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How can I build this water micro-switch valve?
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 1:31 pm
by boyntonstu
http://www.coolnsave.com/
The idea is to mist the a/c compressor so that it will work easier and therefore save electricity.
The compressor fan will blow the paddle up and it will open the water valve.
This is a water equivalent to a sensitive electric micro-switch.
I would like to build a few.
Ideas?
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:43 pm
by ramses
lubed up ball valve with a flow restricting sprayer orifice? Why does the fan need to open the valve? couldn't you do it manually?
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:56 pm
by boyntonstu
ramses wrote:lubed up ball valve with a flow restricting sprayer orifice? Why does the fan need to open the valve? couldn't you do it manually?
The concept is not to waste water when the a/c is off.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 5:17 pm
by jrrdw
Here's my long term prediction for this company and it's product........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Fly by night at best, 1,000s of complaints to the BBB about water damage to AC units after miss leading claims of monetary savings by using their product!
Look at it this way, if the company's that build and sell these AC units could cut production cost by NOT going through the design pains to protect the innards from water damage they would have all but left the covers off...Think about it.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:06 pm
by D_Hall
If sized correctly, there's no reason for there to ever be water damage to the AC units. Basically all that the product is is an evaporative cooler strapped to the front of the AC unit's heat exchanger. Easy peasy. Done right, the AC unit would never actually see liquid water; just an increase in humidity in the air going through it.
HOWEVER...
What's your water situation? If you live in an area with a lot of disolved minerals in the water you could be causing other issues due to mineral build up and such. Maybe not. It could be that the minerals recrystalize in small enough particles to simply be blown away as dust by the heat exchanger's blower.
Basically, there's nothing wrong with the concept in theory and there's no question that can work well in some situations. The question is if it can work in EVERY situation (or the situation envisioned by the OP). That's a very different question.
Now, as to the OP's question about how to make such a switch himself... I'd go with the float valve out of a toilet then use a needle valve to regulate flow as required.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:39 pm
by boyntonstu
Good post!
Actually, there is a 1+ gallon/hr supply of pure water available; condensate.
I have the concept of burying a 55 gallon plastic barrel and collecting filtered rain and condensate in the barrel.
Since the ground temperature here in SE Florida is about 70*F and the cold condensate would also help cool the barrel, I believe that the a/c compressor will work easier than without the spray/mist.
Any spray falling on the concrete compressor platform could be recycled.
I also thought of using a ballcock but I am curious about other suggestions.
With pure water, a spray instead of a fine mist would be more efficient.
Water to coil heat exchange is better than air to coil.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:55 pm
by ramses
Sorry, I though this had somthing to do with fridge compressors for
some reason...
That's an interesting idea about the condensate. It's practically distilled, free, only available when the A/C is running. The only issues are piping it back out to the outside heat exchanger and pressurizing it enough for a nozzle. You could carry it in bottles/buckets and pressurize a reservoir with a hand pump, but that sort of defeats the purpose.
Depending on your A/C setup and water quality, you could use a 120/220VAC solenoid valve in parallel with the A/C fan, and have some other valve for flow control. IIRC, some systems use a DC fan, but they also make DC solenoid valves.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:02 pm
by jackssmirkingrevenge
ramses wrote:Depending on your A/C setup and water quality, you could use a 120/220VAC solenoid valve in parallel with the A/C fan
That's what I was thinking, why come up with some Heath Robinson setup when you can hook it up to the fan circuit directly.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:12 pm
by Technician1002
For safety around the water valve, use a control transformer to output 24VAC from the AC unit and use that to drive a sprinkler valve. If the unit has a high enough current control transformer from the thermostat, it may be possible to simply connect the 24 VAC thermostat control directly to a sprinkler valve.
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 2:23 am
by POLAND_SPUD
have you heard about a poor man's AC ?
since mains water has temperature of about 5 deg C you can direct it through an old car radiator and it will absorb heat from your home...
it might not seem very practical for those of you who live in urban areas as it uses quite a lot of water... I use about 5-6 cubic meters of water each day for irrigation and AFAIK that is more than enough for a couple of units
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 6:11 am
by boyntonstu
We are getting our device in order.
We use a solenoid valve if we are using house water.
If we use rain and condensate, they are piped directly to the barrel reservoir.
Overflow is not a problem.
If we use the underground barrel we don't need any valve, just a pump that starts when the condenser/fan runs.
A float switch that turns the pump off when the water level falls below a certain point and we are cool.
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 6:13 am
by boyntonstu
boyntonstu wrote:We are getting our device in order.
We use a solenoid valve if we are using house water.
If we use rain and condensate, they are piped directly to the barrel reservoir.
Overflow is not a problem.
If we use the underground barrel we don't need any valve, just a sump pump that starts when the condenser/fan runs.
Fountain pumps or any other submersible pumps will also do the job.
A float switch that turns the pump off when the water level falls below a certain point and we are cool.
Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 8:56 am
by jrrdw
D_Hall wrote:If sized correctly, there's no reason for there to ever be water damage to the AC units. Basically all that the product is is an evaporative cooler strapped to the front of the AC unit's heat exchanger. Easy peasy. Done right, the AC unit would never actually see liquid water; just an increase in humidity in the air going through it.
Following that line of thinking would such a small amount of water meet the products claims and expectations?
Another potential situation you are opening yourself up to is you building your own version of a copy writed patented product. If something adverse happens like fire, eletric shock, injury to child or animal a like, you are the only one to blame. Since your not using the retail product you wont be able to say it was a defective products fault...