can air conditioner operate on natural gas to air-condition home?

[coffeeman]

I have heard it would be possible. Just wondered. Quickest way to get info, consult the master mind of TBNers . Anxious to hear ideas.

To all; HAPPY & HEALTHY THANKSGIVING........Coffeeman

 

[JCByrd24]

The question lacks some detail, but the quick answer would seem to be yes. Absorption refrigeration seems to have been perfected in the form of off-grid and RV refrigerators. Space air conditioning would be the next level of this. The former is very very common. The latter may never have been done....

 

[sidecarist]

The question lacks some detail, but the quick answer would seem to be yes. Absorption refrigeration seems to have been perfected in the form of off-grid and RV refrigerators. Space air conditioning would be the next level of this. The former is very very common. The latter may never have been done....

Almost my exact thoughts. I used to own a camp with two propane refrigerators super reliable super cold. BUT no one would work on them anymore as they used ammonia as the refrigerant and special handling/tools were required.

I'd start looking at off grid refrigerator's and see if those companies could make you something.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Gas fired absorption (steam and hot water also) AC units have been around a long time but not in residential sizes. My first exposure was in the 1960s when working as an Industrial Refrigeration Service Tech. They were larrge commercial and industrial water chillers in a hydronic HVAC system. There were several refrigerants including ammonia, methyl bromide sticks in my mind. They are more expensive to buy than an electric motor driven chiller so are normally used where power cost or availibility offsets the first cost for the equipment. Your local HVAC service company would not have a clue how to work on them including specialized tools/equipment. As an example Trane still makes them, probably 50 tons and up. All the major manufacturers made them for awhile.

The small refrigerators are sealed systems and not field servicable except the burner module; you just swap out the whole unit for a new one. At one time in my career the company I worked for sold them and I had to strat them up and adjust the burner using a manometer.

Ron

Ron

 

[Travelover]

There used to be central AC units that had a natural gas powered engine that turned the compressor and fan. They would start and stop, as needed, just like an automatic emergency generator does. Have not seen one advertised for years.

 

[kc5dlo]

I had a friend that used to an absorption type central ac unit. When it failed several years ago he replaced it with a conventional unit.

 

[Gary Fowler]

All RVs have ammonia refrigerant refrigerators that work with propane or electric coil if they are designed for offsite use. I have never seen a home cooling system that works like that since you also need an air circulation fan to distribute the cold air unlike the refrigerators that just use the natural circulation of the cold air to settle to the fridge from the freezer compartment.
I think you would be wasting money and time looking for a home HVAC unit that is powered by natural gas or propane without any other electrical power

Now if you wanted a natural gas or propane powered unit, you would likely do best using a generator to power up a conventional HVAC unit.

 

[coffeeman]

Hi all....
Great info from all. I speculate with this because I have "free" nat gas. My property has shallow gas well. Part of the "deal" from drillers(gas company) is a gas hook up to hame. Of course it's not free, as I have to hook up, run the lines to home and change my heating. I have a gas fired foiler for heat and hot water tank heated by boiler. My boiler is a Bryant. I don't like Bryant. Boiler yank cracked in 2 years. warranty replaced tank. I had to pay labor, Not cheap. Also, lot of sensor & electronic problems. I ran hot water to air-condition , air handlers. Same as having heat pump except 2 exchangers in air handler. I like hot water. Been using since 2008..

My air conditioners are getting old. When comes time to replace, I could reduce summer electric cooling bill. I thought about generator in past, but don't think going off grid is feasible. I often wondered, a cooling unit that circulates cold antifreeze through the air handlers, like the hot water through them?

Have great Thanksgiving today and even better and greater ahead. Be healthy.........Coffeeman

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Depending on your pocketbook; maybe look into geothermal HVAC. First cost is spendy but long term the economical operating cost. It is a hydronic system heat pump system using the earth as a heat source or heat sink. It generates both hot water and cold water. Here is a link to one such system: WaterFurnace - Smarter from the Ground Up™

Ron

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

I would say if the natural gas is free, I would call an electrician to hook me up a natural gas generator and run the entire house off that most of the time, only way your gonna be at an advantage with a air conditioner is to convert the natural gas to electric and use that electric to power your A/C. If a natural gas A/C ever went down the repairs would be very costly, even a tech to diagnose the unit. If you hook a whole house gen, you would not have to convert anything else, and pay a very little electric bill and no gas bill yet still have heat and air. If it was continuous use, I would park the gen behind a barn a little ways away from the house and trench the lines to the house with a auto/manual transfer switch, that way that puppy could run and you would barely be able to hear it from the house.