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Old 02-21-14, 04:08 AM   #11
jeff5may
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Just make sure to use refrigeration grade tubing and not icemaker tubing. It's walls are much thicker. Also, the heat pump coil doesn't get as hot as a conventional water heater element, so it won't tend to form so much lime.


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Old 02-22-14, 07:26 PM   #12
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Thats one of the next things on my list unless i can find a heat pump dryer.

I plan on convertin my solar air panel to water and runnin it to my water heater later on prob buyin the hybrid heat pump water heater. Would like to do one that is geothermal water heater But i dont have the skills to do that really
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Old 02-23-14, 11:03 AM   #13
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This machine is a perfect first project to get your feet wet with phase change systems. There are plenty of orphan window a/c units in the perfect size range just begging to be adopted. I am waiting for a reply on craigslist as we speak on a 12000 btu window shaker for $25. For that price, I don't really care what's wrong with it, as parts are worth more than that in scrap value.

What I plan on doing with one of these units is simple. It works incredibly well with dehumidifiers also. I will be making a condenser coil like Randen did. The technical term is a helical element. The element is brazed into a standard heating element bung, and screwed into the water heater before being plumbed into the window shaker. The helical element replaces the bottom electric element in the water heater, and the condenser coil in the window shaker.

The window shaker condenser will be plumbed into the suction side of the circuit, rather than being removed. The additional airflow and hx surface area should boost performance by a substantial amount, especially at lower water tank temperatures. Also, the unit would not tend to freeze its evaporator coil at temperatures above 35-40 degF.

The only mystery I have not solved yet is how to exercise control of the unit. At first, I believe I will just leave the most basic setup, and see how everything works. If I think I can get more out of the unit, I may end up replacing the stock cap tube with a TXV. If the stock water heater thermostat control makes the compressor short cycle, I will add a time delay lockout or more complex temp control to solve as yet unseen issues that may arise.
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Old 02-23-14, 01:31 PM   #14
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Go straight for the TXV. A cap tube, while appearing simple, is actually very complex in how it works and would need to be resized if the design operating conditions change.
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Old 03-02-14, 02:20 PM   #15
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so i scored a geothermal unit the other day info can be found here gshp
so this got me thinking about making a gshp water heater.. i was thinking about just adding a single smaller loop separate from the main loop that would be on a separate water pump for the ground loop that way the pump could be smaller and more efficient for its task.
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Old 03-02-14, 02:47 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordguy64 View Post
so i scored a geothermal unit the other day info can be found here gshp
so this got me thinking about making a gshp water heater.. i was thinking about just adding a single smaller loop separate from the main loop that would be on a separate water pump for the ground loop that way the pump could be smaller and more efficient for its task.
A loop sized for a large unit would have less resistance, making it more efficient. Just make it several small loops in parallel for reduced pump power requirements.
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Old 03-03-14, 01:29 PM   #17
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Quote:
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A loop sized for a large unit would have less resistance, making it more efficient. Just make it several small loops in parallel for reduced pump power requirements.

Say you had a choice of 3/4 or 1 inch for a 250 ft deep loop hole . You would go with the 1 inch makeing it more efficient ?
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Old 03-03-14, 02:24 PM   #18
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I've heard that in most cases going to 1" is worse because it increases pump size requirement and it typically has a lower turbulence and there for has a lower transfer rate. My plan was to use 3/4 and just add an extra loop or bore and extra hole
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Old 03-06-14, 03:16 PM   #19
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Id thought goin to 1 was worse cause more fluid.

Wonder what would be better . A heat pump water heater done geothermal like ac hacker has . But instead of it heating air heating the water . Or a store bought air to water heat pump the hybrid heat pump .
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Old 03-06-14, 04:37 PM   #20
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It depends on many factors. Water to water is more efficient in heating dominated climates, while air to water is more efficient in cooling dominated climates. Air to water can dehumidify, while water to water cannot.

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