06-01-14, 08:15 PM | #1 |
Andy
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SW VA
Posts: 45
Thanks: 6
Thanked 13 Times in 10 Posts
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Like a dog with a new bone
Where has this site been lurking? I can't believe I haven't discovered it before. If it is 1/10 as good as it looks at first glance I'm going to be spending a lot of time here.
About me: - DIY almost everything except healthcare (wish I could do that). - Found this place today looking for methods for refrigerant recovery. Read on to find DIY heat pump water heaters. We already have a GeoSpring that I try to pump waste heat to. - I've spend my free time wondering about things like how to harness the heat from my clothes dryer to preheat our water (and suspect I'll find others here actually doing it). - Doing multiple energy conservation upgrades to our house - mainly air sealing and insulation. - Planning a PV system and hoping to tie our hybrid vehicle into it as backup power source - Have a standing column ground-source heat pump that I tinker with - Heat with wood, maybe with pellets in the future - Try to raise our own veggies/fruits but glad we don't have to depend on it for survival. - Current projects include: basement remodel with centralized mechanical room, bath, kitchen; electric assist bike, refrigerant recovery machine, boom lift repair, decorative arbor upgrade, PV system planning/siting/design; water supply upgrade to accommodate low pressure service for GSHP and higher pressure for domestic water; rain water collection system feeding into water feature, shop foundation, etc. Anyway, I know I'll find some good info here and hope I can offer some myself after a while. |
06-02-14, 08:16 AM | #2 | |
Supreme EcoRenovator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
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Quote:
The only thing that is remarkable about this site is that people like you have voluntarily published notes and photos of their successes and their failures in their DIY projects. Good luck to you with all your projects! Best, -AC
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I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker... |
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06-02-14, 08:52 AM | #3 |
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
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Welcome to the site Semipro. It sounds like you've found the right place.
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06-02-14, 11:17 AM | #4 | |
Andy
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: SW VA
Posts: 45
Thanks: 6
Thanked 13 Times in 10 Posts
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Quote:
Anyway, I'm looking for the right compressor. I found a few window AC units at our local dump site but they're are full of freon and I fixed the electrical issues they had so now they work. First I have to find a way to recovery the freon from one of these or another appliance before I can scrounge the compressor. Strangely I'm finding my options very limited. |
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07-02-14, 04:09 PM | #5 | |
Supreme EcoRenovator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
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Quote:
Well, the commercial evacuation unit I have turns itself off, when system pressure reaches 0 psig. There's still some gas in the system but it is an extremely small amount. So, you must have some kind of pressure vessel that is suitable, right? And you have a vacuum pump, right? Pull a deep vacuum on your vessel, and leave it in the freezer, and warm up your target unit (what ever that might be) with a heat lamp for a few hours. Then you should be able to use a piercing valve, and if you proceed very slowly, to keep the temp in the vessel as low as possible, you should be able to achieve 0 psig (14.7 psi absolute), or better. Use a manifold gauge to verify that such is the case. If for some reason, you can't get to 0 psig in one shot, close off the piercing valve, chill another vessel, and repeat 'til exhausted. -AC
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I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker... |
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