DIY heat pump YouTube. DIY heat pumps. Prices for heat pump for water supply

People moving to live outside the city have to solve the problem of heating their home. Gas pipelines are not available everywhere, and installing electric heating is very expensive. In addition, in holiday villages there are often problems and power outages. Installing a heat pump can be a way out of this situation. The industry produces various types of equipment, in addition, you can make a heat pump with your own hands.

The principle of operation of a heat pump for heating a house

Heat from wells

Ground water from a well is rarely used for heating homes due to the complexity of installation. The system should consist of two wells. Water is taken from one to produce heat. The second is where the liquid passed through the heating system is discharged. The distance between wells must be at least 15 meters.

Before installing the heat pump, determine the direction of groundwater flow. The drainage well should be located downstream. In addition, it is necessary to ensure water filtration from mechanical and chemical impurities.

Thermal energy of air

A heat pump using air energy is the simplest in design. No piping is required as the air enters the evaporator directly from the environment. Heat is transferred to the refrigerant and then to the coolant into the room. The coolants can be air (through the fan closer) and water (in heating radiators and heated floors).

An air-to-air heat pump operates on the principle of an air conditioner with some differences:

The system operates at negative temperatures;
T The heat pump may be the only source of heat in the house;
E economical compared to standard air conditioners, which work not only for cooling, but also for heating.

The design of a heat pump that uses air energy is not difficult to implement

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of using a heat pump include:

Possibility of use in remote villages where there is no gas pipeline.
Economical consumption of electricity only for the operation of the pump itself. Costs are significantly lower than when using electrical appliances for space heating. A heat pump consumes no more energy than a household refrigerator.
Ability to use a diesel generator as an energy source and solar panels. That is, in the event of an emergency power outage, the heating of the house will not stop.
The system is self-contained and does not require adding water or monitoring its operation.
Environmentally friendly installation. During operation of the pump, no gases are generated and there are no emissions into the atmosphere.
Work safety. The system does not overheat.
Versatility. You can install a heat pump that operates for heating and cooling.
Durability of use. The compressor requires replacement once every 15–20 years.
Releasing the premises that were intended for the boiler room. In addition, there is no need to purchase and store solid fuel.

Disadvantages of heat pumps:

Installation is expensive, although it pays for itself within five years;
IN northern areas will require the use of additional heating devices;
G The runway installation, although slightly, disrupts the ecosystem of the site: it will not be possible to use the territory for a garden or vegetable garden, it will be empty.

DIY heat pump

For self-assembly heat pump is the most chosen simple circuits with minimal use of expensive parts. Before deciding to make the device yourself, you need to take care of the insulation of the house. If the home cools quickly, the heat pump will not be able to heat it.

From the refrigerator

A device assembled from an old refrigerator can serve as an additional source of heat in a room or serve a heated floor, and will also heat a small room.

Before starting work, choose a scheme for the future design and determine the energy source. Usually it is chosen underground or in a reservoir, and decisions are made regarding vertical or horizontal placement.

The design of the thermal system from the refrigerator is simple and accessible

After choosing a scheme, a drawing is made. The dimensions must be calculated and indicated on it, based on the individual data of the home and yard.

An example of a drawing for self-production of a thermal system from a refrigerator

In addition to the household appliance itself, you will need to purchase the following parts:

C circulation pump;
TO L-shaped brackets 30 cm long;
B like stainless steel for one hundred or one hundred twenty liters;
P eraser and metal containers for 100 liters;
M metal-plastic and copper pipes of various diameters.

The main part of the refrigerator required to assemble the pump is the compressor. The part must be in working order.

Tools required for assembly:

WITH cooker;
Bulgarian;
N set of locksmith tools.

After preparing the materials and tools, attach the compressor to the wall using brackets. Then proceed to assembling the pump components:

A capacitor is made. Cut the prepared metal container in half with a grinder. A copper coil is installed in one of the parts. Then the halves are connected using a welding machine. In the resulting container, threaded holes are drilled for further connection of the instrument circuit.
They make a heat exchanger. A copper pipe is screwed onto a stainless steel tank. Both ends are secured with slats and plumbing passages are attached to them.
Assemble the evaporator. Place the coil in a plastic container. Plastic is suitable as this part does not overheat.
The resulting evaporator is attached to the wall with brackets.

After preparing the components, the installation is assembled and the thermostatic valve is installed. Refrigerant is pumped into the system and connected to an energy source.

Don’t rush to throw away your old refrigerator: in capable hands it can find a “second life”

The system pipes are located below the soil freezing level or in a reservoir, also at an appropriate depth. There are examples when the owner installed a pipeline in the sewer. In this case, a serious cleaning system was required. A circulation pump is connected to the pipeline.

From the air conditioner

There are three ways to build a heat pump from an air conditioner:

Swap the external and internal units. Coolants can be water and air. If water is selected, then the condenser is installed in a container.
Install a valve in the air conditioner that will switch between four modes. This is a job for a specialist with the knowledge and skills to carry out such modifications. In this case, it is advisable to initially use a device that operates for cold and heat with an already installed switch.
Completely disassemble the device and install it according to the standard heat pump circuit with an evaporator, compressor and condenser.

To independently convert a split system into a heat pump, it is better to use a device that is already designed in such a way that it works for heat and cold. In some cases, you don’t even have to vent or refill the refrigerant. Assemble the installation according to the diagram.

A scheme for converting a split system into a heat pump will help create a warm atmosphere in the house

Work procedure for altering the air conditioner:

Select a metal tank. In length it should be equal to the length of the external heat exchanger, in width - ten centimeters more. Tubes (fittings) are cut into the side walls to supply and drain water.
Remove the upper casing of the device and the external heat exchanger.
The radiator is moved away, avoiding creases in the refrigerant tubes. If this is done carefully, refilling with freon will not be necessary.
Remove the outer impeller from the shaft.
Additional plates are added to the radiator. They can be copper or aluminum. A radiator placed in an aqueous environment without these plates quickly burns out.
Without damaging the refrigerant tubes, lower the radiator into the previously prepared tank. The circuit inputs are hermetically sealed and sealed.
A circular pump is connected to the water supply and outlet pipes and the quality and tightness of the system is checked.

