"Existential Angst" wrote in message ...
"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Dec 2012 07:43:07 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:


Think about how it could help the AC. The current coils
and fan in the condesner are perfectly capable of taking
the heated, compressed refrigerant down to close to
ambient temperature. The pool heat exchanger is going
to do the same thing.

"Ambient" pool water temperature normally isn't the same as ambient
air temp. A pool provides an enormous heat sink, cooling at night,
with evaporative cooling not requiring jumping through EPA hoops.
Water is thousands (WAG) of times more capable of removing heat than
air.
And "perfectly capable" doesn't address the difference in time running
to do the same job. Which gets to electrical consumption and
compresser/fan wear.


Yeah, it's smaller because water
can take the same heat away with a smaller heat exchanger.
But, at the end of the day, all I see that's saved is the cost
of running the AC condenser fan. Don't know how much
that is in the whole AC scheme, but considering you have
a compressor, big blower in the furnace, I'd be surprised if
it's more than 15% or so.

I've seen estimates that water cooled condensers give 20-50% energy
savings. It's all in the details - and climate.
In some climates people want their pools chilled.
Barring that, using pool water to cool the condenser is elegant and
efficient if the bottom line works out The main issues are initial
cost and maintenance.
Those are the nuts to crack. It all gets to payback.

Excellent points.
Bottom line, the pool will help the A/C MUCH more than the A/C will help
the pool.
BUT, it is proly unlikely this could be done economically, at least in a
one-off basis.

But, if A/C mfrs would outfit the condensing heat exchanger with a water
jacket, so that all's you needed was some fittings, plastic tubing and a
small-ish pump, then indeed it would be economical, and likely radically
increasing the SEER ratings.


During the summer months, I use a geothermal heat pump to cool the house while simultaniously eating a 45,000 gallon pool; in the fall, I use it to heat the house with up until the point where the pool is colder than our well water at which point I start heating with well water, using surface disposal instead.