# Interest group forums > Energy and Resource Conservation Forum > [Question] heat pumps and aircons

## murdock

do you fit a solar heater or a heat pump...and can you purchase an aircon which can be used as a heat pump...anyone know the cost? 

and the big question would it be able to be run thru a invertor charged by a solar panel?


http://www.powersaving.co.za/upload/...mpsvssolar.pdf

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## wynn

contact desA he is importing them through Mick Stevens 031 702 1972

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## billliu210

hi,my friend

You can if you make sure that your inverter supply enough power capacity that heat pump required. Take our heat pump for example: KF80-B domestic heat pump need max power capacity 1.35KW (rated power capacity is 900kw), if your inverter can provide more than 1.35KW power capacity, you can use our heat pump KF80-B. 

For more you can visit our website: www.heatpumpglobal.com or email to me.Thanks.

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## billliu210

Hi, Dear Murdock,
We have a good partner in South Africa, INDEPENDENT ENERGY SOLUTIONS (Pty) LTD,
Address:22 Quality Road. Isando Ext. 4 Johannesburg
Contact person: Mr.Vic Faroldi
Tel:011-392-4424
You can contact Mr. Vic Farolid for view heat pump.

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## hpb

In S.A., air source heat pumps works well due to local moderate climate. And ASHPs are much cheaper and more installation-convinient than GHSPs. For residential use you can choose domestic heat pumps. If you prefer to remain your exsiting tank, google this company "Wave Heat Pump" and find how.

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## murdock

so now ineed to work out my savings...if i decide to install heat pump.

watched a program this morning which a company called firefly indicates that for a mere R255 per month i can save hundreds of rands.

my maths is not so great...so maybe someone can help me with this.

if my geyser at present uses

1 kw per hour 
on for 3 hours per day 
for 30 days
at a rate of R1.0683

formula is kw (rating) x hours of use x per unit charge 

1 x 3 x 30 x 1.0683 = R96.147 per month 

my question is how do i save aroound R600per month of my bill if i have to pay them R255 for 5 years (over R15000) and at present it only cost me lets say R100 

my calculation works completely the opposite i actually save R9000 over that period if i dont install their heat pump...just on the cost of supply and installation never mind the cost per month for electricity to run the heat pump...the only thing i could have thought would have been a benifit would have been the fac tthat they are load shedding at tthe moment and i could have still had hot water but unfortunately no electricity no heat.

thats like telling me if i install a 10 000 litres tank for water collection at a fee of R200 i am gona save money by installing one of their tanks but water to my property is free every month....

clever the  way they word things for the public...

light bulbs to be phased out...gee i wonder who has shares in a energy saving lamp company...has malema been up to skull dugery again

considering some only have a power factor of around 0.2 making them only 20 % effiecient and telling you that you save money but get ripped off R20 - R50 for so called better quality long lasting lamps...50 000 hours of life...ever tried claiming for a lamp when you only get 2000 hours i have...i put the date of installation on the lamp and when it popped worked out the worse case senerio which was around 2000 hours...asked for a replacement...was told to go fly a kite because thre must have been a spike in the electricity supply...and unfortunatley they probably right...considering the power supply frorm the utility is so unstable...

so what does all this tell me...i am skrewed any way i look at it....

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## Justloadit

Hi Murdock,

Your geyser is probably more than 1Kw, they are usually 3Kwatt for the large and 2Kwatt fro the smaller, they depend on physical size and amount of water they hold.

In most cases my geyser probably runs for a total of 6 hours a day at 3Kw. In the morning we shower, then at about 11 the maid comes in and washes, and uses hot water from the geyser, and in the afternoon my kids have a shower, so each cycle approximately 1 to 1 and a half hours.


If you now redo the calculations, you can get more prospective.

Electricity is just over a Rond here Gauteng, and can go up to R1.22 per Kwatt depending on your consumption. So for the geyser lets say it is R1/Kw, so 30 days at R4 is approximately R180.00 a month, personally I think my calculations are way to conservative, as my bill may be far higher than that. So using a heat pump would mean a saving of approximately R120 a month, and over 5 years approximately R7,200.00

If the heat pump lasts that long, then you are even as far as costs are concerned. If the pump can run a further 5 years then you have R7,200.00 saving to invest in the new replacement one. Now one problem, with living at the coast, is that things tend to rust much faster, and may not last the 10 years.

Ultimately the saving here is not on the financial side, but on the demand on the utility, until they can build replacement power stations.

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## Rock Wood

Solar-ready air conditioners and heat pumps can harness the sun’s power to reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to half.

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## ians

I need an aircon with a heat pump built in, then while my office/home is cooling during the day i can use the hot water produced to have a hot shower. Buying a heat pump just doesnt sound practicle. the question i am asking, why havent they introduced aircon/heat pumps yet, first dump all the excess heat pumps in africa then, once the eskom rebate is finished you be able to buy a combo for the price you paid for the heat pump with the rebate, i might be way out of line, only time will tell.

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## AndyD

You're basically talking about a water cooled air-con. It will be difficult to maintain the efficiency of the room air conditioning when the water on the condensing side gets above 45-50 degrees.

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## Martinco

How practical would it be to extend the condenser and run that through the swimming pool water circuit ? i.e.

Cool the house and heat the pool.   :Cool:

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## Justloadit

Quite practical, however you may need a size or two up on the compressor size, to cope with the higher friction experienced in the longer lines. Also most units are designed to work up to about 31 or 32 degrees C at the condenser side.

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## Sparks

Question is, do you want to use a heatpump or an aircon? Using an aircon you would have to fit a heat-exchanger to warm the water. Using a heatpump you would need to install ducting to the house which can be diverted in the winter.

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