Apparatus and methods for pre-heating water with air conditioning unit or heat pump

A method of heating water stored in a first and a second tank, comprising:

• placing a heat exchanger in heat conductive contact with said first tank;
• providing air conditioning apparatus operative to utilize refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant circuit portion of said air conditioning apparatus to regulate the temperature of air being delivered to a conditioned space, said refrigerant circuit portion being in fluid communication with said heat exchanger;
• controlling said air conditioning apparatus in a manner selectively causing at least a portion of the flowing refrigerant to pass through said heat exchanger and transfer refrigerant to said first tank via a heat conductive tube externally wrapped around said first tank in heat conductive contact therewith;
• and
• storing water in the second tank, the second tank being piped in series with said first tank so that water flows from one of the first and second tanks to the other of the first and second tanks, the second tank not being externally wrapped by a heat conductive tube.

An apparatus for heating water, comprising:

• an air conditioner comprising:
• an indoor evaporator coil unit;
• and
• a refrigerant tubing circuit;
• a gas-fired or electric water heater having a tank surrounded and spiral-wrapped by a portion of the refrigerant tubing circuit and serving as a coiled heat exchanger, the coiled heat exchanger having a heat exchanger inlet and a heat exchanger outlet;
• a water temperature sensor associated with the water heater to measure a temperature of water disposed therein;
• an outdoor condensing unit in communication with the indoor evaporator coil unit via a portion of the refrigerant tubing circuit, the outdoor condensing unit comprising:
• a compressor coupled directly to the indoor evaporator coil unit via a portion of the refrigerant tubing circuit;
• a condenser coil with an associated condensing fan and coupled directly with the compressor via a portion of the refrigerant tubing circuit so that the compressor is coupled directly between the indoor evaporator coil unit and the condenser coil;
• an electronic control system comprising a control circuit comprising:
• a first electronically controlled regulator valve disposed along a condenser coil-bypass portion of the refrigerant tubing circuit and arranged to direct refrigerant between the compressor and the condenser coil when in a closed position, and arranged to permit at least some refrigerant to bypass the condenser coil when in an open position;
• a second electronically controlled regulator valve disposed in a portion of the refrigerant tubing circuit adjacent the heat exchanger inlet of the coiled heat exchanger;
• and
• a normally open solenoid valve installed in a water tank-bypass portion of the refrigerant tubing circuit between the heat exchanger inlet and the heat exchanger outlet,
• the electronic control system being configured to receive information from the water temperature sensor, and based on the water temperature sensor, operate the first and second electronically controlled regulator valves and the solenoid valve to direct heated refrigerant to the coiled heat exchanger.