How to Fix a Frozen Air Conditioner | Troubleshooting 101

by | Air Conditioning | 6 comments

What you will learn from the Frozen Air Conditioner article:

  1. the major two reasons why your air conditioner has ice on it somewhere (otherwise you likely wouldn’t be here)
  2. the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner in winter and summer operation
  3. why airflow is essential to a central air conditioning system
  4. enough about HVAC refrigeration to help you determine the problem of a frozen air conditioner.

We have many other related articles. Use the search feature to the right to help you find other related articles. (more…)

How Inverters Work Basics | Air Conditioning

by | Air Conditioning | 2 comments

How Inverters Work Basics - The new way for ultra-efficient air conditioners and heat pumps have modulating compressors and motors. A few years ago it was rare that I got an email asking the question about how inverters work but now I have noticed the question coming more and more so I wanted to write an article to explain how inverters work.

Inverters are used in air conditioning to modulate compressors and fan motors from 100% down to a minimum of 20% although the minimum will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer according to part selection and engineering limitations. To truly understand how inverters work one has to have a basic understanding of electronics. (more…)

Large Condenser Pump for a Chilled Water System

by | Commercial HVAC | 0 comments

Large Condenser Pump for a Chilled Water SystemLarge Condenser Pump for a Chilled Water System - This large HVAC condenser pump serves a new chiller located in a data center. This pump pumps condenser water through the condenser chiller barrel and to cooling to reject the heat absorbed in the chillers evaporator barrel. The pump works to move the water from the chiller to the cooling and then back through the chiller again. The water is diluted with a glycol solution to prevent freezing in the wintertime when the chiller needs to run at low ambient temperatures. (more…)

Air Handling Unit Components 2 | HVAC Forced Air Systems

by | Air Handlers | 0 comments

Air Handling Unit Components 2: Heat - There are many different types and arrangements of heating systems for air handling units and these types of heating systems and arrangements of heating systems vary from commercial to residential. Some air handling units do not have any heat source inside them at all but have remote heat for zoning. The air handling unit provides the airflow and the remote heaters provide heat for zoning.

Sometimes the air handling unit is a VAV air handling unit and other times it is just to provide air for a duct heater whether the duct heater is gas-fired or electric. For air handling units which some have heating systems inside the five main ways of providing heat for air handling units are:

Air Conditioner Squirrel Cage Blower | HVAC Air Flow

by | Air Conditioning | 0 comments

Air Conditioner Squirrel Cage Blower | HVAC blower motors move the air through the system. The blower motor is sized based on the amount of air flow necessary for the system. This blower motor is the supply fan for the supply air in a large commercial York AHU. An AC and heating forced air system is sized based on load. The load factors include heat loss and heat gain, number of people in the building, types of rooms served, factoring in heat produced by equipment such as computers and other heat producing equipment. (more…)

Goodman Heat Pump Condenser Flood Protection

by | Heat Pumps | 0 comments

Goodman Heat Pump Condenser Flood Protection

Goodman Heat Pump Condenser Flood Protection – This heat pump condensing unit has been installed on the platform. The area where this air conditioning condenser is located is prone to flooding. The platform raises the heat pump condenser at least one foot above the floodplain.

This is usually required depending on the municipality or government agency in charge of mechanical and electrical inspections. If you live in a flood-prone area it is wise to protect the equipment from flood damage. It is possible for the air conditioner condenser unit to run after being flooded. However, the life expectancy is drastically reduced and you will definitely experience mechanical and electrical problems. (more…)

Heating with Heat Pumps | HVAC Systems

by | Heat Pumps | 2 comments

Heating with Heat Pumps | HVAC Systems - There are some people who say that heat pump heat is not as warm as other types of heat. Heating sources such as a hot water boiler or even a steam boiler. Even the forced air gas furnace gets more credit for providing better heat than the heat pump. Heat pumps are extremely popular in the southern states where the heating season is short. Additionally, where the temperature rarely dips below 35 degrees F. (more…)

Vapor Compression Refrigeration | Refrigeration HVAC

by | Refrigeration | 2 comments

Refrigeration HVAC - Vapor Compression Refrigeration

These compressors are integral to a vapor compression refrigeration system in a supermarket

The process of refrigeration uses the vapor-compression refrigeration cycle to move heat from one place to another. In many HVAC air conditioner and heat pump applications, the process of refrigeration or the vapor-compression cycle is what makes it work. This process, in the air conditioning mode, moves heat from inside the structure to the outside. (more…)

The Mercury Switch Thermostat | HVAC Control

by | Thermostats | 8 comments

The Mercury Switch Thermostat | HVAC Control - Mercury switch thermostats are not available for purchase in many states. They have been banned because they contain mercury, and it is important to properly dispose of these thermostats that contain mercury if they are changed out for newer digital thermostats. Some many homes and businesses still have these thermostats in use so we will offer a brief of how these thermostats work including the components inside the thermostat. (more…)