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Old 08-26-19, 03:47 PM   #11
jeff5may
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Ok so it's the blue heat exchanger that's leaking? The unit looks like a modified minisplit outdoor unit. Highly hackable. The unit already has access valves, and from what I can tell, the refrigerant loop is still whole.

The main drawback with the unit will probably be the controller, as you said it shoots for a small Delta T in the blue heat exchanger. I have been having good results with the qunda control board line. I've used 3 different boards, and the only thing I can complain about is the defrost cycle built into the logic. They tend to defrost a little more often than a dedicated demand defrost board does.

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Old 08-26-19, 04:05 PM   #12
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yes the blue heat exchanger always get damaged when we have a freezing night that mobody expected since its 25 in the day! That why i can get those machine around 0$ to 100$. The part alone cost 250 usd.

Yes the refrigerant loop is all there and not open. I have one that i fixed with epoxy but its leak a little and its under it so i cannot fix it. thie titanium coil could be used in a tank to heat the water.

how can i size a plate heat exchanger for it ?
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Old 08-26-19, 04:11 PM   #13
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To test the Delta t maybe i can test with the one i have working to reduce the flow alot and hack the flow switch and see how much its able to raise the temp.

would it be a good test? this could allow me to know if there is a safety for higher Delta t i guess?
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Old 08-26-19, 05:55 PM   #14
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The heat exchanger doesn't really care much about the temperature. The control is another story. Since the original purpose is to heat a massive pool, the flow meter and the thermometer sensors are both expected to be indicating a high flow rate. Slowing down the flow will induce larger temperature differential on the refrigerant and liquid sides. The control will interpret the data and probably go haywire.

The last one I used was this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Con...4TSWSFHAMFC4C4

The 2 sellers that carry the universal control boards on amazon are solrus_usa and miamiaelectronics. Look around, I'm sure there are boards set up for air source to water sink available.

Last edited by jeff5may; 08-26-19 at 07:33 PM.. Reason: Link to board
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Old 08-26-19, 08:02 PM   #15
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I did some test by bypassing the water flow switch and managed 82 in 100 out if i slow the flow more then this it stop with no error and start again afther come time and will return fast yo higher delta t... I will set it for 20f delta t and see if it can stay there some time.
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Old 08-26-19, 09:06 PM   #16
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i found this it have all setting name like mine but i dont know if they do the same thing.

https://lilytech.shop/collections/wa...oller-lilytech

maybe i can set larger temp diff.
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Old 08-27-19, 02:11 AM   #17
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Looks like it should be a good match for your purpose. The only thing I would be wary of is the 15 amp current carrying capacity for the compressor. A 4 ton unit might draw more than that when it's running, definitely will when starting. Your heat pump unit has a proper switching device in the box somewhere already, so interfacing with it would definitely eliminate that concern.

As for the heat exchanger, I would weld it up where the shell froze and cracked. You're not me, so maybe you could make a shell around the shell out of fiberglass resin or something similar.

The whole flow vs temperature differential all depends on the application. Obviously you won't be heating a pool with the unit, but the flow and temperature should be tailored to what you plan on doing with all of the capacity. For domestic hot water, that much capacity would supply a decent sized apartment building. To use it for a single family home, the unit would short cycle and waste a good amount of energy in the process.
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Old 08-27-19, 08:03 AM   #18
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Sorry is was not clear what i was talking about is that there is menu on the controller screen where you can change some setting and they look similar to mine. i have those menu but dont know what setting will do exactly what.

This is a test unit and in the future i would like to heat come floor with this machine not just hot water.

My boss also have 4000 sq. feet to heat and have alredy hydronic installed in part of the house so maybe i will do the project with him at his house and he can invest in the tools neede for this!

he pay alot of hydro now with our very cold winters. is last geothermal setop cost him 80 000$ so he is very interested in the diy information i found here and is willing to test lost of things at his house like horizontal loop and pond pump and dump if he finally buy the next door lot with the pond!

so what i dont know yet is what is the common temp for hydronic loop?

also thank you for all you input
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Old 08-28-19, 10:18 AM   #19
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There are many different kinds of hydronic heating loops. Generally, the more efficient and dense the radiator, the lower the entering water temperature. For example, a thick, insulated concrete slab may have as low as 100 - 120 degF entering water temperature. A staple-up loop with spreaders under a wood floor needs to be fed much hotter water to transfer sufficient heat, maybe 140+ degF. Look around on the forum, and you'll find specific information on a variety of configuration options. Energy audits, heat load/loss calculations, and engineering homework should happen before the equipment is commissioned.
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Old 08-28-19, 10:29 AM   #20
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yes i have lots of work to do! he have loop in the concrete slap and other that are retrofitted they are just installed on the rafthers and with reflective insulation. he actualy told be this week that those one on wood floor are not really heating those roof so maybe is temp there is too low.

I have lots of reading to do before anything else! im happy that in the end i will be able to use those pool heater to heat my house!

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