We expect you to be bustling with questions about our product so please take advantage of this section as it may answer many queries for you. If you still need assistance, please reach us using our Contact Box to the right.
You get free hot water every time you use your Air Conditioner or Heat Pump. That saves you energy and money - every month! PLUS - your Air Conditioner or Heat Pump cools more efficiently every time your Heat Recovery Unit runs. That saves you energy and money too!
| Annual Water Heating Cost
At Various rates per KwH |
||||||
| Family Size | Daily Hot Water Usage | 8.0¢ | 8.5¢ | 9.0¢ | 9.5¢ | 10.0¢ |
| 2 | 40 gal. | $239 | $254 | $269 | $284 | $299 |
| 3 | 55 gal. | $329 | $350 | $370 | $391 | $412 |
| 4 | 70 gal. | $419 | $445 | $471 | $498 | $524 |
| 5 | 85 gal. | $509 | $541 | $572 | $604 | $636 |
| 6 | 100 gal. | $599 | $636 | $673 | $711 | $748 |
| Monthly Savings at various rates per KwH |
||||||
| A/C Size | 8.0¢ | 9.0¢ | 10.0¢ | |||
| 3 Ton | $11.50 | $13.00 | $14.50 | |||
| 4 Ton | $15.50 | $17.50 | $19.50 | |||
| 5 Ton | $19.50 | $22.00 | $24.50 | |||
Trevor-Martin Heat Recovery Units are hooked up to both your air conditioner and water heater. They recover the waste heat discharged from the refrigerant cycle of your air conditioner and transfer that heat to the water in the water heater. In effect, it turns hot air that would otherwise be wasted by your air conditioner into free hot water.
Heat Recovery works by extracting heat from your refrigerant as it leaves the Air Conditioner or Heat Pump compressor 
and transferring the heat into your water heater. The more efficient, high SEER models run with lower hot refrigerant temperatures so they don't heat water as fast as the lower SEER models. However, as long as the refrigerant temperatures are over 130° F, you can transfer heat back to the water heater. So, while it's true that a 13 SEER air conditioner doesn't make as much hot water as a 10 SEER air conditioner, it is incorrect to say that heat recovery does not work. Generally speaking, you need to get above 14 SEER before you even have to worry about the hot refrigerant temperature being too low to enable the heat recovery to work.
The question to ask, regardless of whether you have a single, dual or variable compressor is how hot does the refrigerant get? Anything over 130° F will work.
Absolutely not!! As a rule of thumb, a Heat Recovery Unit will increase your A/C efficiency by 10%. It also reduces the head pressure on the compressor; thereby reducing stress and improving compressor service life. You get three benefits from adding a heat recovery: Free hot water for your house; reduced air conditioning cost; and improved A/C operating life.
It's been more than 25 years since the first Heat Recovery Units were produced and installed on residential air conditioners but, even now, about twice a year we hear from someone who says that their A/C Contractor claims that it will void the warranty if they add a Heat Recovery Unit to their A/C. Each time we hear this, we investigate. We have never been able to find any written confirmation nor corporate representative willing to support the claim. Our Heat Recovery Units are sold directly to Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, and most other brands for use with their own equipment. We also sell to nearly every major national distributor of HVAC components and systems. Of course, all units must be installed by licensed contractors according to the provided installation instructions.
Any air conditioner or heat pump that produces hot refrigerant at temperatures above 130° F as the gas leaves the compressor is suitable for desuperheating; that includes models that use the new R410 refrigerant. They also work with 
all brands, limited only by temperatures.
The hotter the refrigerant gets when your air conditioner is running, the more heat you can extract and turn into hot water. The higher the energy efficiency (SEER) rating, the cooler the refrigerant temperature may be, giving the Heat Recovery Unit less to work with and slowing the production of free hot water. Some super high SEER models (18 SEER and up) don't always get hot gas temperatures above 130° F. The desuperheater doesn't operate under this condition. Ask your A/C contractor about the SEER and the operating hot gas temperature of the air conditioning system that is being presented to you, so you can make your own informed decision.
Trevor-Martin manufactures multiple name brands of Heat Recovery Units, but there are only two distinct residential designs. Trevor-Martin manufactures Heat Recovery Units for both residential (up to 5 tons) and commercial applications (up to 200 tons).