Installing additional plates is a mandatory step in remodeling the air conditioner

If it is not possible to correctly place the radiator in the tank due to the freon tubes, then they are cut at the maximum distance from the evaporator and then soldered together after refilling with refrigerant.

In this version of the split system conversion, only the environment in which the radiator is located has changed. In the factory configuration it was airy, now it is liquid. Thus, a water-water or water-air system can be assembled.

An option for a split system from an air conditioner to help those who try to do everything on their own

The water supply is adjusted from a well. To do this, connect the tank fittings to the pipeline.

A shallow trench is dug between the wells to accommodate the circuit pipes. The pipeline itself is made of polyethylene pipes. At least two loops of pipes are lowered into each well. The pipeline is fixed with concrete and insulated with soil. Before pouring concrete and backfilling, check the tightness of the connections. To do this, the system is connected to a pump; after drawing water, the pump is stopped and left for several hours. If there are no leaks, then the work is completed.

Layout of pipes in the well

All tubes lead to a common line ending in a collector. Fittings are used for sealed connections.

Video: how to make a heat pump

So, with a little technical knowledge and its application in practice, you can put projects into use and make home heating two or more times cheaper. In addition, the described schemes are suitable for insulating garden paths and heating outbuildings. Low-power units can serve as an additional source of heat.

A heat pump can be a good alternative to traditional heating of a country house, especially if it is not possible to supply gas. The operation of such a pump is based on the use of the latest scientific developments in the field of using various alternative energy sources. The required heat is obtained by extracting from the earth, air and water.

In Russia, heat pumps are still a new product, but in other developed countries they have been produced and successfully used for more than thirty years. In our market, low demand can be explained by two main reasons:

ignorance by the population of the principles of operation and properties of heat pumps due to the almost complete lack of information about this in the media and press;
high cost of heat pumps.

Before you make a heat pump with your own hands, you need to focus on two points: what kind of unit it is and what are the operating principles of such a pump.

A heat pump is a machine that absorbs low potential thermal energy from the environment (earth, air, water) and can transfer it to heat supply systems in the form of heated air or water. The working fluid for heat transfer is freon.

In practice, a heat pump is a refrigerator with reverse action; heat is produced instead of cold. Electricity is spent only to move freon along the internal circuit of the pump, so its costs are relatively low.

The entire system operates like a boiler when heating, and like an air conditioner when cooling.

Operating principle

Note! The heat generated in the summer can be successfully used to heat a swimming pool.

Manufacturing

The heat pump can be made from parts available on the farm or by purchasing cheap used spare parts. The installation procedure is as follows:

We purchase a ready-made compressor in specialized stores or use a compressor from a conventional air conditioner. We fix it to the wall where our installation will be located. Reliability of fastening is ensured by two L-300 brackets.
We make a capacitor. To do this, cut a stainless steel tank with a volume of about one hundred liters in half. We install a coil made of a thin copper tube with a wall thickness of at least 1 mm into the tank. For the coil, you can purchase a plumbing pipe or use a copper pipe from an old refrigerator. We make the coil as follows:

to oxygen or gas cylinder a copper tube is wound, it is important to maintain a small distance between the turns, which should be the same;
To fix the position of the tube turns, we take two perforated aluminum corners and attach them to the coil so that each turn of our tube is located opposite the hole in the corner. The corners will ensure the same spacing of the coils and give geometric immutability to the entire coil design.

After installing the coil, we weld the tank halves together, having previously welded the necessary threaded connections.
We make an evaporator. We take an ordinary closed plastic container with a volume of 60 or 80 liters. We will install into it a coil from a tube with a diameter of ¾ inches and threaded connections for drain and water supply pipes (regular ones are allowed water pipes). We also fix the finished evaporator on the wall using L-brackets of the required size.
We invite a specialist to assemble the system, weld copper pipes and pump in freon. Without experience working with refrigeration equipment, you should not try to do this work yourself. This can lead to failure of the entire structure and may result in serious injury.

After the main part of our system is ready, it is necessary to connect it to heat distribution and intake devices.

The assembly of the heat intake installation depends on the type of pump and heat source.

Video

The following video details the features of heat pumps:

More details about the design of a homemade pump in the following video:

Photo

Since ancient times, humanity has become “accustomed” to using available natural resources. energy resources that they are simply burned to produce heat or to be converted into other forms of energy. People also learned to use the hidden potential of water flows - they started from water mills and reached powerful hydroelectric power stations. However, what seemed quite sufficient a hundred years ago, today can no longer satisfy the needs of the growing population of the Earth.

Firstly, natural “storehouses” are still not bottomless, and the extraction of energy resources is becoming more and more difficult every year, moving to hard-to-reach regions or even to the sea shelves. Secondly, the combustion of natural raw materials is always associated with emissions of combustion products into the atmosphere, which, given the current enormous volumes of such emissions, has already brought the planet to the brink of environmental disaster. The energy from hydroelectric power stations is not enough, and disruption of the hydrological balance of rivers also leads to a lot of negative consequences. Nuclear energy, which was once looked upon as a “panacea,” after a number of high-profile man-made disasters raises a lot of questions, and in many regions of the planet the construction of nuclear power plants is simply prohibited by law.

However, there are other, practically inexhaustible sources of energy that have become widely used relatively recently. Modern technologies have made it possible to very effectively use the energy of wind, sunlight, ocean tides, etc. to generate electricity or heat. One of the alternative sources is the thermal energy of the earth's interior, reservoirs, and atmosphere. It is on the use of such sources that the operation of heat pumps is based. For us, such equipment is still included in the category of “exotic novelties,” and at the same time, many European residents heat their homes in this way - for example, in Switzerland or the Scandinavian countries, the number of houses with similar systems has exceeded 50%. This type of heat generation is gradually beginning to be practiced in Russia, although the prices for purchasing a high-tech set of equipment still look very frightening. But, as always, there are craftsmen-enthusiasts who show their creativity and assemble heat pumps with their own hands.

The publication is aimed at enabling the reader to take a closer look at the operating principle and basic design of heat pumps, and learn about their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, successful experiences in creating operating installations on their own will be discussed.

