What Type of HVAC System Needed for Sun Porch - We added a 300 sq. ft. of living space to our home as a sun porch. How do we effectively, efficiently heat/cool this space? We’ve been pitched several options. 1) Use existing with a manual duct damper to the new sun porch. 2) same as above but use a zoned approach. Zoned w/auto dampers for main house 1st floor and sun porch plus separate thermostats. 3) HVAC with new units for sun porch (e.g., radiate, forced air, etc) (more…)
SEER Definition: The Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio is a measure of the cooling efficiency of your air conditioner or heat pump. The higher the SEER number the better the system is at converting electricity into cooling your home. Simply put, manufacturers use it to differentiate between less efficient equipment to the more efficient equipment they sell.
Equipment is tested in a third-party laboratory and the results are certified by ARI. Furthermore, the result of the testing can be looked up in the ARI database for each of equipment if you have the model number. It should be noted that ARI uses strict testing parameters in testing HVAC equipment. Additionally, these standards are issued by ANSI or other respected organizations that issue standardization rules throughout the industry. (more…)
The TXV or Thermostatic Expansion Valve is preferred over other refrigeration metering devices because it only allows a specified amount of refrigerant to flow based on demand. Any type of refrigeration metering device creates a pressure drop in the refrigerant and with a pressure drop of the refrigerant a temperature drop also occurs.
This temperature is necessary to drop the refrigerant down to temperature lower than ambient temperatures inside the structure being cooled. This allows the refrigerant to absorb the heat contained in the air passing over the evaporator coil. (more…)
Heat Pump Components - Heat Pumps are similar to air conditioners with a few extra components. Components added to allow the heat pump to offer both heating and cooling. The two major differences between a heat pump and an air conditioner are the controls and the refrigeration circuit.
While there are many different types of heat pumps and air conditioners the methods and means these two types of heating and cooling systems use are basically the same. (more…)
Window Unit Air Conditioners Heat Pumps – First of all, window unit air conditioners are a popular way of providing cooling in small to medium-sized rooms. Window unit air conditioners are easy to install. They usually only require someone with the strength to lift the unit into a window and secure it. Then you plug it in and turn it on. It’s that simple and is the closest thing to plug-and-play air conditioning you can find. (more…)
What You Will Learn from this How to Wire a Thermostat Article:
the most common trouble call by service and repair HVAC companies
about thermostat wire with a resource for more information
the best advice for changing your thermostat
the most common mistakes made by DIY thermostat changers
the importance of identifying the type of HVAC system you have so you will select the proper thermostat.
advisory and disclaimer for installing a new thermostat
list of tools commonly needed to install a new thermostat
step by step instructions on changing your thermostat along with hints and tips for making the job easier
lots of extra links to other articles to make sure you completely understand everything you need to know. (and more about thermostats, thermostat wire, and installing a new thermostat)
Resource to color codes to make it easier for installation.
Superheat and Sub-cooling - In HVAC refrigeration coils and fans are used for air conditioners and heat pumps to transfer heat in one direction or another. A good HVAC technician is well versed in refrigeration. Refrigeration is defined as moving heat from one place to another. Modern air conditioners and heat pumps use a chemical refrigerant used in vapor compression refrigeration.
This chemical refrigerant has great properties for absorbing heat. What makes these chemicals so efficient is the temperature at which they change state or change from a liquid to a vapor and condense back to a liquid again. This is key to understanding superheat and subcooling. (more…)
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…)
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.
HVAC Tip - Having the proper humidity levels in your home or business is important not only for your health but also the amount of energy your HVAC systems use to keep you comfortable. If the humidity level is high in the summer you will not feel comfortable. If the humidity level is low in the winter you will not feel warm when the thermostat is set for an average temperature. This will result in turning the thermostat up to compensate and you will use more energy to stay comfortable. A properly designed and installed HVAC system will keep the proper levels of humidity in your home or business and save you money in energy costs by reducing the amount you use the HVAC system. For more information on humidity and maintaining the proper levels of humidity in your home please visit our humidity technical pages.
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What Type of HVAC System Needed for Sun Porch - We added a 300 sq. ft. of living space to our home as a sun porch. How do we effectively, efficiently heat/cool this space? We’ve been pitched several options. 1) Use existing with a manual duct damper to the new sun porch. 2) same as above but use a zoned approach. Zoned w/auto dampers for main house 1st floor and sun porch plus separate thermostats. 3) HVAC with new units for sun porch (e.g., radiate, forced air, etc) (more…)
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. 
