Dumpster-dived Window A/C Becomes Ground-Source Heat Pump

A YouTuber named Craftsman Chris converts a dumpster-found window air conditioner into a ground-source heat pump by welding a custom water tank around its existing heat exchanger, allowing it to dump heat into a buried PEX tubing ground loop instead of outside air. He automates control of the unit using an old industrial PLC connected to a linear actuator that physically presses the A/C's stock power button. The project keeps the refrigerant system intact to avoid releasing CFCs, and follows similar prior projects covered on Hackaday involving window units repurposed for whole-house cooling and ground-source heating.

Source: https://hackaday.com/2026/09/22/dumpster-dived-window-a-c-becomes-ground-source-heat-pump. 8 Sync News only summarizes and links out; content copyright belongs to the authors and original sources.