Aircon/hotwater

[Mogli]

A while ago I read in some thread about generating hot water via an aircon-unit.Can't find it anymore.

Anybody here knows how to do it?Can you buy the necessary add-ons in los?

It was also mentioned that a certain resort in Koh Samui is using this system.

Thanks for any suggestions

Mogli

[Mogli]

A while ago I read in some thread about generating hot water via an aircon-unit.Can't find it anymore.

Anybody here knows how to do it?Can you buy the necessary add-ons in los?

It was also mentioned that a certain resort in Koh Samui is using this system.

Thanks for any suggestions

Mogli

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hm...no clues then?

Mogli

[Tywais]

I can only give you some general suggestions based on my knowledge of AC units. The return gas line from your internal unit to the heat exchanger outside gets quite hot. You could possibly replace the straight tube with a multi coil copper tube (easy and cheap to buy) then place this coil into a insulated water container where you would somehow pump it into your desired location.

I have no idea about how much heat transfer can be achieved but it is the only way one can get heat from the unit.

[Jockstar]

I say forget it mate. it will cost more in the long run. Dont even know if its practical.

[loong]

Best to get advise from an air con supplier.

In a normal unit the waste heat from the heat exchanger is simply expelled to the outside with the use of a fan.

This would need to be relaced with a water cooling unit and a pump to a water storage tank. There would also have to be various pressure release valves etc. It is too complicated to attempt yourself and would have to be done by an expert.

It is available, I have seen it in an hotel before.

[Mogli]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Might as well ask the supplier. If it turns out to expensive I I will forget abot it and install a normal water-heating-unit.

Mogli

[Jockstar]

install a normal water-heating-unit.

Probably better. IMHO.

[Thetyim]

The device you are thinking about is a Trevor Martin Heat Recovery Unit

They are not cheap.

http://www.trevormartincorp.com/hru.asp

[chownah]

You could try a solar water heating unit....you could probably make one of those yourself if you googled for instructions...I'm going to make a wild a55 guess and say you could probably get over 80% of your water heating energy needs from a solar unit...maybe even 100% if you don't mind barely warm showers once in a while....of course you have to have a place to put the solar collector....

[Thetyim]

I agree with Chownah.

The thing that stuck me first when I read the original post was that when you need hot water the most (winter) the air-con will be turned off or at best on very little.

[bino]

It was also mentioned that a certain resort in Koh Samui is using this system.

The resort in question is the Chaweng Buri Resort on Chaweng Beach. I was impressed with the system- took only minutes to get hot water once the aircon was turned on.

Don't have any idea how it worked / what is involved though. Maybe you could try contacting them and finding someone who would be happy to share the info.

[bakachan]

They're called desuperheaters and they are excellent for hot climates.

The cold water makes the a/c unit run at lower pressures and improves efficiency which in turn makes the unit last longer and cost less to run.

I've put lawn sprinklers on the outside condenser coils on really hot days to

make the cool better.

If your real handy you could build your own with this type of pipe.

link

These have been used on fishing boats for years. its impractical to cool the coils

with air on a boat so they use water. this is a picture of a loop.

Edited July 30, 2005 by bakachan

[cdnvic]

There's alot of collective building knowlage in the real estate and house ownership forum... I'll slide this over there.

cv

[lopburi3]

Although do not doubt that this can be done with a heat exchange process do not believe it is practical solution for home use (yet). One poster mentioned turning on air conditioner to obtain hot water in hotel. Do not believe that would be cost effective in the home and may not even be in hotel where they expect air conditioner to be used most of the time. Most of us take showers where the water flow is only a couple of minutes - to get wet and rinse - so the on demand electric heaters are not that expensive to operate.

As for storage of hot water, such as from solar collector, be sure it is insulated and not subject to rain cooling. Can say the water temperature of my stainless steel storage tanks takes a steep dive as soon as a rainstorm hits it.

Another free source for increasing water temp is the use of a water cooled water pump rather than the normal air cooled well pumps. Have noticed the difference since changing to a Grundfos pump.

[Mogli]

Thanks guys!

Very helpful information.Definitely will contact the resort in Samui.If it is feasible we will install it in all of our 20 bungalows.A big advantage I think is that it also makes your aircon-units working more effective!Very interesting as I think price for electricity is bound to incraese.

Mogli

[edd]

Have a look here

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/bldr...lderGuide3E.pdf