Combined air conditioning and water heating via expansion valve regulation

A water heating and air conditioning system comprising:

• a compressor;
• an evaporator coil;
• a condenser coil in fluid communication with the compressor at a first end the evaporator coil at a second end;
• a water heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor at a first end the evaporator coil at a second end;
• a first electronic expansion valve disposed in series between the condenser coil and the evaporator coil;
• a second electronic expansion valve disposed in series between the water heat exchanger and the evaporator coil;
• and
• a controller configured to output one or more control signals to the first electronic expansion valve and/or the second electronic expansion valve to transition the respective electronic expansion valve between open and closed configurations in response to at least one of an increased demand for air conditioning or an increased demand for water heating,
• wherein the first electronic expansion valve and the second electronic expansion valve are independently transitionable between open and closed configurations or any intermediate point therebetween such that refrigerant flow through at least one of the condenser coil or water heat exchanger is independently regulatable,
• wherein a first control signal of the one or more control signals is configured to cause the first electronic expansion valve to open at least partially when an ambient air temperature is above a predetermined temperature and when the second electronic expansion valve is at least partially open, and
• wherein heated refrigerant is provided to the condenser coil and to the water heat exchanger by the evaporator coil while the first electronic expansion valve and the second electronic expansion valve are both at least partially open.

A controller for a combined water heating and air conditioning system comprising:

• a processor;
• memory in communication with the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to:
• receive, from a first temperature sensor, a first temperature signal indicating an ambient air temperature in a space is above a first predetermined temperature;
• output a first control signal to a first electronic expansion valve to transition to an at least partially open configuration when a second electronic expansion valve is at least partially open, thereby causing refrigerant flow through a condenser coil to increase;
• receive, from a second temperature sensor, a second temperature signal indicating a water temperature of water stored in a water storage tank is below a second predetermined temperature;
• and
• output a second control signal to the second electronic expansion valve to transition to an at least partially open configuration when the first electronic expansion valve is at least partially open, thereby causing refrigerant flow through a water heat exchanger to increase,
• wherein heated refrigerant is provided to the condenser coil and to the water heat exchanger by an evaporator coil while the first electronic expansion valve and the second electronic expansion valve are both at least partially open.