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Old 06-12-17, 07:22 AM   #1
Hackney71
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Default Additions to Heat side of Split/Package Unit...

You have a Hot and Cold side of a heat pump... The draw down of heat on the cold side is limited to the amount for heat exchanged on the Hot side...
Two ideas:
1) waste Heat used/Piped into water heater
2) Adding evaporation cooler before the heat exchanger on the exterior of home...

Just added new windows and humidity is high on the inside oh home... Using a evaporation cooler INSIDE would be bad on many levels...

Any comments of the "Idea"

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Old 06-12-17, 12:38 PM   #2
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1. Being used to successfully produce "waste" domestic hot water. There are 2 main types: desuperheaters and dedicated heaters. In cooling dominated areas, a dedicated heat pump water heater dehumidifies indoor air quite well. Desuperheaters are built into the outdoor unit, and plumbed to whatever heat store they serve. They work better in cooling season than heating season, due to the higher ambient condensing temperature.

2. Many window and through-wall air conditioners use this principle to improve efficiency. The cold indoor evaporator pulls moisture from indoors and deposits it in a drain pan. This drain pan leads to the outdoor fan, which has a ring around its circumference. When sufficient water has accumulated in the drain pan, the outdoor fan slings the water onto the condensing coil as it spins. The direct contact and evaporation keeps condensing temperatures a lot lower than they would be without it. Needless to say, this method works better on humid days than dry ones.

Another super-effective idea to employ to reduce indoor humidity is the "desiccant waterfall". It works much like a swamp cooler in reverse. Salt water is circulated indoors and grabs moisture from the air. This solution is pumped onto a hot solar collector, and the water evaporates. The salt water circulates back indoors to suck more water from the air. I know you're thinking "What about that solar heat? Won't it warm my house?" The answer is not if you don't pump too much water. Remember, a couple of gallons per hour is all that can be wringed from the air in your home.
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Old 06-12-17, 08:38 PM   #3
Hackney71
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"Needless to say, this method works better on humid days than dry ones."

I would think the opposite would hold true... On a dry day the water would evaporate quicker than on a saturated(humid) day???
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Old 06-12-17, 10:17 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hackney71 View Post
"Needless to say, this method works better on humid days than dry ones."

I would think the opposite would hold true... On a dry day the water would evaporate quicker than on a saturated(humid) day???
Okay, let's think about that for a minute.

On a hot, dry day, the water gathering from indoors does evaporate quickly. There is also not as much water gathered from indoors. The air conditioner quickly grabs what little moisture there is and then there is no more. The fan stops slinging water, and the condenser temperature rises. This adversely effects efficiency as well as raising the indoor coil temperature. When the drain pan runs dry, the unit has to work harder to provide the same amount of cooling.

On a hot, wet day, the water gathering from indoors does not evaporate as quickly. It remains to keep the condenser temperature cooler. The outdoor wet bulb temperature is a few degrees warmer than if it was dry, but this small difference is eclipsed by the massive amount of heat it takes to evaporate the water. The moisture inside the house is replenished by infiltration and/or air exchange, so the drain pan never runs dry. The condenser temperature stays lower, and the indoor coil temperature stays low as well. This makes the unit gather even more water from indoors, enhancing efficient operation.

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