Operating principle of a heat pump

Not everyone has thought about this, but around us there are many heat sources that “work” year-round and around the clock. For example, even in the most extreme cold, the temperature under the ice of a frozen reservoir still remains positive. The picture is the same when going deeper into the soil - below the freezing line, the temperature is almost always stable and approximately equal to the annual average characteristic of this region. The air also carries considerable thermal potential.

Perhaps someone will be confused by the seemingly low temperatures of water, soil or air. Yes, they belong to low-potential energy sources, but their main “trump card” is stability, and modern technologies based on the laws of thermophysics allow even a slight difference to be converted into the necessary heating. And, you must agree, when the frost outside in winter is 20 degrees, and below the freezing level the soil is 5 ÷ 7 degrees, then such an amplitude difference is already quite decent.

It is this property of continuous supply of low-potential energy that is incorporated into the heat pump circuit. In essence, this unit is a device that “pumps” and “concentrates” heat taken from an inexhaustible source.

You can draw some analogy with the familiar refrigerator. The products that are placed in it for cooling and storage and the air that enters the chamber when the door is opened also do not have a very high temperature. But if you touch the heat exchange grid of the condenser on back wall refrigerator, then it is either very warm or even hot.

The prototype of a heat pump is a familiar refrigerator, the condenser grill of which heats up during operation.

So why not use this principle to heat the coolant? Of course, the analogy with a refrigerator is not direct - there is no stable external heat source, and most of the energy is wasted. But in the case of a heat pump, such a source can be found (organized), and then it will turn out to be a “refrigerator in reverse” - the main focus of the unit will be precisely on obtaining heat.

On what principle does it work?

It is a system of three circuits with coolants circulating through them.

The heat pump body itself (item 1) contains two heat exchangers (item 4 and 8), a compressor (item 7), a refrigerant circuit (item 5), and adjustment and control devices.
The first circuit (item 1) with its own circulation pump (item 2) is located (immersed) in a source of low-grade heat (their structure will be discussed below). Receiving thermal energy from an external uninterrupted source (shown by a wide pink arrow), warming up by only a few degrees (usually, when using probes or collectors in soil or water - up to 4 ÷ 6 ° WITH), the circulating coolant enters heat exchanger-evaporator(pos. 4). Here the primary transfer of heat received from the outside occurs.
The refrigerant used in the internal circuit of the pump (item 5) has an extremely low boiling point. Typically, one of the modern, environmentally friendly freons or carbon dioxide (essentially liquefied carbon dioxide) is used here. It approaches the inlet of the evaporator (pos. 6) in a liquid state, at reduced pressure - this is provided by an adjustable throttle (pos. 10). The special shape of the capillary-type inlet and the shape of the evaporator contribute to the almost instantaneous transition of the refrigerant into a gaseous state. According to the laws of physics, evaporation is always accompanied by sudden cooling and absorption of surrounding heat. Since this section of the internal circuit is located in the same heat exchanger with the first circuit, freon takes thermal energy from the coolant, while simultaneously cooling it (wide orange arrow). The cooled coolant continues to circulate and again gains thermal energy from an external source.
The refrigerant, already in a gaseous state, transferring the heat transferred to it, enters the compressor (position 7), where under the influence of compression its temperature rises sharply. Next, it enters the next heat exchanger (item 8), in which the condenser and pipes of the third circuit of the heat pump are located. (pos. 11).
Here, a completely opposite process occurs - the refrigerant condenses, turning into a liquid state, while transferring its heat to the coolant of the third circuit. Further, in a liquid state at high pressure, it passes through the throttle, where the pressure decreases, and the cycle of physical transformations of the refrigerant’s state of aggregation is repeated again and again.
Now moves on to the third circuit (item 11) of the heat pump. It receives thermal energy from the refrigerant heated by compression (wide red arrow) through a heat exchanger (item 8). This circuit has its own circulation pump (item 12), which ensures the movement of coolant through the heating pipes. However, it is much more reasonable to use an accumulating, carefully insulated buffer tank (item 13), in which the transferred heat will accumulate. The accumulated reserve of thermal energy is used for the needs of heating and hot water supply, being consumed gradually, as needed. This measure allows you to insure yourself in case of power outages or use a cheaper nightly tariff for the electricity needed to operate the heat pump.

If a buffer storage tank is installed, then a heating circuit (pos. 14) with its own circulation pump (pos. 15) is already connected to it, ensuring the movement of coolant through the system pipes (pos. 16). As already mentioned, there may be a second circuit that provides hot water for domestic needs.

The heat pump cannot operate without power supply - it is required for the operation of the compressor (wide green arrow), and the circulation pumps in the external circuits also consume electricity. However, as developers and manufacturers of heat pumps assure, electricity consumption is not comparable with the resulting “volume” of thermal energy. Thus, with proper assembly and optimal operating conditions, there is often talk of 300 percent or more efficiency, that is, with one kilowatt of electricity expended, a heat pump can produce 4 kilowatts of thermal energy “over the top.”

In fact, such a statement about efficiency is somewhat incorrect. The laws of physics have not been repealed, and efficiency above 100% is the same utopia as “ perpetummobile" - perpetual motion machine. In this case, we are talking about the rational use of electricity for the purpose of “pumping” and converting energy coming from an inexhaustible external source. Here it is more appropriate to use the concept of COP (from English "coefficient of performance") which in Russian is more often called the “heat conversion coefficient”. In this case, indeed, values exceeding one can be obtained:

CO R = Qp/a, Where:

CO R – heat conversion coefficient;

QP– the amount of thermal energy received by the consumer;

A– work performed by the compressor unit.

There is one more nuance that is often simply forgotten - not only the compressor, but also the circulation pumps in the external circuits require a certain energy consumption for the normal functioning of the pump. Their power consumption, of course, is much less, but, nevertheless, it can also be taken into account, and this is often simply not done for marketing purposes.

The resulting total amount of thermal energy can be consumed:

1 – the optimal solution is a system of warm water floors. As a rule, heat pumps provide a “rise” in temperature to a level of approximately 50 ÷ 60 ° WITH– this is enough to heat the floor.

2 – hot water supply at home. Usually in DHW systems the temperature is maintained at this level - about 45 ÷ 55 ° C.

3 – but for conventional radiators such heating will clearly not be enough. The solution is to increase the number of sections or use special low-temperature radiators. Convection-type heating devices will also help solve the problem.

