Helping Your Air Conditioner - Beating the Heat - The new house you just bought is not so cool and the air conditioner seems to run all the time. You begin to worry that maybe something is wrong with the air conditioner. You tolerate it for a while until your spouse broaches the subject a few hours later. Both of you discuss the matter and come to the conclusion that something is wrong with the air conditioner. (more…)
Air Conditioner Types - Air Conditioners comprise a wide array of variety, types, and names. Below is a list used to describe these types of air conditioner systems in generic terms. Any one of the air conditioner units below can heat, cool, and have a combination of single-use depending on how they are specified at the factory and configuration. (more…)
For proper Air Conditioner Troubleshooting, you need to understand some basics of air conditioners. This includes basic refrigeration, electricity, electrical components and how electro-mechanical controls work. In addition, basic air conditioner components and air conditioner sequence of operation. Before troubleshooting, you need to identify the basic problem with the system. Aside from the basics such as blown fuses or a tripped breaker we will explore other areas to look at for air conditioner troubleshooting. Tripped circuit breakers for air conditioning systems are covered here. A good preventive maintenance program done periodically can help you avoid common air conditioning problems that require troubleshooting. (more…)
Trane Chilled Water Systems – Multi-Zone Air Conditioning Systems - This Trane HVAC chiller serves four different apartments. Chilled water systems offer a great way for multi-zone air conditioning. From small apartment buildings to large commercial buildings chilled water systems can serve multi-zone air conditioning systems. (more…)
There are some hot water and cold water coils which are not fixed in the air handler. They are downstream in the ductwork. There are also some gas and electric duct heaters which are mounted in the ductwork. They are completely reliant on the air handler for air flow. These systems will also be covered. Hopefully, this article will offer you a comprehensive look at the air handler, all its parts, and how it functions. (more…)
Air Handler Filter Pressure Sensor - This is a pressure sensor. It tells a maintenance technician if the air filters are dirty and clogged. The pressure control is a low static pressure switch to trip the unit if the mixing box drops below the setpoint pressure. The pressure the switch is calibrated to.
In addition, the low static pressure sensor protects the fan and the ductwork including dampers from damage. If the economizer damper and the return air damper would fail closed (or another possible scenario) that would cause the unit to pull negative pressure in the mixing box. (more…)
HVAC Duct Work delivers the conditioned air to the spaces. The Air Handling Duct channels this conditioned air to spaces where it is needed and then a return duct channels the air back to the air handling unit duct for re-conditioning. The return ductwork has a negative pressure while the supply ductwork has positive pressure.
In commercial systems and tight residential homes, it is necessary to add fresh air to this conditioned air so the air remains fresh and healthy for the occupants of the structure. This is required by the mechanical code and often this air comes through ductwork from the outside. (more…)
Goodman versus Trane Air Conditioners - The first thing we need to do when comparing a Trane Versus a Goodman air conditioning system is to make sure we are comparing similar models with similar features. Each manufacturer makes various models from a builder’s grade unit, which is usually the HVAC manufacturer’s cheapest model up to the unit that has bells and whistles, and some of these have bells and whistles for the bells and whistles. You want to make sure you are comparing apples to apples and not an apple to an orange.
The next thing we need to do when comparing HVAC equipment is to look at the HVAC contractor installing the equipment. If you get a lousy installer or contractor, forget about the name brand because the HVAC system WILL NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY and EFFICIENTLY if the installation is shoddy. Also, the unit will not have the same life expectancy, will fail prematurely, and will need replacing sooner than if the HVAC equipment is installed properly in the first place. Out of any buyers advice about air conditioning and heating equipment that someone can give you this is probably the most important part.
Heat Pump Systems - There are different types of Heat Pumps in use in both the commercial HVAC heat pump markets and the residential HVAC heat pump markets. The two main types of heat pumps are the air source heat pumps and the water source heat pumps (or geothermal heat pumps). Within the water source heat pump types there are several sub-categories. (more…)
