Multi-function self-contained heat pump system with microprocessor control

An improved heat pump unit for heating and cooling a conditioned space and for heating potable water, said heat pump unit of the type having a recirculating refrigerant, a compressor, a refrigerant-air heat exchanger, and an external source-refrigerant heat exchanger interconnected to recirculate said refrigerant and transfer heat from a low temperature reservoir to a higher temperature reservoir, wherein the improvement comprises:

• a desuperheater adapted to be connected to a reservoir of potable water through inlet and outlet pipes for passage and heating of potable water therethrough;
• a refrigerant-potable water heat exchanger adapted to be connected to a reservoir of potable water through inlet and outlet pipes for passage and heating of potable water therethrough;
• a valve means,
• (a) when positioned for a dedicated potable water heating cycle, for circulating refrigerant from said compressor to at least one of said refrigerant-potable water heat exchanger and said desuperheater to heat potable water passing therethrough, and for then circulating said refrigerant to said external source-refrigerant heat exchanger for return to said compressor, and
• (b) when positioned for a combination potable water heating and space conditioning cycle, for circulating refrigerant from said compressor to said desuperheater to heat potable water passing therethrough, and for then circulating said refrigerant to either said refrigerant-air heat exchanger to said external-source refrigerant heat exchanger for return to said compressor for a space heating cycle or to said external source-refrigerant heat exchanger to said refrigerant-air heat exchanger for return to said compressor for a space cooling cycle, and
• (c) when positioned for a dedicated space cooling cycle, for circulating refrigerant from said compressor to said external source-refrigerant heat exchanger and then to said refrigerant-air heat exchanger for return to said compressor, and
• (d) when positioned for a dedicated space heating cycle, for circulating refrigerant from said compressor to said refrigerant-air heat exchanger and then to said external source-refrigerant heat exchanger for return to said compressor;
• a sensory network for sensing various operational parameters of said heat pump unit;
• and
• a microprocessor, said microprocessor including a means for sensing a temperature of said reservoir of potable water and a means for sensing a temperature of said conditioned space and a means for processing and storing inputs from said sensory network, said microprocessor prioritizing simultaneous or non-simultaneous demands for potable water heating and space cooling or space heating, and activating said valve means to select between said dedicated potable water heating cycle, said combination potable water heating and space conditioning cycle, said dedicated space heating cycle and said dedicated space cooling cycle based upon said temperature of said reservoir of potable water, said temperature of said conditioned space and said operational parameters.