Common Sense Safety HVAC Codes - Some HVAC Installation technicians take pride in their work and make any installation job they perform look like a work of art. There are others who don’t care and want to install the unit as quickly as possible and move on down the road to the next job so they can do the same.
It really does not take much more time to do things right in the first place including reading the instruction manual that comes with every new condenser or air handler (actually all new HVAC equipment comes with instructions for installation). (more…)
This air handler has the access panels removed during the installation process so the HVAC installation technician can make the final connections and adjustments. In clear view is the air handler blower compartment with the air handler blower. The air handler blower is comprised of an electric motor, a blower wheel, and a squirrel cage which holds it all together. Attached to the outside of the squirrel cage is a run capacitor which is a functioning part of the electric motor. All these air handler components combined blows air throughout the entire HVAC system including the evaporator coil. (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…)
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…)
Air conditioning preventive maintenance is a thorough check of the air conditioning system by a professional HVAC Technician. The technician will check the following:
Heat Pump Thermostats - To the average person a heat pump thermostat can be a very complicated thermostat compared to the typical thermostat which serves an air conditioning system with gas, electric, or an oil furnace. Of course, the heat pump thermostat typically has more wire terminations than the regular thermostat.
It has more switches to control emergency heat, and some even have lights, which will indicate that the auxiliary heat or emergency heat is functioning. Most heat pump thermostats are two-stage thermostats for the heating mode and a single stage for the cooling mode.
HVAC Refrigeration Evacuation | Technical Refrigeration - Why is it necessary to evacuate a refrigeration system before charging it with refrigerant? Because all systems are designed to operate without moisture or non-condensable gas in the system. If your air conditioner or heat pump was installed without a proper evacuation the system it will not function as designed and will likely fail prematurely. (more…)
Heat Pump Electric Backup Heating Basics. There are different types of electric heating available in homes. Probably the most common use for electric heat other than portable electric heating units is electric heat strips. Electric heat strips used for backup heat in heat pumps. Sizing the electric heat strips for heat pump backup heating applications will depend on many different variables.
These variables include the size of the space to be heated and the insulation values of the whole structure. It also includes doors and windows. Additionally, it includes the geographical location of the dwelling, along with many other factors. Backup heat for heat pumps is essential for the defrost cycle. (more…)
Richard - Very nice site!- Dual Two-Stage Split System with a Dual Slab Coil - I have a question; my home was fitted out by the previous owner with a twinned system, and a thermostat (Totaline P374-1900) which was not designed to control discreet, paired units. I confirmed this with Totaline. The result is only one unit runs, and the second unit is never activated. It functions, but not automatically.
