A system for air-conditioning and hot-water supply is configured to selectively perform a cooling operation and a heating operation. The system includes: an outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger; a plurality of indoor units each of which is connected to the outdoor unit and includes an indoor heat exchanger; a hot-water supply unit connected to the outdoor unit so as to be arranged in parallel to the indoor unit and including a refrigerant-water heat exchanger; and a controller configured to monitor a request for hot-water supply from the hot-water supply unit. The controller is further configured to continue a cooling operation after the request has occurred and until a predetermined condition is satisfied where the request for hot-water supply has occurred during the cooling operation at at least one of the plurality of indoor units, and then to start a heating operation.

A thermally enhanced heating system and a method for thermally enhancing a HVAC system are provided. The thermally enhanced heating system preferably includes an outdoor HVAC unit and an indoor HVAC unit. The indoor HVAC unit includes a first heat exchanger for transferring heat from a refrigerant, a second heat exchanger for transferring heat from a fuel source, and a third heat exchanger for transferring heat to the refrigerant. The outdoor HVAC unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger for transferring heat from an outdoor air to the refrigerant, a pump configured to circulate the refrigerant, and an ejector configured to combine the refrigerant from the outdoor heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger. Preferably the outdoor HVAC unit is operated to circulate the refrigerant through a first refrigerant circuit and a second refrigerant circuit, and combine refrigerant in the first refrigerant circuit and the second refrigerant circuit.

Provided is a system for air-conditioning and hot-water supply configured to selectively perform cooling and heating operations, comprising: an outdoor unit having a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger; at least one or more indoor units each of which is connected to the outdoor unit and includes an indoor heat exchanger; a hot-water supply unit connected to the outdoor unit so as to be arranged in parallel to the indoor unit and including a refrigerant-water heat exchanger; a controller configured to monitor for a request for hot-water supply from the hot-water supply unit while a cooling operation is being performed in at least one of the indoor units, and then to start the heating operation in accordance with the request; wherein the controller transmits to all of the indoor units, which are turned on for said cooling operation, a fan-stop command to stop a fan arranged at each indoor unit.

Various embodiments include a system for controlling air temperature. The system can include a potable water piping system, a cooling system, and a heating system. The potable water piping system can include potable water supply piping and potable water return piping. The cooling system can be coupled to the potable water piping system. The cooling system can include a water-refrigerant heat exchanger; an air-refrigerant coil; a compressor coupled between the water-refrigerant heat exchanger and the air-refrigerant coil; and an expansion valve coupled between the water-refrigerant heat exchanger and the air-refrigerant coil. The heating system can be coupled to the potable water piping system. The heating system can include a hot water coil. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger can be coupled to the potable water supply piping and the potable water return piping. The hot water coil can be coupled to the potable water supply piping and the potable water return piping.

A supplemental heat-providing system is provided for heating a refrigerant. The system includes an outdoor unit that can act as a heat pump located outside a building and configured to use the refrigerant to condition an indoor space inside the building; a hot water heater located in the building and connected to one or more points of use in the building, the hot water heater being configured to heat water and provide the water to the one or more points of use; a water-refrigerant heat exchanger containing a refrigerant pathway and a water pathway, configured to pass the refrigerant from the outdoor unit through the refrigerant pathway, to pass the water from the hot water heater through the water pathway, and to exchange heat from the water to the refrigerant; and a water pump configured to selectively pump the water from the hot water heater through water pathway.

The smart desert geothermal heat pump for air conditioning and domestic water cooling includes a heat pump having heat exchange piping adapted for installation underground in desert sand adjacent a structure to be heated/cooled. The heat pump draws heat from the sand to heat air in the structure in a heating cycle and draws heat from the structure to sink in the ground in a cooling cycle to cool the structure. A processor has an artificial intelligence machine learning unit configured to store historical weather data and mean heat pump on/off times by calendar date in Big Data tall arrays, and periodically re-computes mean heat pump on/off times by calendar date. A controller connected to the processor and at least one switch on the heat pump automatically switches between heating and cooling cycles and turns the pump on and off according to the median re-computed heat pump on/off times.

A humidifier assembly for capturing moisture from the furnace and releasing the moisture into an area includes a furnace. A housing is coupled to the furnace. An inlet is coupled to the housing. The inlet is coupled to a drain line on the furnace. Condensation from the furnace is directed into the housing. A filter is removably coupled to the housing. The filter captures the condensation from the furnace and converts the condensation into an evaporate. The evaporate is released into the furnace. An outlet is coupled to the housing. An overflow line is coupled to the outlet. A reservoir is coupled to the overflow line to capture excess condensation. A secondary reservoir is fluidly coupled to the reservoir. A heating element in the secondary reservoir generates steam delivered to discharge ductwork of the furnace.

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for use with a refrigerant. The HVAC system may comprise a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, an evaporator, and a separator. The compressor may be operable to compress the refrigerant. The condenser may be positioned downstream of the compressor and operable to condense the refrigerant. The expansion device may be positioned downstream of the condenser and operable to reduce a pressure of the refrigerant flowing therethrough. The evaporator may be positioned downstream of the expansion device and operable to vaporize the refrigerant from the expansion device. The separator may be positioned downstream of the expansion device and operable to separate the refrigerant into liquid refrigerant and gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant from the separator and the liquid refrigerant from the separator may be combined prior to being compressed by the compressor.

An air conditioning apparatus includes a first pump and a first intermediate heat exchanger connected in series, and a second pump and a second heat intermediate exchanger connected in series. A flow path switching mechanism including at least four pairs of first and second valves. The first valves select an outflow port of one of the first and second pumps, and the second valves select an inflow port of the other of the first and second pumps. A third intermediate heat exchanger operates as an auxiliary heat exchanger, and is detachably connected to one pair of first and second valves. A pipe is detachably connected to and communicating the inflow port and the outflow port of a second pair of the pairs of the first and second valves. At least one indoor heat exchanger is connected to a third pair of the first and second valves.

The invention provides, in some aspects, a tabletop-based system to prevent pathogen transmission that includes a collection vent that collects airflow from a volumetric region above a tabletop, a filter that filters the collected airflow and that is in fluid coupling with the collection vent, an air mover that creates the airflow through the volumetric region to the vent, and one or more surfaces that define the region, where those surfaces include at least the tabletop. According to these aspects of the invention, the vent is disposed in a vicinity of at least one of the aforesaid surfaces and is elongate along an axis substantially aligned with a useable edge of the tabletop, i.e., an edge of the tabletop at which a person who is using the tabletop sits, kneels, stands or is otherwise disposed.