HVAC service tech here. You would get better performance at the air coils if the water is kept from 50 to 55 F. You will get more noticeable temperature drop in the rooms. The next thing would be that you have what is know as a superheat measure to modulate the water flow. If you keep the flow so that you can get about 10 to 12 degrees of temperature rise then your system will work more efficiently. If I had my own place to setup something like this, that is how I would run it.
Great information. I'm running the tank between 45 and 60F this summer depending on outside temp, it is working nicely. Are you referring to a 10 degree drop at the fan coil? I think I'm getting about 5-7 degrees right now with the flow maxed out around 2 gpm per coil. Sounds like you would recommend I slow that down to increase the deltaT a little bit? Thanks!
Congrats! A big day. Didn't you switch the manifold piping once putting it together (ouch)? I was curious how you might deal with condensation in lines in house? I think I heard one can get a meter that measures dew point and keep the water above that? We are really dry location but it is quite cool at night so i don't think we need it. OH what temp will you think of setting the tank at in winter. I suppose you will test it out. My project is getting close. So far so good. A much tighter space and retrofit is making it a bit challenging. Again. So happy you have it working and are just fine tuning things.
Yes I swapped the manifold lines and everything is working well. I get condensation dripping off the components in the basement (manifold, pumps, etc) but it's no big deal, it just drips on the dirt floor and soaks in lol. The 12" or so of plumbing from the floor to the fan coil inlet do sweat sometimes but it never enough to drip. In the summer I run the tank at 45-60 degrees, winter I'm running 75-120 degrees depending on outdoor temp
I'm planning a video on the full cost breakdown but we paid around $10k for the heat pump, buffer tank, circulator pump, import tariff, and freight from Arctic back in 2022
I would almost avoid the buffer tank for cooling, unless you want to charge it at night when power rates are lower. Also the hot return should be going to the top of the tank, and the cold supply should be coming from the bottom of the tank for your fan coils, the heat pump should be pulling from the top of the buffer tank and feeding the bottom in chill mode. If your tank temp was 58F you should be getting close to that for your coil supply side temp not 70ish, I think you have some unwanted mixing going on in your buffer tank.
I chose to plumb the tank to favor heating since we only use cooling for a couple months of the year. After I switched the manifold plumbing the flow is better and the fan coil supply temp is essentially the same as the measured tank temp. Thanks for watching!
what I need is a hvac heat pump that heats my water heater tank (which happens to be right next to my HVAC unit) in the process of running the AC. Should be an obvious and easy idea right? Why nobody offers this?
You can do this with a hydronic heat pump (air to water or water to water), it just requires two tanks. The unit will switch from heating to cooling as necessary to keep each tank at the required temp. I agree it would be nice if there was a way to do both simultaneously. Thanks for watching!
What you describe is a heat recovery system. They are more expensive to setup and run. Three refrigerant pipes and a distributor box that selects which and what refrigerant flows where. Most of the time you can use the heatpump water heaters and make sure the air in the room is warm for it to work. If your furnace is right there then I would suggest adding a vent to the supply and returns so that you get some air flow in the room. To really control it add a zoning system so that when the room gets too cold the furnace with its fan running constantly a valve opens the return and supply in the room to circulate air inside making it warmer again.
It already exists in Europe and Asia. Look up VRF and VRV heat pump systems. I'm going to use their manifold to heat and cool at the same time. In the summer the AC just heats the outside more when I still need hot water and even need heat to dry clothes. The ideal system would have one heat pump that feeds you heating and cooling and drier and refrigerator/freezer. It's all just the same thermodynamics.
HVAC service tech here. You would get better performance at the air coils if the water is kept from 50 to 55 F. You will get more noticeable temperature drop in the rooms. The next thing would be that you have what is know as a superheat measure to modulate the water flow. If you keep the flow so that you can get about 10 to 12 degrees of temperature rise then your system will work more efficiently. If I had my own place to setup something like this, that is how I would run it.
