A better heat pump

mrd · 02-09-12, 07:36 AM

I consider a traditional heat pump setup to be a split system with the compressor outdoors, a heat exchanger indoors, and refrigerant running between the two. I wonder if a reverse-cycle chiller isn't a better system?

First, it maintains a factory seal of the refrigerant in the outdoor unit. Faulty installations only result in leaked water, not refrigerant. Better for environment, check. Safer install failures, check. Cheaper leak detection and correction, check. This would also make old, discarded units more useful to impoverished areas.

Second, the system can easily be adapted to radiant floor heating, which permits higher efficiencies due to the lower temps involved.

Third, it can be easily adapted to heat thermal storage mass for emergencies, off-peak electric advantages, or possibly excess heat for an off-grid pv-powered system.

So why are these systems so uncommon? It seems the big expense might just be the additional heat exchanger in the outdoor unit, but the pros seem to outweigh that small cost.

02-09-12, 07:36 AM	#1
mrd Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Milford, DE Posts: 106 Thanks: 5 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	A better heat pump I consider a traditional heat pump setup to be a split system with the compressor outdoors, a heat exchanger indoors, and refrigerant running between the two. I wonder if a reverse-cycle chiller isn't a better system? First, it maintains a factory seal of the refrigerant in the outdoor unit. Faulty installations only result in leaked water, not refrigerant. Better for environment, check. Safer install failures, check. Cheaper leak detection and correction, check. This would also make old, discarded units more useful to impoverished areas. Second, the system can easily be adapted to radiant floor heating, which permits higher efficiencies due to the lower temps involved. Third, it can be easily adapted to heat thermal storage mass for emergencies, off-peak electric advantages, or possibly excess heat for an off-grid pv-powered system. So why are these systems so uncommon? It seems the big expense might just be the additional heat exchanger in the outdoor unit, but the pros seem to outweigh that small cost.