4 – one of the most important advantages of heat pumps is the ability to switch them to the “opposite” operating mode. In the summer, such a unit can perform the function of air conditioning - taking heat from the premises and transferring it to the ground or reservoir.

Sources of low-potential energy

What sources of low-potential energy can heat pumps use? This role can be played by rocks, soil at various depths, water from natural reservoirs or underground aquifers, atmospheric air or warm air flows removed from buildings or industrial technological complexes.

A. Use of thermal energy soils

As already mentioned, below the level of soil freezing characteristic of a given region, the soil temperature is stable throughout the year. This is what is used to operate heat pumps according to the “soil-water” scheme.

Schematic diagram energy extraction "soil - water"

To create such a system, special surface thermal fields are prepared, in which the top layers of soil are removed to a depth of about 1.2 ÷ 1, 5 meters Contours made of plastic or metal plastic pipes diameter is usually 40 mm. The efficiency of thermal energy removal depends on local climatic conditions and the total length of the created circuit.

Approximately, for central Russia, one can operate with the following relationships:

Dry sandy soils - 10 W of energy per linear meter of pipe.
Dry clay soils – 20 W/m.
Wet clay soils – 25 W/m.
Clay rock with high groundwater – 35 W/m.

Despite the apparent simplicity of such heat transfer, this method is by no means always the optimal solution. The fact is that it involves very significant volumes of excavation work. What looks simple in the diagram is much more complicated in practice. Judge for yourself - in order to “remove” even just 10 kWt of thermal energy from the underground circuit on clay soil, about 400 meters of pipe will be required. If we also take into account the mandatory rule that there must be an interval of no less than 1 between the turns of the circuit, 2 meters, then for installation you will need a plot of 4 acres (20 × 20 meters).

Laying a field to extract heat from the ground is an extremely large-scale and labor-intensive task

Firstly, not everyone has the opportunity to allocate such a territory. Secondly, any buildings are completely excluded in this area, since there is a high probability of damage to the contour. And thirdly, the extraction of heat from the ground, especially if the calculations are carried out poorly, may not pass without a trace. The effect of supercooling of the area cannot be excluded, when summer heat will not be able to completely restore the temperature balance at the depth of the circuit. This can negatively affect the biological balance in the surface layers of the soil, and as a result, some plants simply will not grow in a supercooled area - a kind of local “ice age” effect.

B. Thermal energy from wells

Even the small size of the site will not be an obstacle to organizing the provision of thermal energy from a drilled well.

As a source of low-grade heat - a deep well

The soil temperature only becomes more stable with increasing depth, and at depths over 15 — 20 meters is firmly at the 10-degree mark, increasing by two to three degrees for every 100 m of diving. Moreover, this value is absolutely independent of the time of year or the vagaries of the weather, which makes the well the most stable and predictable source of heat.

A probe is lowered into the wells, which is a U-shaped loop of plastic (metal-plastic) pipes with coolant circulating through them. Most often, several wells are made with a depth of 40 ÷ 50 and up to 150 meters, no closer than 6 m from one another, which are connected either in series or with a connection to a common collector. The heat transfer of the soil with this arrangement of pipes is significantly higher:

For dry sedimentary rocks – 20 W/m.
Rocky soil layers or water-saturated sedimentary rocks – 50 W/m.
Solid rocks with high thermal conductivity - 70 W/m.
If you're lucky and you come across an underground one aquifer– about 80 W/m.

If there is not enough space or if deep drilling is difficult due to the characteristics of the soil, several inclined holes can be drilled with beams from one point.

By the way, if the well is located in an aquifer with a stable flow rate, then sometimes an open primary heat exchange circuit is used. In this case, water is pumped from depth by pump, participates in heat exchange, and then, cooled, is discharged into a second well of the same horizon, to located oncertain distance from the first (this is calculated when designing the system). At the same time, water intake for domestic needs can be organized.

The main disadvantage of the well method of heat extraction is the high cost of drilling work, which is very difficult or simply impossible to carry out on your own without the appropriate equipment. In addition, drilling wells often requires permits from environmental authorities. By the way, the use of direct heat exchange with reverse discharge of water into the well may also be prohibited.

Is it possible to drill a well yourself?

Of course this is extremely difficult task, however, there are technologies that allow you to perform it yourself under certain conditions.

Find out how you can in a special publication on our portal.

B. Use of reservoirs as heat sources

A pond of sufficient depth located near the house may well become a good source of thermal energy. Water even winter time under the upper crust of ice remains in a liquid state, and its temperature is above zero - this is what the heat pump needs.

Approximate heat transfer from a circuit immersed in water is 30 kW/m. This means that to get an output of 10 kW, you will need a circuit of about 350 m.

Such collector circuits are mounted on land from plastic pipes. Then they move into the pond and dive to the bottom, to the depths at least 2 meters, for which loads are tied at the rate of 5 kg per 1 linear meter of pipe.

Then it executes thermally insulated laying pipes to the house and connecting them to heat exchanger pump

However, one should not think that any reservoir is fully suitable for such purposes - again, very complex thermal engineering calculations will be needed. For example, a small and insufficiently deep pond or a shallow quiet river may not only not cope with the task of uninterrupted supply of low-potential energy - they can simply be frozen to the bottom, thereby killing all the inhabitants of the reservoir.

The advantages of water heat sources are that there is no need for drilling operations, and earthen ones are reduced to a minimum - only digging trenches to the house for laying pipes. And as a disadvantage, we can note the low accessibility for most homeowners simply due to the lack of bodies of water in reasonable proximity to housing.

By the way, drains are often used for heat exchange purposes - even in cold weather they have a fairly stabilized positive temperature.

D. Heat extraction from the air

Heat for heating a home or for hot water supply can be taken literally from thin air. Air-water heat pumps operate on this principle. air – air».

By and large, this is the same air conditioner, only switched to the “winter” mode. The effectiveness of such a heating system very much depends on the climatic conditions of the region and the vagaries of the weather. Modern installations, although designed to operate even at very low temperatures (up to – 25, and some even up to – 40 ° WITH), but the energy conversion coefficient drops sharply, the profitability and feasibility of such an approach immediately begin to raise a bunch of questions.

