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  1. #1
    Sprayed On Member
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    Air Con Water Heaters

    I've just been to look at my house and its nearly finished but there's one thing I overlooked and that was having hot water. I want hot water in 3 bathrooms and in the kitchen.

    I like the idea of the air-con water heaters, where you have a 75 liter water tank and use the hot gas from the air con unit to heat the water. Running the aircon for 2 hours heats the tank to about 60ºc.

    I spoke to the site foreman today and he said that all the houses on the mooban had been set up to except a standard electric water heater and he didn't really know a lot about aircon water heaters.

    So I've got a few questions.

    Does anyone here use the system?

    Can anyone recommend a good company in the Bangkok area?

    How much does the system cost for a single tank unit?

    Is this something that can easily be plumbed in to a regular house system or is it something that should have been set up whilst the house was being built?

    Does the water tank need to be right next to the aircon out door unit or can the gas be pumped from anywhere to the tank?

    Cheers

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince
    but there's one thing I overlooked and that was having hot water. I want hot water in 3 bathrooms and in the kitchen.
    ooops

    you need to have hot water pipes and taps

    never mind the heat source

  3. #3
    Sprayed On Member
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    The foreman said that its all set up to take hot water and all the bathrooms have hot and cold taps. I just assumed that it came with hot water. Its a town house in a moobaan so I only saw the end of the construction.

  4. #4
    Member EssEffBee's Avatar
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    What about 'solar'? It won't cost a cent to run & Thailand is the perfect country for a 'solar system'.

  5. #5
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    I had Ultra air install a couple for me here in BKK. One in my house in 2000 and another in a rental. Just give them a call for a price. Very professional. They work well most of the year as long as you use your aircon. They also do solar.
    Here is the web site

    --SOLAR ULTRA--water system น้ำร้อนพลังงานฟรี Air Conditioning Heat Recovery Hot Water Systems From Solar Energy

  6. #6
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    Are you sure its not plumbed for standard demand type water heater that hangs on the wall next to faucet. That's the usual Thai way.

    It also sounds like you haven't been to see what your buying for your money. Builders really make a killing money wise when people alter plans after contract signed.

  7. #7
    Sprayed On Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by BKKBILL
    I had Ultra air install a couple for me here in BKK. One in my house in 2000 and another in a rental. Just give them a call for a price. Very professional. They work well most of the year as long as you use your aircon. They also do solar. Here is the web site
    Cheers BKK Bill, that's exactly what I was looking for. I'll give them a call and get them out to look at my existing system to see if its possible.

    Quote Originally Posted by BallBreaker
    Are you sure its not plumbed for standard demand type water heater that hangs on the wall next to faucet. That's the usual Thai way.
    I'm not sure, the plumber wasn't on site yesterday so I'm seeing him later this week.

    Quote Originally Posted by BallBreaker
    It also sounds like you haven't been to see what your buying for your money
    I've been looking around the houses that are still under construction on the main site, but I'd overlooked the hot water. I'd checked that there was a decent sized water tank, water pump, plumbing points in the kitchen and that every fitted water point has an external shut off valve fitted next to it.

    I'm a newbie, it's my first house.

  8. #8
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    Solar heating is good, although fairly pricey to set up, B60,000 say

    aircon heating sounds good too, if you want to use aircon; the problem with that scenario is that you normally need hot water more in the cooler season when aircon is not in use

    at least there is enough sun then to heat the water successfully
    I have reported your post

  9. #9
    Sprayed On Member
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    I gave the company a call and they said that they can fit the heating system to an existing system that is set up for individual electric heaters, so they are going to make a site call to do a survey.

    They claim that using this system can also increase your air-con efficiency by 30-40% which would be great.

    They are saying it will cost about 35,900bt for the tank and system + labor. My wife has been looking at other websites that are in thai and they are offering smaller tanks which obviously cost less.

  10. #10
    JoeMoer
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince View Post
    They claim that using this system can also increase your air-con efficiency by 30-40% which would be great.
    Sales pitch, but not true, electricity consumption will increase.
    Last edited by JoeMoer; 18-04-2010 at 06:08 PM.

