Apparatus and Methods for Pre-Heating Water with Air Conditioning Unit or Heat Pump

摘要

Water heater apparatus includes a tank for storing water; a heat exchanger associated with the tank and being operative to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to the tank, the heat exchanger representatively being a heat conductive tube externally wrapped around the tank in heat conductive contact therewith; air conditioning apparatus operative to utilize refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit portion of the air conditioning apparatus, the refrigerant circuit portion being in fluid communication with the heat exchanger; and a control system operative to selectively cause a portion of the flowing refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger, or cause essentially the entire flow of the refrigerant to bypass the heat exchanger.

主权项

1. An apparatus for heating water, comprising:
an air conditioning apparatus operative to utilize refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit portion of said air conditioning apparatus to regulate the temperature of air being delivered to a conditioned space; a tank for storing water; a heat exchanger associated with said tank and being operative to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to said tank, the heat exchanger comprising a first end forming a part of the refrigerant circuit portion and a second end forming a part of the refrigerant circuit portion, a first valve disposed at the first end of the heat exchanger and arranged to control flow of refrigerant at the first end of the heat exchanger; a second valve disposed at the second end of the heat exchanger and arranged to control flow of refrigerant at the second end of the heat exchanger; and a bypass circuit forming a part of the refrigerant circuit portion and arranged to selectively flow refrigerant in a manner bypassing the heat exchanger, the first valve, and the second valve.