But such a heat pump does not require any labor-intensive operations at all - most often its primary heat exchange unit is installed either on the wall (roof) of the building or in close proximity to it. By the way, it is practically impossible to distinguish it from external unit split air conditioning systems.

Such heat pumps are often used as additional sources of thermal energy for heating, and in the summer - as a heat generator for hot water supply.

The use of such heat pumps is fully justified for recovery - the use of secondary heat, for example, at the outlets of ventilation shafts (channels). This way the installation receives a fairly stable and high-temperature source of energy - this is widely used in industrial enterprises where there are constantly sources of secondary heat for its utilization.

In air-to-air and air-to-water systems, there is no primary heat exchange circuit at all. Fans create an air flow that blows directly onto the evaporator tubes with the refrigerant circulating through them.

By the way, there is a whole line of heat pumps of the DX type (from the English “direct exchange”, which means “direct exchange”). They, too, essentially lack a primary circuit. Heat exchange with a source of low-grade heat (in wells or V layer of soil) passes directly into copper pipes filled with refrigerant. This, on the one hand, is more expensive and more difficult to implement, but it allows you to significantly reduce the depth of the wells (one 30-meter vertical or several inclined ones up to 15 m is enough) and the total area of the heat-exchange horizontal field, if it is located under the top layer of soil. Accordingly, we can talk about a higher conversion coefficient, and in general, the efficiency of the heat pump. But the only problem is that copper heat exchange pipes are much more expensive than plastic ones and more difficult to install, and the cost of the refrigerant is much higher than that of a conventional antifreeze coolant.

How does an air conditioner work, and is it possible to install it yourself?

It has already been said that basic principle The actions of an air conditioner and a heat pump are practically “twins”, but in a “mirror image”.

More details about the device and basic rules can be found in a special publication on the portal.

Video: useful information on the theory and practice of using heat pumps

General advantages and disadvantages of heat pumps

So, we can draw a certain line in the consideration of heat pumps, focusing on their main, imaginary and real, advantages and disadvantages.

A. High efficiency and overall profitability of this type of heating.

This has already been mentioned above - in a well-thought-out and correctly installed system, under optimal operating conditions, you can count on receiving 4 kW of thermal energy to replace the spent 1 kW of electrical energy.

All this will be fair only if the housing has received the highest quality insulation. This, of course, applies to any heating systems, it’s just that these “magic numbers” of 300% show more the importance of reliable thermal insulation.

In terms of regular costs for consumed energy resources, heat pumps are in first place in terms of efficiency, somewhat ahead of even cheap network gas. It should also be taken into account that there is no need to transport and store fuel reserves—if we are talking about stakes running on solid or liquid fuel.

B. A heat pump can become highly economical main source of heating and hot water supply.

This issue has also already been addressed. If the house uses heat pumps as the main source of indoor heating, then a heat pump of appropriate power must “pull” such a load. For most conventional radiators, a temperature of 50 ÷ 55 degrees will be clearly insufficient.

Particularly worth mentioning are pumps that extract heat from the air. They are extremely sensitive to current weather conditions. Although manufacturers claim the ability to work at -25 and even -40 ° WITH, the efficiency decreases sharply, and there can be no talk of any 300%.

A reasonable solution is to create a combined heating system (bivalent). As long as the HP’s power is sufficient, it acts as the main source of heat, in case of insufficient poweroffensive real cold weather - electric heating, liquid or solid fuel boiler, solar collector, etc. come to the rescue. Gas equipment in this case is not considered - if it is possible to use network gas for heating, then the need for a heat pump looks very doubtful, at least at the current level of energy prices.

IN. A heat pump heating system does not require a chimney. It works almost silently.

Indeed, the owners will not have any difficulties with arranging the chimney. As for the silence of work, it’s like any other household appliances with certain drives, background noise is still present - from the operation of the compressor, circulation pumps. Another question is that modern models This noise level, if the unit is properly adjusted, is very low and does not cause disturbance to residents. In addition, probably few people would think of installing such equipment in living rooms.

G. The system is completely environmentally friendly - there are absolutely no emissions into the atmosphere, there is no threat to the residents of the house.

Everything is true, especially for models that use modern, ozone-friendly freon (for example, R-410A) as a refrigerant.

You can also immediately note the fire - and explosion-proof such a system – there are no flammable or combustible substances, the accumulation of their explosive concentrations is excluded.

D. Modern heat pumps are universal climate control units that can operate for both heating and air conditioning in the summer.

This is a very important advantage, which really gives owners a lot of additional convenience.

E. The operation of the heat pump is fully controlled automatically and does not require user intervention. Such a system, unlike others, does not require regular maintenance and prevention.

We can completely agree with the first statement, however, without forgetting to mention that most modern heating gas or electrical installations are also fully automated, that is, not only heat pumps have this advantage.

But on the second question you can enter into a discussion. Probably, none of the industrial or domestic heating units can do without regular checks and preventative maintenance. Even if it is fair to assume that you shouldn’t get into the internal circuit with refrigerant and the automation yourself, then the external circuits with antifreeze or other coolant will still require some participation. This includes regular cleaning (especially in air systems), and monitoring the composition and level of the coolant, and inspecting the operation of circulation pumps, and checking the condition of pipes for integrity and the presence of leaks on fittings, and much more - in a word, something that no one can do without. one heating system. In a word, the statement about the complete uselessness of maintenance looks, at least, unfounded.

AND. Quick payback for a heating system with a heat pump.

This issue is so controversial that it deserves special attention.

Some companies involved in the sale of such equipment promise their potential clients a very quick return on the funds invested in the project. They provide calculations in tables, according to which, indeed, one can create the opinion that a heat pump is the only acceptable solution if it is not possible to extend a gas line to the house.