  11. #11
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    ^ I've read it on a few sites. One was a review site from a builder who wasn't selling anything. I don't want to copy and paste what he said because he warned about re using his articles. The basic gist was that using this system water cools your compressors making them more efficient by 30-40%.

    Did you notice your bills going up or down BKK Bill?

  12. #12
    JoeMoer
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    How is the system going to cool your compressor, mate? Don't work that way. Get him to explain it and you will find out he is just repeating the same pitch others make.

    Ask the question on a refrigeration website to get the right answer.

  13. #13
    Sprayed On Member
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    This is a page from the brochure.



    I'm interested in learning how it works and if this page is correct or not so any input would be very welcome.

  14. #14
    JoeMoer
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    You might want to try a crowd called BigRed Energy, an Australian outfit building their stuff in Thailand:

    Renewable with Financial Sense!

    Ask for Huseyin. Tell him to give you a good price.

  15. #15
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    Cheers for the link.

  16. #16
    JoeMoer
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    FP, the stuff you have been quoted uses a desuperheater. It will end up making the compressor work harder than without the desuperheater. This will raise the electrical bill unless they blast the fan at high speed. This uses more electric.

    The marketing pitch is BS, sorry to say. Friggin thais ain't got a clue have they.

  17. #17
    JoeMoer
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince View Post
    Cheers for the link.
    Pleasure. Push him down on price, he's hungry.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrAndy
    aircon heating sounds good too, if you want to use aircon; the problem with that scenario is that you normally need hot water more in the cooler season when aircon is not in use

    did you miss this bit?

  19. #19
    Sprayed On Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by JoeMoer
    FP, the stuff you have been quoted uses a desuperheater.
    Cheers, Just googled desuperheater and understand what your saying. I'll bring this up with which ever company I go with.

    Quote Originally Posted by DrAndy
    did you miss this bit?
    Didn't miss it, I use aircon all year round when I sleep. Even in those 4 cold days of the year, the buzz of the machine puts me to sleep.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince
    Even in those 4 cold days of the year, the buzz of the machine puts me to sleep.
    blimey

    it would be cheaper and more fun to keep bees

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by JoeMoer View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince View Post
    They claim that using this system can also increase your air-con efficiency by 30-40% which would be great.
    Sales pitch, but not true, electricity consumption will increase.
    I have to disagree with this. The main part of this installation is a heat exchanger. Hot gases from the aircon flow thru the exchanger then continue to the compressor. The other side of the exchanger has cooler water in the hot water tank flow thru then back to the HWT this is done because hot water rises so there is a continuous loop. No electrical power is being use your just taking excess heat from the aircon and transferring it to the water. So yes it does reduce your aircon costs and gives you heat that the compressor would normally just blow into the air with a fan. As for the cool season there is a back up electrical heater if you are not using the aircon. It works well enough for me to have a second one installed at my other house. Just remember you are not getting something for nothing.
    You are paying for air-con electricity and just capturing the waste heat putting it into water instead of air giving you hot water at the cost of exchanger, HWT, and installation. Hope this is understandable.

  22. #22
    JoeMoer
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    Incorrect.

    The desuperheater makes extra pressure drop in the compressor discharge line. This raises the high pressure side forcing the compressor to work harder, pressure ratio is increased (uses much more power). If high pressure rises too much the condenser fan speeds up (uses more power) to try and control high-pressure.

    With discharge gas temperature of say 90c the compressor is pushing much harder than if it was running a/c only. Also if the desuperheater is not properly designed oil will be trapped and the compressor can burn out.

    The marketing spin is not even close i'm afraid.

  23. #23
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince
    I like the idea of the air-con water heaters
    Not familiar with these. Not intent to drive the thread off topic but if energy efficiency savings vs installation cost, performance and local availability turn out to be a problem, suggest two alternatives.

    Multi point electric or electric boiler water heater. Both will do the job. I have a boiler but in a condo already built may be a problem because it will require a small closet space to house it.
    "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect,"

  24. #24
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    Cheers Norton, Im going to look at all the alternatives before deciding.

  25. #25
    Have you got any cheese Thetyim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton
    Multi point electric or electric boiler water heater.
    Why no mention of gas, surely that would be the cheapest to install and run

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