All models for residential use are comparable in efficiency and have similar optional components available to them. No matter which brand name you choose, all Trevor-Martin Heat Recovery Units will serve you well for years to come.
• V - Hand valves with drain. Used to bleed air from the system to prevent circulator pump from becoming air-bound. Also used to stop water flow to the system for servicing as well as allowing the system to be drained during extended periods of freezing temperatures.
• PC - (Aquifer) Hand valves with drain and pressure relief valve. Required to meet some county's building codes.
• VP - (All Others) Hand valves with drain and pressure relief valve. Required to meet some county's building codes.
• M - Mixing Valve (Tempering Valve). Recommended for units 13 SEER and over but works fine with those rated lower. Holds water in the heat exchanger until desired temperature is reached. Although adjustable, keep valve set to 120° F (lowest setting).
• F - Freeze Protection. Unit contains a thermostat to activate the water pump when ambient temperatures fall below 40F. Helps to protect unit during short periods of freezing temperatures.
• 410 - Certified for use with R410A (Puron) systems. Currently available in Aquifer brand models only.
Orlando, FL 32802
Closed on all major holidays
For a family of 4 with a 3 ton A/C, 6 months of cooling and 9.0¢ per KwH electricity in 1998.
Avg Heat Recovery (installed cost) |
$600.00 |
Less: Hot Water Savings (6/12 x $471 = $235.50) |
-$235.50 |
Less: A/C Improvement Savings (6 x $13 = $78.00) |
-$78.00 |
Net 1st Year Cost |
$286.50 |
PAYBACK - Less than 2 Years!! |
|
The Electric Company projects the utility bill savings! Florida Power says, "An average family can save up to 50% on annual water heating cost." In addition, the improved cooling performance from your air conditioner or heat pump means even more savings on your utility bill. Your actual savings depends on several factors. They include:
As you can see, the number of factors and their interaction make it very difficult to precisely predict the actual cost savings, but we have compiled the results from actual home installations to come up with typical costs and savings.
To get an idea of the approximate savings you can expect from your Heat Recover Unit, use tables 1 and 2 on the left to estimate the water heating savings and air conditioning performance improvement savings.
Please view available guides below.
1. The ECU Heat Recovery Unit is offered in several optional
configurations. Check the Model number and the wiring diagram configuration
to determine which configuration you are about to install.
2. The ECU Heat Recovery Unit consists of an all-copper, vented double-
wall heat exchanger and a water-cooled water circulating pump. The pump is
controlled by the use of one or more limit switches. Power for the pump is
derived either from the compressor contactor of the outdoor section of the Air
Conditioner or Heat Pump, or it may be derived from a remote power source if
the appropriate controls are used.
Energy Conservation Unit or also known as a Hot Water Heat Exchanger. The ECU Hot Water Generator exchanger. The ECU is connected to a water heater and an air conditioner, heat pump, or refrigeration compressor. A small pump circulates “cold” water from the bottom of the water heater tank through the heat exchanger within the ECU where it interacts with the hot refrigerant gas from the compressor via a heat exchanger.
The resulting heated domestic water is then pumped back to the water heater. Reclaiming waste heat from high compressor discharge temperatures is a proven principle of energy recycling that produces abundant hot water safely and economically.
A 125 degree hot gas cut-in thermostat insures the ECU only runs when waste heat is available from the refrigerant system, a necessity for heat pumps. The 140 degree hot water cut-out thermostat shuts the system down when the incoming water is 140 degrees, indicating a full tank of hot water. Other options include: /F - freeze thermostat that activates the water pump should temperatures in the ECU itself approach 32 degrees (freezing); /V - bleed type ball valves for draining the unit in the winter; /PC - hand valves with high pressure blow-off’s when needed for local code compliance; /R-410A - tested and approved for both R-410A and R-22.
We offer a dual coil single pump model for when you have two AC’s or Heat Pump’s units located near each other, enabling easy compact installations with either or both units returning “free” heated water to the water heater. The ECU heat recovery unit also reduces the compressor load, which increases compressor efficiency and extends compressor life. The ARL test indicates a full 1+ seer increase in the AC or Heat Pump system efficiency. This is great benefit in these tough times, besides providing your customer with “free” domestic hot water.