How to Install a Water Source Heat Pump

A heat pump draws thermal energy from a cold environment and transfers it to a warmer environment. It uses compression and expansion, similar to an air conditioner, to accomplish this feat. This principle has a limit of increasing the temperature by only 30 degrees Fahrenheit above the cold environment, making standard air-sourced heat pumps impractical for colder climates. Instead of the air, if you are using a constant temperature water heat source, such as ground water, a heat pump can be practical in colder climates.

Radiant heat exchanger
Compressor
High pressure tubing
Refrigerant filling port
Expansion port
Liquid-liquid heat exchanger
Refrigerant

Instructions

- 1
  Install a radiant heat exchanger in front of the fan in your ventilation system. The outside of the fan and the duct work should form an air-tight seal with the heat exchanger. Air leaks will decrease the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.
- 2
  Connect a short piece of high pressure tubing between the compressor's output and the input of the radiant heat exchanger.
- 3
  Screw the refrigerant filling port onto the input of the compressor then run a piece of tubing from the input of the filling port and another piece from the radiant heat exchanger's output to where the liquid-liquid heat exchanger will be located. The liquid-liquid heat exchanger needs to be easily accessible to the water source, which is seldom close to the ventilation system.
- 4
  Screw the piece of tubing running to the radiant heat exchanger's output to the expansion port then screw the other side of the expansion port onto the input of the smaller side of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger.
- 5
  Connect the tubing running to the filling port to the output of the smaller side of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger. This will close the refrigerant loop.
- 6
  Connect the water source to the input of the larger side of the liquid-liquid heat exchanger and the water drain to the output.
- 7
  Fill the refrigerant loop with refrigerant using the filling port. You may need to turn on the compressor briefly to help circulate the refrigerant within the system.

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