Despite the season or time of year, the indoor temperature of your home, condo or townhouse is widely impacted by our sunny weather across Florida and the Tampa Bay area.
Well, what if we told you the heat inside your home could serve a positive purpose—that the indoor heat absorbed by your air conditioner (AC) could actually heat your hot water and save you money on electric bills, all with the help of an AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit?
Learn more about how heat recovery works, how it can save you money and why your Clearwater home could benefit from one.
How Does a Heat Recovery Unit Work?
An air conditioner (AC) makes your home cooler by drawing heat energy out of your house and transferring that heat outdoors, then replacing the air inside your home with cooler air. A water heater takes cold water from a water supply and heats it up, then pumping the hot water throughout your home when and where you need it most—to warm up your shower, wash your hands, start a load of the laundry, or run your dishwasher.
The AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit is an appliance that operates in conjunction with your HVAC system, hot water system and electrical system. The small pump is connected to your water heater, and when your AC system is running, the water is pulled from the coolest part of your water heater and moved to the heat exchanger, where the water is heated by the hot refrigerant from your AC system. The heated water is then sent back to your water heater and supplied throughout your house.
What is the Benefit of a Heat Recovery Unit?
Instead of your AC transferring indoor heat out of your house and dumping it outside, an AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit uses the heat from your AC to heat most, if not all, of your hot water needs.
The AQUEFIER® Residential Heat Recovery Unit is designed to safely heat residential water up to 140°F by recovering wasted heat from your HVAC system or heat pump. That means instead of paying your electric company to remove the heat from your home and make your water hot, you can use the heat from your AC to meet your hot water needs.
How Can a Heat Recovery Unit Save Me Money?
While your AC unit cools your home, the AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit helps you heat your water for free.
Based on an active family of four, the heat recovery unit can cut your electric bills down by as much as 15% and water heating costs by 50%. That’s because when you install a heat recovery unit, your AC runs more efficiently and the compressor life is extended, since the unit relieves pressure from the compressor, and it doesn’t have to work as hard.
Since your HVAC system also doesn’t work as hard, it requires less maintenance and extends the life of the unit while it’s working, improving its efficiency up to 13% and resulting in a savings of up to $15 to $20 per month.
Is the AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit Safe?
The AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit is a safe and efficient way to provide hot water for homeowners across Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
The heat exchanger is designed to prevent cross contamination of domestic water from the AC unit’s refrigerant and oil. The system also uses a 40-watt pump to circulate the water from the water heater tank to the AQUEFIER® heat exchanger when the AC is operating and the temperature is less than 140°F.
How Do I Install the AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit?
The AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit can be installed either inside or outside, depending on the location of your HVAC outdoor unit and heat pump. In our warm Florida climate, the unit can even be mounted externally with piping run from the AC unit to the water heater, whereas colder climates must keep the unit indoors to keep from freezing.
Installation should only be performed by skilled technicians with appropriate training and experience. Contact Air Care today to install an AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Unit.
Your Clearwater Heat Recovery and AC Professionals
In addition to installing AQUEFIER® Heat Recovery Units, Air Care specializes in HVAC maintenance, repairs and total system replacements for customers across Pinellas, southern Pasco and western Hillsborough counties.
At Air Care, we service, repair and install all HVAC models, including Rheem systems as a certified Rheem Pro Partner.
Contact Air Care today with all of your AC or heat recovery needs.
“I’ve saved money on my electric bill every year with my heat recovery unit. After 21 years of savings, I just had to have one installed when I moved to my new home. Now with our electric prices still climbing, I’m glad to know that every time I hear my air conditioning come on, I’m still saving money. You need to get one for your home too!” – Don F., Largo, FL
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APPENDIX:
[1] AQUEFIER Heat Recovery Unit Overview
[2] AQUEFIER Heat Recovery Unit Detailed Brochure
[3] Doucette Industries: Residential Aquefier Product
