Anybody using these yet? www.AirGenerate.com
A simple retrofit onto existing water heaters. For the price ($500) and efficiency, it sounds too good to be true…
Anybody using these yet? www.AirGenerate.com
A simple retrofit onto existing water heaters. For the price ($500) and efficiency, it sounds too good to be true…
By considering things like energy-efficient mechanicals, window orientation, and renewable energy sources, homes can be evaluated to meet the energy codes. Here's what the IRC has to say.
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Replies
In the summer, if you are in an A/C climate, the unit will cool the air around the heater to get heat for putting into the water heater. So it would be a gain. The electrical input to the unit (about 0.7 kw, if I read the specs correctly) also goes into the water. COP would be about 3.0.
In heating season, the heat pulled from the air around the heater must be replaced by the heating system, so the overall efficiency is mostly a matter of how the house is heated. Also, you'd have to have air circulation to where the heater is, or that air around the heater is going to be chilled as though by a 4600 BTU/hr A/C unit. I think I got the numbers right.
They changed the name of the website, it used to be http://www.beyondpollution.com . There is a video on finehomebuilding.com, here is a direct link http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/video/air-tap-water-heater-heating-element.aspx .
Hope this helps,
Kenny