water cooled subcooler?

[star882]

I have thought that by installing a heat exchanger in the liquid line of an air conditioning or refrigeration system and cooling the other side with water, the efficiency can be greatly improved. (Another AC/R expert I have talked to said that it would effectively be a geothermal system minus the very high install costs.)

One implementation would be to draw the water near the entry point of the plumbing and return it to the plumbing system near the farthest point from the entry point, although that would really only work in buildings where water is frequently being used (in order to let more cold water enter). It would not actually use any more water than what is already used, however.

Another way is to simply direct the warmed water to the drain or outdoors, although that actually uses water so it would be cost effective only if water is cheap.

[Lowrider]

Getting a higher subcooling can improve the capacity of a refrigeration system, however if the flow isn't constant or if the water is just wasted the enhanched capacity will be destroyed due to the cost of the water.

Futhermore, if the water is used afterwards, it can't be used in showers etc. due to legionella.

A better way is to make it watercooled completly and use the water to heat the building!