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Posted by Abby Normal on October 2, 2007, 11:39 pm
wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> Save the effort of burying the barrel...
> The btus are found in the phase change of the water...
> Roughly 970 btu/lb of water. The "relatively cool" water from a buried
> barrel will only give you 1btu/dF of the temp difference. 65dF water to 212
> dF will yield 147 btu/lb, relatively low compared to that phase change...
> it won't involve a shovel.
> I'd route the gutters to it & collect the rainwater, filling with tap water
> adds too many variables.
> You could raise the barrel above the unit & let gravity power the water flow
> rather than a pump, although a spray might require a few extra feet of
> elevation.
> You'd also make monitoring the water quality easier with an above ground
> barrel.
> The idea of spraying coils w/water has been around for years, though most
> I've run into are water coils w/prop fans. I'm sure someone makes a
> refrigerant type system...
> Since most outdoor units are built to handle rain & the like, I don't see
> why it would hurt if common sense is also used... I would be very careful to
> avoid a heavy spray that would bypass the coil & blow straight on the motor.
> It might be more advantages to have a couple "drip tubes" rather than a
> spray on the coil, especially with the elevated barrel. Then there's always
> the question of what your going to do to drain the base pan.
> All in all, I don't think the efficiency increase from such a project would
> justify it's cost & maintenance issues.
> It'd probably be easier to put the efforts & $$$ in insulation, Programmable
> stats, window treatments, etc...
> But if you give it a try, we'd all like to hear the results.
> good luck
> geothermaljones
> > How much 'gain' would we get if we sunk a 55 gallon barrel into the
> > relatively cool ground here in Florida, filled it with calcium free
> > water, and sprayed the condenser in a closed loop cycle when it is
> > running?
> > Any evaporated water would be made up with condensate.- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -
I have a 5000 gallon cistern at my place, use the water for the lawn,
emergency water supply as well when nature forces you to be Amish
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> The btus are found in the phase change of the water...
> Roughly 970 btu/lb of water. The "relatively cool" water from a buried
> barrel will only give you 1btu/dF of the temp difference. 65dF water to 212
> dF will yield 147 btu/lb, relatively low compared to that phase change...
> it won't involve a shovel.
> I'd route the gutters to it & collect the rainwater, filling with tap water
> adds too many variables.
> You could raise the barrel above the unit & let gravity power the water flow
> rather than a pump, although a spray might require a few extra feet of
> elevation.
> You'd also make monitoring the water quality easier with an above ground
> barrel.
> The idea of spraying coils w/water has been around for years, though most
> I've run into are water coils w/prop fans. I'm sure someone makes a
> refrigerant type system...
> Since most outdoor units are built to handle rain & the like, I don't see
> why it would hurt if common sense is also used... I would be very careful to
> avoid a heavy spray that would bypass the coil & blow straight on the motor.
> It might be more advantages to have a couple "drip tubes" rather than a
> spray on the coil, especially with the elevated barrel. Then there's always
> the question of what your going to do to drain the base pan.
> All in all, I don't think the efficiency increase from such a project would
> justify it's cost & maintenance issues.
> It'd probably be easier to put the efforts & $$$ in insulation, Programmable
> stats, window treatments, etc...
> But if you give it a try, we'd all like to hear the results.
> good luck
> geothermaljones
> > How much 'gain' would we get if we sunk a 55 gallon barrel into the
> > relatively cool ground here in Florida, filled it with calcium free
> > water, and sprayed the condenser in a closed loop cycle when it is
> > running?
> > Any evaporated water would be made up with condensate.- Hide quoted text -
> - Show quoted text -