by High Performance HVAC | Gas Furnaces |
Standing Pilot Gas Valve Propane Heating | HVAC Heating - How It Works. The standing pilot gas furnace uses a standing pilot to light the main burners. Many gas-fired water heaters have a standing pilot ignition system. The standing pilot gas ignition system is often referred to as a safety pilot because it increases safety.
Safety of ensuring the main burners are lit. The standing pilot can be used on a natural gas ignition system or an LP ignition system. These heating ignition systems are older and are slowly being replaced by more modern and safer electronic ignition systems.
(more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Gas Furnaces |
Gas Furnace AFUE Definition | HVAC Terminology. AFUE or Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency Heating systems consume approximately 35% to 50% of a typical home’s energy budget. Therefore the government has come up with a way to measure efficiency ratings of furnaces so they can set a standard for minimum efficiencies.
The definition of AFUE is – Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. AFUE is a rating that reflects how efficiently a gas furnace converts fuel to energy. A gas furnace with an AFUE of 95 means that approximately 95 percent of the fuel is utilized to provide warmth to your home, while the remaining 10 percent flows up the flue and into the atmosphere.
Therefore you are actually using 95% of the fuel you are paying for and the other 5% is being wasted up the flue vent.
(more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Gas Furnaces |
High-Efficiency Electronic Ignition Gas Furnaces are here. They are the next step up from the standing pilot gas furnace. These gas furnaces are more efficient than the standing pilot furnaces but more complex in design. There are three types of electronic ignition gas furnaces: the intermittent spark pilot, the intermittent hot surface ignition pilot (Honeywell Smartvalve and ignition assembly), and the hot surface ignition furnaces.
While the three are different they all offer higher efficiencies and are both controlled by solid-state circuit boards. Many of these furnaces also have higher efficient heat exchangers.
(more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Commercial HVAC |
Data Center Tridium HVAC Control Panel - As data centers go and HVAC controls function are typically done controlled with either direct digital controls or a very complex SCADA system with direct digital controls being the preference in most situations.
Tridium is a developer of direct digital controls software and hardware and Tridium specializes in controls integration through the Tridium software they develop that allows different devices and different communication protocols to communicate to one another. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Commercial HVAC |
Old McQuay Chiller Control Panel - This panel is part of the controls for an older McQuay chiller. New chillers whether they be McQuay, Trane, York, or Carrier chillers still require these types of controls in them to make them work.
This part of this electro-mechanical control panel consists of contactors and switches (both manual and automatic) for electro-mechanical control of this chiller. To the right is the main power which feeds the unit with three-phase main power. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Commercial HVAC |
Variable Air Volume Systems - Variable Air Volume (VAV) systems are the best way to zone especially in large buildings. A VAV system with the proper controls and setup will help the building owner realize large savings in energy usage. There are many VAV systems out there set up in different ways. The most common set-up (for DDC) is, of course, usually the cheapest to install.
They have an air handler (DX or Chilled Water) which supplies the VAV Boxes with fixed pressure and temperature of the conditioned air. The VAV Boxes have electric reheat which will heat the air if that particular zone calls for heat (it is not uncommon to also find VAV boxes that have hot water reheat although this usually costs more to install but can save in energy costs). More on how VAV boxes work.
(more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Commercial HVAC |
HVAC Damper Actuator for Economizer Free Cooling - This damper actuator controls a free cooling damper for an economizer. It is part of an economizer damper system which allows free outside air cooling when the outside air temperature and humidity are ideal. In the Fall and the Spring when the outside air temperatures are mild it is unnecessary to run the air conditioning system to cool the building if the system is set up for free cooling. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Commercial HVAC |
Air Source Chillers provide cool water for a hydronic piping system
How Hydronics Works | HVAC Technical for Consumers - Hydronics refers to using water and chilled water, steam boilers and hot water boilers, and other methods of transferring heat using water.
A boiler or chiller is used to heat or cool the water and then the water is transferred through the hydronic piping loops to heat exchangers such as coils or baseboards where heat is transferred from the water to the air for heating and from the air to the water for cooling to provide comfort for people or a process.
Hydronics is very popular in commercial and industrial HVAC applications for heating and cooling occupants in large buildings and providing heating and cooling for equipment and machines including computers and servers. Basically in a nutshell Hydronics uses water to move heat from one place to another.
(more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Commercial HVAC |
Rooftop Air Handler with Heat Recovery - This large rooftop air handling unit also has a heat recovery wheel integrated inside the AHU itself. The all-in-one AHU and heat recovery unit saves energy by recovering heat. The heat would otherwise be vented outside in the wintertime. Additionally, in the summer it removes heat from the air that is used for economizer and minimum outside air. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Commercial HVAC |
Computer Room Air Conditioner Units - also referred to as CRAC units are essential inside data centers where cooling is necessary for all the computer and electrical equipment most data centers utilize. It is important to keep the equipment cool to prevent overheating for some equipment. (more…)