Here is one such example:

Fuel types	Natural gas (methane)	Chopped birch firewood	Email energy at a single tariff	Diesel fuel	Heat pump (night tariff)
Unit fuel supplies	m³	3 m³	kW × h	liter	kW × h
Fuel cost with delivery, rub	5.95	6000	3.61	36.75	0.98
Fuel calorie content	38.2	4050	1	36	1
Unit calorie measurements	MJ/m³	kW × h	kW × h	MJ/liter	kW × h
Boiler efficiency,% or COP	92	65	99	85	450
Fuel cost, rub/MJ	0.17	0.41	1.01	1.19	0,06
Fuel cost, rub/kWh	0.61	1.48	3.65	4.29	0.22
Fuel cost, rub/GCal	708	1722	4238	4989	253
Fuel cost per year, rub	24350	59257	145859	171721	8711
Equipment service life, years	10	10	10	10	15
Approximate cost of equipment, rub	50000	70000	40000	100000	320000
Installation cost, rub	70000	30000	30000	30000	80000
Cost of connecting networks (technical conditions, equipment and installation), rub.	120000	0	650	0	0
Initial investment, RUB (approximately)	240000	100000	70650	130000	400000
Operating costs, rub/year	1000	1000	0	5000	0
Types of operational work	maintenance, camera cleaning	cleaning chambers, chimneys	Replacing heating elements	cleaning the chamber, nozzles, replacing filters	No
Total expenses for the entire period of operation (including fuel costs), rub.	493502	702572	1529236	1897201	530667
Total relative cost of 1 year of operation (fuel, depreciation, maintenance, etc.)	49350	70257	152924	189720	35378

Yes, the bottom line is really impressive, but is everything going “smoothly” here?

The first thing that will catch the eye of an attentive reader is that the electricity tariff for electric heating is a general tariff, and for some reason the heat pump has a preferential night tariff. Apparently, in order to make the final difference more clear.

Further. The cost of heat pump equipment is not shown entirely correctly. If you take a closer look at the offers on the Internet, prices for installations with a capacity of about 7 ÷ 10 kW, which can be used for heating purposes, start from 300 - 350 thousand rubles (air heat pumps and low-power installations used only for hot water supply cost somewhat smaller).

It would seem that everything is correct, but “the devil is in the details.” This is only the cost of the hardware unit itself, which does not include peripheral devices, circuits, probes, etc. – useless. The price of just one collector (without pipes) will give at least 12 ÷ 15 thousand, a borehole probe costs no less. And if you add the cost of pipes, fittings, shut-off valves, and a sufficiently large amount of coolant, the total amount grows rapidly.

Pipes, manifolds, shut-off valves are also quite a “weighty” item of general expenses

But this is not all. It has already been mentioned that a heating system based on a heat pump, like probably no other, needs complex specialized calculations. When designing, many factors are taken into account: the total area and volume of the building itself, the degree of its insulation and calculation of heat losses, the provision of a sufficient power source of power supply, the presence of the necessary area of the territory (a nearby body of water) for placing heat exchange horizontal circuits or drilling wells, the type and condition of the soil , location of aquifers and much more. Of course, both survey and design work will also require time and appropriate payment to specialists.

Installing equipment “at random”, without proper design, is fraught with a sharp decrease in the efficiency of the system, and sometimes even with local “environmental disasters” in the form of unacceptable hypothermia of the soil, wells or boreholes, and reservoirs.

The next step is the installation of equipment and the creation of heat exchange fields or wells. The scale of excavation work and the depth of drilling have already been mentioned. To fill the wells after installing the probes, a special concrete solution with a high degree of thermal conductivity is required. Plus to this - switching circuits, laying highways to the house, etc. - all this is another considerable “layer” of material costs. This also includes the purchase and installation of a storage tank with the necessary automatic control, modification of the heating system for heated floors, or installation of special heat exchange devices.

In a word, the costs are very impressive, and this is probably what keeps heating systems from heat pumps in the category of “exotic”, inaccessible to the vast majority of private home owners.

But what about their highest popularity and widespread use in other countries? The fact is that government programs are working there to stimulate the population to use alternative sources of energy supply. Consumers who have expressed a desire to switch to these types of heating have the right to receive government subsidies, which largely cover the initial costs of designing and installing equipment. And the income level of working citizens, to be honest, is there slightly higher than in our area.

For European cities and towns, this is a fairly familiar picture - a heat exchanger of a heat pump near a house

Summary - statements about the quick payback of such a project should be treated with a certain degree of caution. Before taking on such a large-scale and responsible set of activities, you should carefully calculate and weigh all the “accounting” down to the smallest detail, assess the degree of risk, your financial capabilities, planned profitability, etc. Perhaps there will be more rational, acceptable options - laying gas, installing modern heating systems, using new developments in the field of electric heating, etc.

What is written should not be taken as “negative” towards heat pumps. Of course, this is an extremely progressive direction, and it has great prospects. The point is only that in such matters one should not show rash voluntarism - decisions should be based on carefully thought out and comprehensively carried out calculations.

Prices for the range of heat pumps

Heat pumps

Is it possible to assemble a heat pump with your own hands?

The general prospects of using “free” sources of thermal energy, coupled with the continuing high price of equipment, willy-nilly lead many home craftsmen to the question of creating such heating installations on their own. Is it possible to make a heat pump on your own?

Of course, collect such heat engine, using some ready-made units and the necessary materials is quite possible. On the Internet you can find videos and articles with successful examples. True, it is unlikely that it will be possible to find exact drawings; everything is usually limited to recommendations on the possibility of manufacturing certain parts and assemblies. However, there is a rational “grain” in this: as already mentioned, a heat pump is such an individual system that requires calculations in relation to specific conditions that it is unlikely to be advisable to blindly copy other people’s work.

However, for those who still decide to self-production, you should listen to some technological recommendations.

So, let’s “put out of the equation” the creation of external circuits - heating and primary heat exchange. The main task in this case is the manufacture of two heat exchangers, an evaporator and a condenser, connected by a circuit of copper tube with refrigerant circulating through it. This circuit, as can be seen from the circuit diagram, is connected to the compressor.

It’s not difficult to find a compressor - new or from equipment disassembled for spare parts

The compressor itself is not so difficult to get - you can buy a new one in a specialized store. You can search at the hardware market - they often sell units from old refrigerators or air conditioners disassembled for spare parts. It is quite possible that the compressor will be found in your own supplies - many thrifty owners, even when purchasing new household appliances, do not throw away such things.

Now - the question of heat exchangers. There are several different options here:

A. If possible to purchase ready-made plate heat exchangers , sealed in a sealed case, this will immediately solve a lot of problems. Such devices have excellent efficiency of heat transfer from one circuit to another - it is not for nothing that they are used in heating systems when connecting autonomous intra-apartment wiring to the pipes of the central network.

