EcoRenovator  

Go Back   EcoRenovator > Improvements > Geothermal & Heat Pumps
Advanced Search
 


Blog 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips Recent Posts Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-10-11, 01:40 PM   #661
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by randen View Post
New to the thread enjoying very much.

AC good work. I live in Canada, Ontario in the countryside with a lot of wind. We used to heat a 3400sqft home with oil. OUCH. The home I built in 1997 was on-grade concrete slab with in-floor heat and great insulation. Very efficient and comfortable. We had changed to a comercial GSHP suplimented with solar hot water to heat the floor. Now the cost to stay warm in Canada is easier to live with. Next I will try to build my own GSHP for my shop 1600sqft. I will be converting a 2.5T air cond. and direction from your thread. Half the shop already has in-floor But the balance of the concrete will have to be torn out and installed with PEX.
I have found with the solar hot water suplimental that a heat exchanger (HX)/copper coil built inside a hot water tank is not as effective as a counter flow brazed plate HX. After all the heat transfered to the water in the tank is by gravity off the copper coil.

Looking forward to hacking the AC
randen, welcome aboard.

Please be sure to share photos and attempts, questions and successes with us. We'll all benefit.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to post them, we're only a key press away.

-AC_Hacker

__________________
I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker...
AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-11, 03:17 PM   #662
pachai
Renovator-in-planning
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 85
Thanks: 6
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AC_Hacker View Post
Seth,

Sorry to not get back to you sooner, but I had a serious accident on my electric bike, broke my arm in six places, endured two surgeries and will be laid up for some months.
You broke your arm and are laid up, and you apologize?
Usually people who are injured get help from friends...
(If you need anything from Metro NYC/NJ...:-)
(but not this week, Passover is coming :-)


My thought is in the spirit of a plug-in Prius mod
I read about that changes the Prius minimally,
by just giving the battery a nearly "bottomless cup."
The Prius is more efficient when the battery is full,
and this system keeps it topped off.


If an Air Source Heat Pump had a huge
heat sink that was in a swimming pool,
it would be much more efficient.
I don't have a pool, but I plan to
put in a ground loop.


I have not had a chance to learn
how the sanyo talks to its units, but
my friend is an expert on that stuff.
He is using external controls to improve
comfort and efficiency of steam heating.

Not sure if he will be able to help.

Hoping you heal fast.
Seth
pachai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-11, 08:53 PM   #663
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pachai View Post
You broke your arm and are laid up, and you apologize?
They've got me on so much painkiller it would make Rush Limbaugh envious, so I hardly know what I'm doing...

Quote:
Originally Posted by pachai View Post

My thought is in the spirit of a plug-in Prius mod I read about that changes the Prius minimally, by just giving the battery a nearly "bottomless cup." The Prius is more efficient when the battery is full, and this system keeps it topped off.

If an Air Source Heat Pump had a huge heat sink that was in a swimming pool, it would be much more efficient. I don't have a pool, but I plan to
put in a ground loop.

I have not had a chance to learn how the sanyo talks to its units, but my friend is an expert on that stuff. He is using external controls to improve comfort and efficiency of steam heating.
Wow, this could be very interesting... I think you're really on to something here.

Regards,

-AC_Hacker
__________________
I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker...
AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-11, 10:47 PM   #664
Vern2
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
Vern2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Arizona
Posts: 145
Thanks: 0
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Smile

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Sorry to not get back to you sooner, but I had a serious accident on my electric bike, broke my arm in six places, endured two surgeries and will be laid up for some months. All projects on hold for the time being (ALL MY BASE ARE BELONG TO THEM). My typing has always been slow, now it's slower, but I can still type.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Oh My God man,

You got to finish this thread!
__________________
Vern
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Vern2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-11, 04:18 PM   #665
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vern2 View Post
Oh My God man, You got to finish this thread!
I didn't say I was dying, just laid up!

-AC
__________________
I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker...
AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-11, 12:41 AM   #666
pachai
Renovator-in-planning
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 85
Thanks: 6
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default Sanyo as heart of GSHP?

And then the details emerge...The mini-splits that I looked at are not Energy Star compliant...which doesn't rule them out, but compare to GSHP which is eligible for the 30%....

or compare with an older AC of "just" 10.0 EER
that is free...
pachai is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-12-11, 01:19 AM   #667
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pachai View Post
And then the details emerge...The mini-splits that I looked at are not Energy Star compliant...which doesn't rule them out, but compare to GSHP which is eligible for the 30%....

or compare with an older AC of "just" 10.0 EER
that is free...
It's a good idea to do at least a graphical break-even analysis on your various options.

Also interesting is this fuel calculator, which also can calculate CO2 output for various expected COPs.

Might make your decision easier.

Regards,

-AC_Hacker
__________________
I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker...
AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-11, 01:25 PM   #668
go4haudio
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA, FL
Posts: 11
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

to seal a pipe fitting try a thin coat of teflon then wrap a string around the thread a few times and then some more teflon tape. tighten it up good and try it out. i guess the string fills the micro-void between the threads and compresses and expands differently than metals. it is also within budget constraints so experimenting is encouraged.
go4haudio is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-14-11, 02:24 PM   #669
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by go4haudio View Post
to seal a pipe fitting try a thin coat of teflon then wrap a string around the thread a few times and then some more teflon tape. tighten it up good and try it out. i guess the string fills the micro-void between the threads and compresses and expands differently than metals. it is also within budget constraints so experimenting is encouraged.
What kind of applications are you suggesting to use teflon & string...
  • AIR?
  • WATER?
  • HOT, HIGH-PRESSURE REFRIGERANTS WITH FREQUENT TEMP CYCLING?

Regards,

-AC_Hacker
__________________
I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker...
AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-16-11, 07:54 AM   #670
go4haudio
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: USA, FL
Posts: 11
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

The method of sealing was in response to the leaking heat exchanger you had some time ago. But it seems you have mastered the art of brazing a plate HX. I have learned a great deal from your manifesto. I live in Florida where the ground temp at 30 feet is 74 degrees. I did some crude measuring. The soil at the surface ranged from 98 to 105 degrees. 4 1/2 feet below surface the temp was 83 degrees. Since my heat pump will be rejecting heat I think I may device some sort of cooling tower, a column of water that perhaps can evaporate? Of course i would use a closed loop hydronic system. My main concern is that 83 degrees a little on the warm side, especially at night when the ambient air may be cooler. I guess I need to read some temp charts. But it worries me because the temp is bound to go up naturally let alone rejecting heat into it. And it worries me. But how much more efficient would a heat pump be using a water HX vs Air Hx , if any when you compare the same temp for water and air. It seems like a water pump is more effective than a big fan. Any thoughts? Plus I hope your arm is healing well.

go4haudio is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Tags
air conditioner, diy, gshp, heat pump, homemade

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:27 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger
Inactive Reminders By Icora Web Design