by High Performance HVAC | Technical Reference |
Wire Type and Sizing Considerations - When a professional electrician looks at a job to wire a house or a new circuit in any structure the primary consideration in the wiring job is the size and type of wire to be used for the job per the NEC. The same for a plumber when looking at a job the plumber will size the pipes based on the number of gallons needed to carry the proper amount of water to its destination. If the pipe is too small then the water needed will not reach its destination. This is almost the same for electrical wire except under-sizing electrical wire is dangerous. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Air Conditioning |
Mini-split Air Conditioners - Ductless air conditioners are like regular air conditioners with ducts in that the compressor is located outside. They are often preferable to window units for aesthetic reasons. Ductless air conditioners are not good for cooling more than 1 or 2 rooms at a time and are expensive on initial purchase. Ductless air conditioners are also known as split system air conditioners or mini-split systems. As mentioned earlier the larger units are placed outside the building or home. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Boilers |
Residential Hot Water Boiler Control - The average residential/light commercial boiler typically uses different controls to sequence the boiler. Boiler control in commercial and industrial applications can be very complex and can have added layers of controls outside of the local boiler controls that come from the manufacturer.
There are also differences in the controls between steam and hot water boilers. Breaking all this down into sections we’ll be as concise and detailed as possible while using brevity to describe residential/light commercial boiler control and cover commercial/industrial boiler control in another article. Some of this information will overlap but rest assured we’ll be as detailed as possible.
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by High Performance HVAC | Oil Heat |
Honeywell Oil Burner Ignition Control | HVAC Heating - This Honeywell oil burner ignition control controls the oil burner sequence of operation. On a call for heat from the thermostat, the oil burner ignition control starts the burner blower. this mechanically interlinked with the oil pump.
The blower blows air into the combustion chamber and the oil pump pumps oil to the burner’s nozzle. The step-up transformer is energized and applies a very high voltage spark to the burner’s ignitor. When the flame is detected it is immediately detected by a cad cell eye which recognizes the light produced by the flame inside the combustion chamber. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Gas Furnaces |
Draft hood not connected properly to the flue on an atmospheric boiler
Flue Size Chimney Liners Corrosion - It is important that furnace flues are sized properly or vent into chimneys that have chimney liners in them. Many older heating systems were oversized. From the furnace to the chimney used to vent the exhaust gases many older systems are oversized.
These older systems were also inefficient. Modern furnaces and boilers are far more efficient than the older inefficient systems. The older systems had flue gases that contained more heat than the newer modern heating systems. It is, therefore, important that flue size is sized properly for the newer furnaces because the flue gases are highly corrosive when they condense. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Gas Furnaces |
Gas Valve Troubleshooting - Gas valves used in modern state-of-the-art residential gas furnaces are typically controlled via a state-of-the-art electronic ignition control or a printed circuit board. Other types of gas valves include the standing pilot gas valve.
Gas valves can be found on gas furnaces, gas-fired steam boilers or hot water boilers, and gas-fired water heaters. With gas valve troubleshooting and any “gas valve” issues, safety is always first.
When troubleshooting a gas valve, the technician should only be concerned with input to the gas valve and output of the gas valve, whether it is an electronic module or circuit board controlled gas valve, or a standing pilot gas valve. The input with gas valve troubleshooting includes ensuring the safety circuit is good.
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by High Performance HVAC | Gas Furnaces |
Standing Pilot Gas Furnaces & Heating Safety. The picture to the right is the main reason carbon monoxide detectors are needed. CO Detectors are important to have for people who own gas or oil-fired furnaces. The customer had been suffering from severe headaches, nausea, and sinus problems.
I condemned the gas pack furnace and the next day returned to replace all the heat exchanger cells in the furnace. This was the fourth one that winter (2001) that I had found in different furnaces.
How many more are out there in furnaces that no one knows anything about except a slight headache and nausea? This is an excellent reason to have your furnace/heater and heat exchanger inspected immediately. Don’t take any chances, get your carbon monoxide detector and call your local heating and air company for a furnace/heater inspection today. (more…)
by High Performance HVAC | Buyers Advice |
Quality HVAC Installation is Important for Energy Efficiency
Is it true that Quality HVAC Equipment Installation Equals Energy Savings when upgrading older equipment?
The average homeowner will buy from the lowest bidder and fully trust the HVAC contractor 100% to finish the work. Some homeowners will do their homework while many will not. While most of the HVAC contractors will do the right thing and give the homeowner what they pay for, there are absolutely some unscrupulous contractors that will take advantage of the homeowner all without the homeowner’s knowledge. There are some home improvement contractors who know absolutely nothing about HVAC do HVAC work and they failed miserably.
Regardless there is a responsibility upon all parties involved to do the right thing. The homeowner should research all the best opportunities. They need to seek out the best contractor and the best HVAC equipment for the money being spent. The HVAC contractor has a responsibility to correctly install the equipment for a competitive price for the customer. The contractor should also offer some sort of guarantee on their work. This guarantee should be for a specified period of time to prove they stand behind their work.
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by High Performance HVAC | Heat Pumps |
Trane Air Source Heat Pump Condenser
Heat Pump Types - There are different types of heat pumps available on the market today. A heat pump is an air conditioning unit that cools when the temperature is hot and heats when it is cold. There are many different types of these heat pump systems available. There is the geothermal heat pump. It can either utilize a series of closed-loop water pipes buried in the ground or other methods of heat exchange. This process removes or absorbs heat for heating and cooling.
Air source heat pumps can be configured differently. One type of air source heating will utilize electric heating for backup heating while another may use a gas furnace for backup heating. These types of systems can also be split systems or package units and nearly all share a similar heat pump sequence of operation. A description of the various types of systems and how they work is below in this article on heat pump types. These systems utilize similar heat pump components but differ in how the heat pump works.
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by High Performance HVAC | Technical Reference |
HVAC Professional Organizations | Heating and Cooling - Many people ask the question(s) what is ASHRAE? Or what is ARI? Or what is SMACNA? These organizations are all involved in HVAC and set the standards for the HVAC industry that most professional HVAC manufacturers and companies follow.
Engineers use standards by these and other professional organizations to write specifications for construction projects and government agencies use the standards produced by these organizations (and others) to define requirements for government construction projects. (more…)