Another convenience is that such heat exchangers are compact and have ready-made pipes, fittings or threaded connections for connection to both circuits.

Video: making a heat pump using ready-made heat exchangers

B. Option of a heat pump with heat exchangers made of copper tubes and closed containers.

Both heat exchangers are, in principle, similar in design, but different containers can be used for them.

A cylindrical stainless steel tank with a capacity of about 100 liters is suitable for the condenser. It is necessary to place a copper coil in it, bringing its ends out from above and below and hermetically sealing the passage points upon completion of assembly. The inlet should be located at the bottom, the outlet, respectively, at the top of the heat exchanger.

The coil itself is wound from a copper tube, which can be purchased in a store by the meter (wall thickness - at least 1 mm). You can use a large diameter pipe as a template. The coil turns should be somewhat spaced apart, attached, for example, to a perforated aluminum profile.

The heating water circuit can be connected using ordinary water pipes mounted (welded, soldered or on threaded connection with seal) at opposite ends of the heat exchange tank. The internal space of the heat exchanger itself is used to circulate water. The end result should be something like this:

For an evaporator, such complications are not needed - there are no high temperatures or excess pressure, so a large plastic container will be enough. The coil is wound in approximately the same way, its ends are brought out. Regular plumbing connections are also sufficient to circulate water from the primary circuit.

The evaporator is also installed on brackets next to the condenser, and a site is prepared near them for mounting the compressor and then connecting it to the circuit.

Recommendations for piping the compressor, installing a throttle control valve, the diameter and length of the capillary tube, the need for a regeneration heat exchanger and etc.., will not be given - this must only be calculated and installed by a refrigeration specialist.

It should be remembered that this requires high skills in hermetic soldering of copper pipelines, the ability to correctly pump the refrigerant - freon, carry out checks and carry out a test run. In addition, this work is quite dangerous, requiring compliance with very specific safety rules.

IN. Heat pump with pipe heat exchangers

Another option for manufacturing heat exchangers. For this you will need metal-plastic and copper pipes.

Copper tubes are selected in two diameters - about 8 mm for the condenser, and about 5 ÷ 6 for the evaporator. Their length is 12 and 10 meters respectively.

Metal-plastic pipes are designed to circulate water through them from the primary heat exchange and heating circuits, and copper tubes of the internal circuit of the heat pump will be located in their cavity. Accordingly, the diameter of the pipes can be 20 and 16 mm.

Metal-plastic pipes are stretched in length so that copper pipes can be inserted into them without much effort, which should protrude about 200 mm on each side.

A tee is placed and sealed on each end of the pipe so that the copper tube passes straight through it. The space between it and the body of the tee is reliably sealed with heat-resistant sealant. The remaining perpendicular terminal of the tee will serve to connect the heat exchanger to the water circuit.

The assembled pipes are wound in spirals. Be sure to immediately provide for their thermal insulation by dressing them in foam rubber insulating “shirts.” The result is two finished heat exchangers.

They can be placed one above the other in an improvised frame-type housing. The same frame also provides a platform for installing the compressor. And in order to reduce the transmission of vibration from it to the overall structure, the compressor can be mounted, for example, through automobile silent blocks.

To piping the compressor and filling the resulting circuit with freon, you will again need to invite a refrigeration specialist.

You can install such a heat pump in its intended place and connect the tee fittings on the heat exchangers, each to its own circuit. All that remains is to supply power and start the unit.

All of the homemade heat pumps considered are fully functional designs. However, you should not assume that you can completely solve the problem of cheap home heating just like that. Here we are talking, rather, about the creation of existing models that require further refinement and modernization. Even experienced craftsmen in this field, who have already made more than one similar device, are constantly looking for ways to improve, creating new “versions”.

Video: how a master improves a heat pump he created with his own hands

In addition, only the heat pump itself was considered, and for normal operation it requires control, monitoring, and adjustment equipment associated with the heating system of the house. Here it is no longer possible to do without certain knowledge in the field of electrical engineering and electronics.

Again, we can return to the problems of calculations - will a homemade heat pump “pull” the heating system so as to become a real alternative to other heat sources? Often, in these matters, home craftsmen have to “go by feel.” However, if the basic principle is learned and the first model works successfully, this is already a big victory. You can temporarily adapt your test sample to provide your home with hot water for domestic purposes, and then begin designing a more advanced unit, taking into account the experience you have already gained and correcting mistakes.

Hot water supply - from solar energy!

A very practical solution would be to use solar energy to provide hot water to your home. This source of alternative energy is much simpler and cheaper to implement than a heat pump. How to do it - in a special publication on our portal.

The owners of country houses have always been sensitive to the issue of hot water supply and heating.

Installing a gas, electric or diesel boiler makes it possible to heat a country house and supply it with hot water and heat, but nowadays there are alternatives to the heating we are used to.

One such alternative is . This is quite an expensive pleasure, but you can make it yourself. We'll talk about how to do this in this article.

Operating principle of the heat pump

The peculiarity of heat pumps is that they operate from natural energy sources. To release thermal energy, the pump does not need diesel fuel, electricity or solid fuel.

Water, atmosphere and soil are used as energy sources. Pumps do not generate heat, but simply transfer it into the building. This uses a small amount of electricity.

In order to provide heat to your home, you only need a heat pump and a heat source. The principle of operation of the system resembles the operation of a conventional refrigerator, only in reverse. In this case, heat is taken from outside and transported into the house.

Important point: The main element in an alternative heating system is the heat pump, so its construction must be approached very carefully.

The pump consists of the following elements:

a compressor, which is an intermediate element of the system;
evaporator. It is where low-potential energy is transferred;
a throttle valve through which the refrigerant (freon) returns to the evaporator;
condenser, where freon is cooled and thermal energy is released.

The pump works according to a certain principle. It looks something like this:

The operating principle of the heat pump. (Click to enlarge)

Low-grade heat, which is released from external energy sources, is transferred through pipes to the evaporator - the first element in the pump design. Heat is transferred by coolants that can withstand low temperatures without freezing.
Here, heat is transferred to the refrigerant, which circulates through a closed circuit of the system. Freon is often used as a refrigerant.
In the compressor, freon is exposed to high pressure, which significantly increases its temperature.
At the next stage, the refrigerant enters the condenser, where heat is transferred to the heating system circuit. As a result, heat goes into the room, and freon, cooling, returns to a liquid state.
Through the pressure reducing valve, freon flows back into the evaporator, where the process is repeated.

