Dumpster-dived Window A/C Turns into Floor-Source Heat Pump

Heat pumps are nice, as a result of they pump warmth round, and we regularly don’t need warmth the place it’s. Need it elsewhere? Pump it! It’s nice. It’s additionally a bit expensive if you happen to’re shopping for new, however [Craftsman Chris] over on YouTube realized that the window air-con unit he present in a dumpster is, in reality, a warmth pump. Normally it’s an air-source warmth pump, however with a pleasant sequence of hacks, he will get it automated and hooked right into a ground loop in his latest YouTube video.

The warmth sink is supplied by a bunch of PEX tubing [Chris] buried in his again yard. After experimenting with utilizing the water loop for cooling instantly, he realized that pumping warmth out of his home into the chilly floor would go a lot better with a warmth pump. That’s the place the window A/C got here in. After cleansing and servicing it, it was time to transform it to dump warmth into water somewhat than outdoors air. To try this, [Chris] welded up a tank made from scrap steel across the current warmth exchanger. It’s designed for air, positive, however water takes its warmth simply wonderful. The good factor about that is that by protecting the internals of the air conditioner largely inventory, he doesn’t let loose any of the tasty, tasty CFCs that could be hiding inside.

Connecting this unit to his thermostat is equally hacky– he takes an outdated Programmable Logic Controller that appears match to run a small manufacturing facility, and hooks it to a single linear actuator to poke the A/C unit’s inventory energy button. Is it elegant? No. Does it work? Yes. Is it a hack? Indubitably!

We’ve seen window models pressed into whole-house A/C service before, however including the water loop is a superb hack. We noticed a window A/C used as a ground-source pump before, too, however that was a Canadian undertaking and so sensibly turned the machine round to supply heating for the maple mansion.