I do not think I properly introduced myself. Sorry about that. I just said new guy here.
If you have read any of my posts, up to now, you have noticed I jump back and forth between projects.
So I have been thinking about this whole a/c thing and I mentioned before, why don't I harness the heat it puts out?
My central air unit has the fan on top. Now being a person that takes care of his stuff, I have had the top off and cleaned it out. There is lots of room for a copper coil on the inside of the of the condenser and the compressor sits in the middle. It also happens that the compressor was installed in a flower bed. So the installer being wise, put it up on a huge block of concrete. So it is a foot off the ground. I have since redone the over grown flower garden and do not plan on planting anything next to it to hide it, I am going to build a white picket fence around it. I do not want to disturb and lines by raising it or lowering it but now that I got rid of the over grown flower bed it stand out like a sore thumb. But back to it sitting up high off the ground, I can punch holes in the bottom without disturbing anything. Then put something under it where I can run some pipes up into the bottom so I can connect the coil of copper tubing. Now hot water automatically rises. So I want to build a small out door water tower. Then just take a pipe out the side of it, that is only a few inches below the glycol/water mix that is in it. Now if I was rich I might instead put coils at each end let it circulate due to physics and put the second one on a small sterling engine. You know for yard art.
Anyway, then with the hot water we skimmed off the top of our yard art little miniature water tower. The water tower look will fit right in because our garden is back there. Then since we are on the down hill journey of hot water, I am going to take it into my basement and wrap something like a water heater tank with another coil or better yet put the coil inside the tank. Plus I am going to have my dump load from the mill I am making go to a heating element in said water tank. I am unsure at this point how well this will work. I am past running numbers on it, I am building something. My air temp is always 60-65 degrees down there, so I do not know if I should insulate the tank or not and I am unsure of if I would want to wrap the outside one. Outside tank i would probably say yes.
So now I have to run dehumidifiers in the basement in the summer anyway, which are also energy hogs, so condensation could be a really good thing because then I could just put a hose on it and let the water go into the sump pump pit.
Anyway, then hook that tank up to the water line pre current water heater.
I am also wondering what the fan draws normally on the compressor and thinking if a guy knew that and kept the fan at it's current draw, one could use those heat exchangers like they use on oh idk literally everything. I use one to cool my transmission and heat my car. Put one on each side closer into the compressor in the middle and pipe them all together.
I would guess the cooler my compressor the less hard it has to work (making it more efficient) and the longer it will last.
Meanwhile, what to to with an 8ft deep 8ft a round rain water cistern full of 50 degree water and a garage that needs some cooling?
I have an idea or two.