Based on the operating principle of the pump, electricity is spent only on the operation of the compressor. As a result, this makes the heat pump the most economical method of heat transfer.

Using an old refrigerator

Refrigerator heat pump device

So, to assemble the heating system in country house, you must have a heat pump.

Today such units are not cheap, this is explained by high technical characteristics and the painstaking work of assembling them. But, if you wish, you can assemble the heat pump yourself.

You can build a simple heat pump from a household refrigerator. The peculiarity of the technique is that it has two main components of a heat pump - a condenser and a compressor. This will significantly speed up the assembly of the heat pump with your own hands.

So, assembling a pump from an old refrigerator is as follows:

Capacitor assembly. The element is made in the form of a coil. In refrigerators it is most often installed at the back. This well-known grille is the condenser through which heat is transferred from the refrigerant.
The capacitor is installed in a container that is highly durable and can withstand high temperatures. To avoid damaging the coil during installation, experts recommend cutting the container and installing a capacitor in it. After this, the container is welded.
Next, a compressor is attached to the container. It is almost impossible to make a unit at home. Therefore, it is better to take it from an old refrigerator. At the same time, you should pay attention to ensure that it is in good condition.
You can use a regular plastic barrel as an evaporator.
After all elements of the system are ready, they are connected to each other. Plastic pipes are used to connect the unit to the heating system.

Thus, you can build a heat pump from an old household refrigerator. If you need to pump freon into the system, you need to call a specialist. This kind of work can only be done with the help of special equipment.

Take note: Refrigerator heat pumps are often used to heat small spaces and domestic buildings. This could be a garage or a small shed.

The refrigerator can also be used as a heat source. That is, it will play the role of a radiator for the heating system. You just need to install two air ducts through which air will flow into and out of the equipment.

The first channel will let air into the freezer, and the second will release it. In this case, physical processes occur that cause the capacitor to heat up.

Application of air conditioner

Diagram of a heat pump from an air conditioner

The point is that its operating principle is similar to that of a heat pump.

But, there are some differences. First of all, it is worth noting temperature regime operation of climate control equipment. It is not advisable to use split systems at low temperatures.

To make a heat pump from an air conditioner, it is necessary to carry out a number of modifications and alterations:

The first way to assemble the pump is to remake the air conditioner. In this case, the outdoor and indoor units are swapped. The indoor block contains an evaporator, which is needed to transfer low-grade heat. A capacitor is installed in the external unit, which transfers thermal energy. Both air and water can be used as a heating medium. In the second case, the capacitor is mounted in a special tank where heat transfer will take place.
The second method is to install a four-way changeover valve into the system. Only professionals can do this kind of work. This is especially true for installing a heat probe.
The third option is to completely disassemble the climate control equipment. The parts are used to assemble the heat pump according to the usual scheme: evaporator - compressor - condenser.

You should approach the assembly of a heat pump based on an air conditioner very carefully and it is better to involve a professional. The productivity of the unit will depend on the correct assembly.

Before you start assembling the heat pump, you should think about insulating the house. If the building has low thermal insulation properties, then the efficiency of using the pump and other heat sources will be significantly reduced.

Such pumps are best used in low-temperature heating systems. In this case the best option the floor will be warm. Taking into account all the assembly features, it is quite possible to build a heat pump with your own hands.

Watch the video in which an experienced user explains in detail how to use a heat pump made from an air conditioner with his own hands:

Increasing the efficiency of the heating system of a house is one of the main tasks of its owner, since the costs for this item in Russian climatic conditions are very significant. Therefore, the problem of using the energy of the surrounding space for heating is very interesting, is constantly evolving and remains a subject of attention, especially in the “do-it-yourself” community. Assembling a heat pump with your own hands is quite accessible to a trained person, since this work does not present any particular difficulties, and there is no need to manufacture parts of a complex configuration.

It is based on collecting heat from the surrounding space and using it for the home heating system in order to reduce the cost of this function. Devices of this type are available in many homes, these are refrigerators, split systems and air conditioners. Some of them have a dual purpose, performing at the user's choice either heating or cooling the premises, depending on the need.

The theoretical basis of such machines is the reverse Carnot cycle. But, without going into details, we will simply describe the process of operation of such a device.

Fig.1. Schematic diagram of the operation of a heat pump in a heating network

The working fluid in such devices, as in refrigerators, is freon or ammonia, which is pumped into the heating circuit by a compressor. In this case, the pressure inside the system increases sharply, since the coolant outlet is blocked by the throttle. The resulting heat warms the coolant in the heating system of the house; as a rule, the temperature reaches 64 o C. The hot flow complements that circulating in the main heating network, reducing fuel consumption. At a certain pressure, the throttle opens and the working fluid enters the evaporator chamber. At the same time, its temperature decreases. Additional heat is obtained from the heat collection register. Then the cycle is repeated, as in the refrigerator.

Calculation of system parameters

The power required by a homemade heat pump can be calculated from the ratio:

R = ( k * v * T )/860, Where

R – power required to heat the room

k – coefficient for taking into account heat losses by a building (1 – high-quality insulated room, 4 – plank barracks);

v – the total volume of the room to be heated;

T – the greatest temperature difference between the outside world and the interior space;

860 – conversion factor of the calculation result into kW from kcal

As an example, let's give a calculation for a house 200 square meters with a ceiling height of 2.8 meters:

R = 1 * 200 * 2.8 * (22 - -25)/860 = 560 * 47 /860 = 30.6 kW.

It is advisable to use a heat pump with a power reserve of 10 - 12%, that is, about 35 kW.

You need to pay attention to such an indicator as the difference between external and internal temperatures. If we take heated air from the surrounding space with a temperature of about 7 o C, the difference will be (22 - 7) 15 degrees, and the power of the heat pump will be 9.8 kW. Compare these two indicators and feel the difference when using the heat of the surrounding space.

Part of the equipment

External contour

For the external circuit of the home heating unit you will need pipes. Metal products (but not stainless steel) have the greatest thermal conductivity, so it is better to use them for a heat collection system.