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Heating and air conditioning guys... A question.
NeoBlackdog
Member Posts: 17,290 ✭✭✭✭
If one were to construct a solarium around a high efficiency heat pump unit would that significantly boost the efficiency of that unit in the winter? Is that a completely crazy idea?
This is the heat pump I'm thinking of using to run both the hydronic heating and domestic hot water.
Thanks in advance!
Comments
I think anything that reduces airflow around the pump would reduce its ability to operate correctly.
Had never given that much thought but would think that raising the ambient temp that the exterior heat exchanger
is operating in would increase the available heat.
What he said up there^^^. The heat pump is trying to extract heat from the air around it. Obstruct air flow, air around it gets colder and colder until it can't pull heat, and your strip heaters kick in. You get a minimal amount of solar gain during bright DAYS.
how large would your solarium be? You can develop quite a temp difference in a greenhouse
What about having the air that gets to the heat pump pre-heated by a solar collector and duct system?
Just spit ballin' ideas here. Sometimes I think too much. (Said my wife NEVER!)
The other fellows are correct, if anything like a central air condenser, it will be moving considerable air.
A cheaper approach may be to install a "rain fly" above your compressor to shade it from the sun.
Neal
I can see that working to keep cool air near the system. I'm wanting to create an artificial pocket of warmer air around the compressor so that when actual air temps are way down the system will operate more efficiently.
The compressor I'm looking at is supposed to be good down to -13 F before the auxiliary heat strips kick in.
your "solarium" would have to be HUGE. Not sure what size heat pump you want, but they ALL draw tons of air. The air in your solarium would be recycled so much that it would cool too fast for the solarium to really make a difference(may actually hurt efficiency). If the temps in your area stay below freezing for long periods, I would not install a heat pump of any kind. LP gas is your friend in cold weather.
Mike, take a look at the link in my first post. This thing is supposed to be good down to -13 F. The average extreme low where the install will occur is +14 F. The fella I've been talking with has one on his building and has installed about 20 others. So far he says that they're all working fine. (Of course he does! He's tryin' to sell me something!)
I get your point about the solarium. Hadn't figured that angle quite yet... That's why I'm askin'!
Thanks guys/gals/he's/she's/and it's.
I read it twice, no mention of -13f. Either way, you will prob be good with an "extreme" low of +14, but i am sure it will still require auxiliary heat to accomplish all that you want(heat AND hot water). They have "dual fuel" systems that are heat pumps with gas for the aux heat, those work great!
Been around HVAC system for many years, don't put anything around it that will block air movement.
Way back when a local grocery store got some incentive money to enclose the air handlers for his coolers and freezers.
Worked on it for about a week and spend several dollars to do the project. The idea was to trap the heat generated by the units and send it back into the store for heat. Lasted about a month and he ripped all out. Government incentive at its best.
All I can add is; THANK THE LORD ABOVE I HAVE FREE GAS piped to my home!
This year is the first full year that paid me back for the 1,500 feet of gas pipe, all the connection pieces, the back up Nat. gas/ propane genset, convrting furnace #1 from propane to natural gas, replacing the electric water heater and electric stove. From September 2020 on it is paying me back for the costs of the installation and the appliances I bought. Now when the house is too warm, I open an window....
Heat pumps were great but I can't see them working to supply you heat much below 15 degrees. Mine kicked in the electric heaters at around 25 on calm days around 30 on very windy days. Thank God it is a distant nightmare of $300.00 electric bills.
It's there, but it's listed as -25 C.
Thanks for all the input. I might be meeting with the guy next Monday to get a better look at one of the systems.
I'm a little leery of trying something fairly new, but am open to the idea if it actually works.