Great information. I'm running the tank between 45 and 60F this summer depending on outside temp, it is working nicely. Are you referring to a 10 degree drop at the fan coil? I think I'm getting about 5-7 degrees right now with the flow maxed out around 2 gpm per coil. Sounds like you would recommend I slow that down to increase the deltaT a little bit? Thanks!
you have set the manifold backwards that is why it doesnt show the flow and it doesnt flow enaugh so switch the pipes and you will be ok
Yes, I switched them and everything works great now. Thanks for watching!
Congrats! A big day. Didn't you switch the manifold piping once putting it together (ouch)? I was curious how you might deal with condensation in lines in house? I think I heard one can get a meter that measures dew point and keep the water above that? We are really dry location but it is quite cool at night so i don't think we need it. OH what temp will you think of setting the tank at in winter. I suppose you will test it out. My project is getting close. So far so good. A much tighter space and retrofit is making it a bit challenging. Again. So happy you have it working and are just fine tuning things.
Yes I swapped the manifold lines and everything is working well. I get condensation dripping off the components in the basement (manifold, pumps, etc) but it's no big deal, it just drips on the dirt floor and soaks in lol. The 12" or so of plumbing from the floor to the fan coil inlet do sweat sometimes but it never enough to drip. In the summer I run the tank at 45-60 degrees, winter I'm running 75-120 degrees depending on outdoor temp
I would remove the zones and balance the system out, it will perform much better and be more efficient especially if you can use weather compensation
Thanks for the feedback!
I agree but I think he has room thermostats. I went from 14 zones in floor to one thermostat but my house is R50.
how much are these heat pumps ?
Arctic Heat Pumps has pricing on their website. Thanks for watching!
@@betweentwobrooks how much did you pay?
I'm planning a video on the full cost breakdown but we paid around $10k for the heat pump, buffer tank, circulator pump, import tariff, and freight from Arctic back in 2022
@@betweentwobrooks wow that's way more reasonable than I was expecting. Thanks!
I rather buy a $600 water heater and a 3k split system
I would almost avoid the buffer tank for cooling, unless you want to charge it at night when power rates are lower. Also the hot return should be going to the top of the tank, and the cold supply should be coming from the bottom of the tank for your fan coils, the heat pump should be pulling from the top of the buffer tank and feeding the bottom in chill mode. If your tank temp was 58F you should be getting close to that for your coil supply side temp not 70ish, I think you have some unwanted mixing going on in your buffer tank.
I chose to plumb the tank to favor heating since we only use cooling for a couple months of the year. After I switched the manifold plumbing the flow is better and the fan coil supply temp is essentially the same as the measured tank temp. Thanks for watching!
what I need is a hvac heat pump that heats my water heater tank (which happens to be right next to my HVAC unit) in the process of running the AC. Should be an obvious and easy idea right? Why nobody offers this?
You can do this with a hydronic heat pump (air to water or water to water), it just requires two tanks. The unit will switch from heating to cooling as necessary to keep each tank at the required temp. I agree it would be nice if there was a way to do both simultaneously. Thanks for watching!
What you describe is a heat recovery system. They are more expensive to setup and run. Three refrigerant pipes and a distributor box that selects which and what refrigerant flows where. Most of the time you can use the heatpump water heaters and make sure the air in the room is warm for it to work. If your furnace is right there then I would suggest adding a vent to the supply and returns so that you get some air flow in the room. To really control it add a zoning system so that when the room gets too cold the furnace with its fan running constantly a valve opens the return and supply in the room to circulate air inside making it warmer again.
It already exists in Europe and Asia. Look up VRF and VRV heat pump systems. I'm going to use their manifold to heat and cool at the same time. In the summer the AC just heats the outside more when I still need hot water and even need heat to dry clothes. The ideal system would have one heat pump that feeds you heating and cooling and drier and refrigerator/freezer. It's all just the same thermodynamics.