How to make a heat pump

The only disadvantage of industrial heat pumps is their high cost. Therefore, most users prefer to make these devices on their own. We will tell about it.

Principle of operation

There are several ways to generate heat through the use of Carnot cycle. It provides an increase in the temperature of the coolant during its sharp compression. By the same principle, but with the opposite effect, many climatic compressor devices (air conditioners and refrigerators, for example) work. The main working cycle is implemented in the working chambers of these units and suggests the opposite effect - cooling of the refrigerant due to its sharp expansion.

Therefore, one of the available methods for self-manufacturing of heat pumps is the use of functional units that are part of the typical climatic equipment. In the manufacture of the pump from the refrigerator, its condenser and evaporator perform the function of heat exchangers that take thermal energy from the environment and direct it to the heating medium.

Assembly procedure

The order of manufacture of the heat pump from the finished functional units:

1. Preparation of the compressor part of the heat pump, using the appropriate assembly from a conventional refrigerator or air conditioner. (This unit should be mounted using a "soft" suspension on brackets placed on the wall of the working room in a convenient place).
2. Condenser manufacturing. You will need a special tank (best of all - from a “stainless steel”) with a volume of about 100 liters, into which the coil is mounted. (As a coil can be used finished copper tube from the old refrigerator).
3. Immediately before making the heat pump, the finished tank is cut along the longitudinal axis into two equal parts. After installing and securing the coil in the body of one of the halves, parts of the tank are welded together, forming a closed container. (When welding stainless steel products, it is necessary to use electrodes designed to work with this metal).
4. Upon completion of the condenser assembly, the manufacture of the next mandatory pump-evaporator unit. You will need a plastic hermetic capacity of 70-80 liters. In it is necessary to place the coil of the tube on? in. At the ends of this tube, it is necessary to prepare the threaded line, which provides connection to the coil of the corresponding pipes (as the latter, ordinary water pipes can be used). After assembly, the evaporator is also fixed to the wall using brackets of the required size.

For the final assembly of the entire system as a whole, including the welding of copper tubes and the injection of heat carrier (freon) into the tanks, it is recommended to invite a specialist. Attempt to do operations with refrigeration equipment on their own can end in failure, up to injury.

Upon completion of the assembly of the main part of the thermal system, we proceed to connecting the devices for the intake and distribution of heat (heat exchanger and heating batteries).

Features of connecting external devices

The nuances of connecting devices for the collection and distribution of heat:

1. The heat exchanger in the soil is desirable to place on the sunny side of the site. This allows you to use the energy of the sun as an additional source of heat.
2. The refrigerant present in the compressor should be replaced by the so-called “solution” containing freon and water. This increases the efficiency of the thermal system.
3. Instead of conventional radiators for heating a house, it is recommended to use devices of lower power, which are not inferior in efficiency to traditional systems (“warm floor”, for example).
4. The connecting pipes should be laid so that the heat loss in these areas is minimal. If necessary, additional insulation can be provided.

On hot days (with effective ventilation in the house), the heat pump can be used for passive air conditioning.

With all the subtleties of the procedures for connecting external devices, you can find in the following video posted at one of the sources listed below.

Video

This video details the features of heat pumps:

This video is about a custom air-to-water heat pump for heating or hot water: