Swimming pool for hvac well/cooling tower

gtojohn · 08-07-14, 01:15 AM

I've been working on a plan in my head to retrofit my 2x 2ton hvac to watersourced condenser cooling using my pool as the water source. Additional benefit is I'll be heating my pool and may gain a couple of extra swimming weeks. I prefer the pool surface between 80-85F which is a bit warmer than most geo wells. My current plan would be circulate water to a buried 55 gallon barrel near the condensers. My heat exchangers would be 3/8 x50' copper rolls piped from the compressor liquid line. I could then either run it to the evaporator, or back through the condenser coils. If I do the latter could keep the outdoor fan on a pressure switch as a back up in case of pump failure. The draw back would be the extra resistance of going through 2 coils, and likely warming from warmer ambient air temp.

One benefit would be no outdoor fan motors, currently about 1 amp each. These will be replaced by one circulation pump switched by either compressor, or bypassed when the pool pump is already on. The main power savings would be heat exchange and sub cooling. I think a reduction near 3 amps each compressor, without the fans maybe a kilowatt each. Does this sound viable? Chances are I won't have time to trench water lines until cooler weather.

08-07-14, 01:15 AM	#1
gtojohn Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 314 Thanks: 39 Thanked 50 Times in 45 Posts	Swimming pool for hvac well/cooling tower I've been working on a plan in my head to retrofit my 2x 2ton hvac to watersourced condenser cooling using my pool as the water source. Additional benefit is I'll be heating my pool and may gain a couple of extra swimming weeks. I prefer the pool surface between 80-85F which is a bit warmer than most geo wells. My current plan would be circulate water to a buried 55 gallon barrel near the condensers. My heat exchangers would be 3/8 x50' copper rolls piped from the compressor liquid line. I could then either run it to the evaporator, or back through the condenser coils. If I do the latter could keep the outdoor fan on a pressure switch as a back up in case of pump failure. The draw back would be the extra resistance of going through 2 coils, and likely warming from warmer ambient air temp. One benefit would be no outdoor fan motors, currently about 1 amp each. These will be replaced by one circulation pump switched by either compressor, or bypassed when the pool pump is already on. The main power savings would be heat exchange and sub cooling. I think a reduction near 3 amps each compressor, without the fans maybe a kilowatt each. Does this sound viable? Chances are I won't have time to trench water lines until cooler weather.