple of weeks to read through all the stuff. I can dig the holes no problem. Just havin a bit of grief tryin to find how to build the actual heat pump. Been thinkin of just droppin down the loops and hookin em up to a water pump a radiator and a solar powered fan to constantly run

[jeff5may]

Waterdigger,

My question to you is this: what are you trying to accomplish with your system? Heating? Cooling? Dehumidification? Hot water supply? Some of the above? Answers to this basic question will shape the course of your journey.

I have been reading through threads on this forum for a couple of years now, and I still dig up useful information regularly. The websites that members link to in their threads have enlightened me on subjects I thought noone else even cared about. I keep coming back to this thread because of the immense amount of useful information it contains. Yes, it's huge, but it's worth every minute you spend on it.

[NiHaoMike]

Look up some guides on converting a window A/C into a PC chiller. Not quite as efficient as plumbing in a proper heat exchanger but loads easier.

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by waterdigger2

I am in the process of buildin my own geothermal system. Does any one have the plans on here for how to build the Unit my computer is slow as christmas and this thread is 159 pages

A geothermal system consists of:

• the loop field, which you are digging
• some kind of water pump to circulate water through the loop field
• a heat exchanger (or cold exchanger) that the loop water will pass through
• a 'heat pump' that will capture the heat or cold from the heat exchanger
• another heat exchanger to give you the heat or cold you worked so hard to get

What part do you need help with right now?

If you take pictures and post them, we will be able to better help you.

-AC_Hacker

[waterdigger2]

Originally Posted by jeff5may

Waterdigger,

My question to you is this: what are you trying to accomplish with your system? Heating? Cooling? Dehumidification? Hot water supply? Some of the above? Answers to this basic question will shape the course of your journey.

I have been reading through threads on this forum for a couple of years now, and I still dig up useful information regularly. The websites that members link to in their threads have enlightened me on subjects I thought noone else even cared about. I keep coming back to this thread because of the immense amount of useful information it contains. Yes, it's huge, but it's worth every minute you spend on it.

I live here in mississippi . It dont get to cold here . But still want to be able to heat and cool with it . That is my main goal of the geothermal. Hot water supply . I am in the designin stages of a solar water heater with vacume tubes.

[waterdigger2]

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

A geothermal system consists of:

• the loop field, which you are digging
• some kind of water pump to circulate water through the loop field
• a heat exchanger (or cold exchanger) that the loop water will pass through
• a 'heat pump' that will capture the heat or cold from the heat exchanger
• another heat exchanger to give you the heat or cold you worked so hard to get

What part do you need help with right now?

If you take pictures and post them, we will be able to better help you.

-AC_Hacker

I strangely as it is have actually drilled the geothermal holes down here we did them 250ft deep. 240 for a ton. And im sure being you know since you did yours your self no that after so deep the pipe will still try to shoot back up. So 250ft that way if it does happen to start shootin back up after you get the hole loader off it your still below the 240ft. So the holes i got covered and the pipe. I can get fairly cheap.
Originally i had built a cheap setup with a homeaid swivel i made that i could put a electric drill with a bolt on to spin the 1 1/4 pvc and metal with a small trash pump. dug down 35 ft down just with that. Also used our poly gel bein its water sand and clay here .
Now ill be just usin the drill rig 250 ft a pipe . Maybe more efficient being more travelin distance down.

The thing that i have in my way is once i get the holes dug and last 25ft bentonite sealed. I just will have holes sitting their with the pipe . I would need to know how to modify the ac unit so that it will exchange the heat or cold from my room into the hdpe pipe.



I have thought about just doin it this way just not with a dug well a drilled hole with pipe in it not sure how much more efficient the ac would be
http://www.instructables.com/id/Chea...hermal-system/

[waterdigger2]

On the drillin. Different formations are different for someone who has never done it sandy clay is easiest rock is worst if you dig by hand. I built a little cheap swivel that i could hook up a electric drill or battery drill to a metal nut on top to spin the whole set up . Just be sure to grease the tee and rubber and i used superglue and pipe glue on their so it wouldnt tighten down. Ill try get some pictures so that if someone else is out their who wants to dig can drill the shallow holes. It also works on drillin water wells to very good.

