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I saw an interesting post that said
All electronics are 100% efficient in the winter
Now that we have reverse cycle AC (heat pumps), 100% is a low bar.
I know, but I didn't wanna pollute my comment with a bunch of pedantry, despite my name. Also people living in apartments often don't have access to heat pumps.
Love my heat pump, although its not AC. In the UK if you get ground/air to water the government give you £7.5k towards it. Air to air you get nothing. I suppose it is quieter, but for the 2/3 days in summer where it goes over 30°c having AC would be nice.
I've heard tell of mystery tech to make the water heat pumps make cold. I'm sure I'll be more tempted to investigate further when summer comes.
I live in the UK, its always humid. You will end up with a condensation radiator.
Like it's not humid in the American South?
There are cities in Florida with an average humidity of 89%. The British go nuts when the humidity goes above 70% for a few weeks a year.
You would probably end up with the same condensation issues there then. Unless the system is build differently to start with to consider that, but at that point you are replacing the entire system anyway.
??? All are built, and have always been built assuming condensation.
If heat pumps work fine in 90% humidity, 70% isn't a problem.
For air to water systems? Honestly haven't heard of any that do cooling.
There's a condenser pipe that goes to a hole in the foundation for the water that condenses off the coils. All heat pumps are also air conditioners. The defining feature of a heat pump whether ground sources or air sources is the reversing valve that lets them operate for air conditioning or heat. Air conditioners are heat pumps without the reversing valve so they only cool.
Yeah, that's the issue to be solved. Apparently there is some sort of contraption that includes fans to prevent the condensation, but whenever I asked the heat pump people they just shook their heads despondently and told me to let it go.
Hey, all my pipes are outside the walls. Maybe I can just build some sort of acrylic enclosure and put fish in there or something.
If you want a janky setup for it I have one for you and its probably slightly better than the fish tank condensation collector. Turn your heating to full power, then connect the heat pump to a tube that takes the cool air and directs it to you.
Optional: Watercool your sofa by putting a few PC rads next to the heat pump and they pump water round a hose pipe on your sofa. Turn off the radiator in the room you want cooling in.
I have been kinda thinking of the hosepipe watercooled sofa idea myself though without using the heat pump for it, just a bucket of water and a pump, put some ice cubes into the bucket. Or freeze a 2L bottle and put that in. Avoid thermoelectric, its inefficient. Passive cooling or perhaps make use of cooler underground temperature are also interesting thoughts. But in reality I doubt I will end up doing something like it and it just remains in the idea phase.
Hah. Don't think I haven't thought about it. The outside unit is right besides the window to my home office and I could get some nice overclocking going with a tube and some tape by just opening the hot water.
Planning on sitting in front of the heat pump in summer with the BBQ going and I can tell my partner to go have a really long shower. Really is win win, the hot water would be almost free with the hot air outside and I get a nice cool breeze outside.
You could probably gat away with it if you install a single mini split somewhere upstairs to remove moisture and cool the rest of the house with the big pump