Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

General => General Discussion => Topic started by: j845125 on March 18, 2011, 04:34:21 PM

Title: AC off of OWB??
Post by: j845125 on March 18, 2011, 04:34:21 PM
I've read about an absorption air conditioner that uses heat to power air conditioners. I'd love to cool my house with coal/wood. Can anyone with more knowledge than me tell me about it?? Ever heard of it??
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on March 18, 2011, 05:50:29 PM
They usually use liquid ammonia. It is very dangerous and can't use and copper or brass fittings with it. At least one company makes a used oil burner air conditioner. I am not sure if they use the ammonia method though. There is also a special type salt they use instead of it and supposedly you can store you "cold" for a long time in the salt. I saw a solar setup that used this method. I am not sure how hard it would be to build.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: oldchenowth on March 19, 2011, 09:16:56 PM
I think the old RV refridgerators used amonia.  Deadly Dangerous, and massive expensive.  But if anyone gets info I would be interested.  I'd love to try and explain that to the neighbors in August.  "I gotta go fix the fire to make sure it stays cold in here"  They already think I'm a dumbass.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on March 19, 2011, 10:18:58 PM
http://www.climatewell.com/index.html#/innovation/how-it-works (http://www.climatewell.com/index.html#/innovation/how-it-works)
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: Bull on March 20, 2011, 06:32:20 AM
LOL @ Oldchenowth
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on March 20, 2011, 09:24:35 AM
Simple salt and water system

A simple absorption refrigeration system common in large commercial plants uses a solution of lithium bromide salt and water. Water under low pressure is evaporated from the coils that are being chilled. The water is absorbed by a lithium bromide/water solution. The water is driven off the lithium bromide solution using heat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator#Simple_salt_and_water_system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator#Simple_salt_and_water_system)
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: martyinmi on March 20, 2011, 08:58:08 PM
Do you know of anyone who might make a kit for us do-it-yourselfers to install? It sure would be nice to break free from those $250/mo. Consumers Energy bills in the summer.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on March 20, 2011, 09:19:23 PM
No, none that I am aware of. A couple years ago I was researching it quite a bit and getting ready to try building one till I figured out how dangerous the ammonia is. I just came across the salt type a few months ago but they look like they are probably pretty pricey. I have not had time to figure out if it is possible to easily build one from scratch.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: Bull on March 21, 2011, 06:41:34 AM
Someone on here said something about running a new line of pex to there heat exchanger and let the ground cool the water. Has anyone tried that?
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: dirtryder on March 22, 2011, 06:17:47 AM
Not using your OWB to cool your house, but I found this a while ago. Very interesting read:

http://mb-soft.com/solar/saving.html (http://mb-soft.com/solar/saving.html)
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: Bull on March 22, 2011, 07:01:40 AM
Nice article Dirtryder
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: bruey on April 18, 2011, 07:27:28 PM
will be trying the underground lines with a secondary pump using the same heat exchanger in my furnace this summer. talked to a guy from dublin ohio who did the same thing about 4 years ago and he said he has been cooling his house this way.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on April 18, 2011, 07:30:46 PM
will be trying the underground lines with a secondary pump using the same heat exchanger in my furnace this summer. talked to a guy from dublin ohio who did the same thing about 4 years ago and he said he has been cooling his house this way.
Just curious how you are planing on doing it. Will it be a single loop or have multiple branches? How many feet of pipe, pipe diameter and what total distance?
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: yoderheating on April 18, 2011, 08:46:09 PM
 Wouldn't this cause it to sweet a lot? I've always heard you would need a A coil to do it right.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on April 18, 2011, 09:24:51 PM
Isn't the only reason for an A coil to get more surface area? I am pretty sure they just use flat heat exchangers in a lot of smaller cooling units. A window AC just has a flat one but it is vertical. I would think the water would just fall onto the A coil and run out the same way as normal. If you have the coil in the return line then there will be a water problem.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: yoderheating on April 18, 2011, 11:06:18 PM
 However you do it you need to be really sure that you are not getting moisture down into the fan and electronics. I doesn't take long to start having problems if that happens.  I have a customer who says he is going to try this, I am interested in how it works.   
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: bruey on April 22, 2011, 06:47:21 PM
thats what i thought, water problem but this guy swears it works and he does not have a moisture problem, as far as the pipe a friend said i will need about 1200 feet,  and pex is cheep , going to dig about 7 to 8 feet down and do a loop design, i went on line for geothermal and it shows a vast amount of information for underground and water installs. i am going up to see his unit this summer and will report.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on April 22, 2011, 07:08:10 PM
You are going to try pumping water through 1200' of pex? What size are you going to use? 1" won't be much volume.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: bruey on April 22, 2011, 07:16:14 PM
yes on the pump, yes on the 1"
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on April 22, 2011, 07:19:54 PM
Have you looked at the head loss on 1200' of 1" pex? You won't have much water moving.
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: bruey on April 22, 2011, 07:27:13 PM
it for sure wont be a wood stove pump and also the indoor fan will run slower and longer than that of normal ac, this is what i have been told, we shall see
Title: Re: AC off of OWB??
Post by: RSI on April 22, 2011, 07:40:17 PM
It doesn't matter what kind of pump, it will be slow. I thought the fan ran faster for AC.
If you are going to stay with 1" pex and if possible, I would split it into 2 600' runs and put them in parallel.

How much are you paying for the pex? 1200' won't be that cheap. How much does it cost to run your AC?