[AC_Hacker]

Originally Posted by waterdigger2

I strangely as it is have actually drilled the geothermal holes down here we did them 250ft deep. 240 for a ton. And im sure being you know since you did yours your self no that after so deep the pipe will still try to shoot back up. So 250ft that way if it does happen to start shootin back up after you get the hole loader off it your still below the 240ft. So the holes i got covered and the pipe. I can get fairly cheap.
Originally i had built a cheap setup with a homeaid swivel i made that i could put a electric drill with a bolt on to spin the 1 1/4 pvc and metal with a small trash pump. dug down 35 ft down just with that. Also used our poly gel bein its water sand and clay here .
Now ill be just usin the drill rig 250 ft a pipe . Maybe more efficient being more travelin distance down.

The thing that i have in my way is once i get the holes dug and last 25ft bentonite sealed. I just will have holes sitting their with the pipe . I would need to know how to modify the ac unit so that it will exchange the heat or cold from my room into the hdpe pipe.

Wow! This is great. You have already done the hardest part... the rest should be easy.

So get yourself an air conditioner... a pretty big one. Don't get a new one, get a used one that still works, don't get one that doesn't work... not in the beginning. The cheaper the better because that will give you the most to brag about.

Now, before you start opening it up, you need to know that you're going to have to know how to braze copper. Soldering will not work because the temperature changes and vibration will work it loose (very bad).

My first brazing tutorial was RIGHT HERE.

I did another one RIGHT HERE. You can probably find better on YouTube. My examples uses propane as a purge gas. As you probably know, propane is extremely dangerous. Only a fool with a serious death wish would do something that stupid. An intelligent person would use dry nitrogen as a purge gas.

You are also going to need some basic HVAC tools. Do you have or can you borrow:

• brazing torch with MAPS gas or acetylene
• Silfos brazing rod
• copper tubing cutter
• copper tubing flaring tool
• manifold gauge set
• vacuum pump

That will get you started.

Let me know when you're ready to hack...

-AC

[waterdigger2]

Originally Posted by AC_Hacker

Wow! This is great. You have already done the hardest part... the rest should be easy.

So get yourself an air conditioner... a pretty big one. Don't get a new one, get a used one that still works, don't get one that doesn't work... not in the beginning. The cheaper the better because that will give you the most to brag about.

Now, before you start opening it up, you need to know that you're going to have to know how to braze copper. Soldering will not work because the temperature changes and vibration will work it loose (very bad).

My first brazing tutorial was RIGHT HERE.

I did another one RIGHT HERE. You can probably find better on YouTube. My examples uses propane as a purge gas. As you probably know, propane is extremely dangerous. Only a fool with a serious death wish would do something that stupid. An intelligent person would use dry nitrogen as a purge gas.

You are also going to need some basic HVAC tools. Do you have or can you borrow:

• brazing torch with MAPS gas or acetylene
• Silfos brazing rod
• copper tubing cutter
• copper tubing flaring tool
• manifold gauge set
• vacuum pump

That will get you started.

Let me know when you're ready to hack...

-AC

I can more than likely borrow the hvac tools and have my cousin do the brazing being he works and actually works in hvac. I just do the hard stuff drillin and things like that. And have a ac sittin in the shop . Just have to wait for rain to stop and check make sure that it will work..

[waterdigger2]

Aight . I found a 6k btu air conditioneer. It still works and all. I found some plate heat exchangers on ebay. Do i need to take the back coils and cut them braze it in and put the heat exchanger there. Recharge it and roll with that. Hook up my loops to the heat exchanger. Or is there more to it. Something special im missin ?