Heating and cooling system having auxiliary heating loop

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of refrigeration systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved refrigeration cycle construction wherein the same can be utilized as a pump during winter operation in a much more effective manner through the supplying of additional heat energy from a hot water storage system.
As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved refrigeration apparatus and method which has all the advantages of the prior art refrigeration apparatuses and methods and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for exchanging heat energy between a refrigeration circuit and a hot water system which utilizes a solar heated water tank or a conventional water heater.
In a wintertime operation, condensed refrigerant receives heat from either the solar heated water tank or the water heater and the additional heat is delivered to living spaces by an indoor condenser and fan assembly.
In summertime operation, condensed refrigerant bypasses the hot water storage arrangement so as to function as a normal air conditioning system.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved refrigeration apparatus which has all the advantages of the prior art refrigeration apparatuses and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved refrigeration apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved refrigeration apparatus which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved refrigeration apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such refrigeration apparatuses economically available to the buying public