Window air conditioner used to heat water and save energy. DIY HYBRID water heater!

If you've seen my "DIY hybrid water heater" video, then this will demonstrate the principle of recycling the wasted heat energy from a room air conditioner to heat water. I will incorporate this idea in my Solar trailer project... http://www.thesolargypsy.com is one of my domains, and I will update that site eventually...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• hybrid
• water
• heater
• air
• conditioner
• solar
• green
• energy
• DIY
• BTU

[unijabnx2000]

what are you using the hot water for?

[danielthechskid]

This would of course require recovering the refrigerant charge and replacing the tube and fin condenser with the coaxial one, then brazing, vacuuming and recharging the system, but it would allow you to plumb this in to a storage water tank via a water pump or just put it in the cold supply to the water heater and use a flow switch to turn it on when you are drawing hot water and let it preheat the cold supply.

[danielthechskid]

Now you just need to make or buy a coaxial heat exchanger coil, it is a small copper tube inside a bigger copper tube IE 1/4th inch inside 1/2 inch. there are "T" fittings and reducers on each end to cap off the larger pipe while keeping the 2 separate, the refrigerant flows through the inner small tubing and the water or other fluid flows through the outer larger tubing. Since copper is a good conductor of heat this puts the fluid in direct thermal contact with the refrigerant.

[TheRealXesc]

The idea is good, now you just need to re-think a little detail:

The water storage will eventually get warm, and therefore no longer provide the cool you expect from the A/C unit. The solution to that is to exchange the excess heat into a running influx of cold water (for example, the cold water supply pipes to your water boiler). Then you will have cool water heated from the excess heat, and thus, reduce your water boiler's workload. Great thinking, I like the idea! :))

[aderbrian]

just thermo-syphon that reservoir into your water heater and it would cool the water back down and store you home hot water. right?

cool

[slamdvw]

Nice mod! The only problem I see is the motor is cooled by the fan you removed. But yes, you've got the right idea,... you paid for those BTUs to be moved, no sense in just throwing them away.

[DCAIRCONEXPRT]

I guarantee you it was low when started and went to ridiculous in the end. No disrespect you just have to keep the water cool now.I have an idea!!!!!!!1

[rodharley76]

what is the amp before you put the coils in the water and waht is the amp after . thanks roderick

[gfeuchte]

good job!!!!