This Goodman 13 SEER Heat Pump condensing unit is a new installation. The inside Goodman air handler attached to the heat pump condenser via line set was also replaced. It was replaced with this new Goodman heat pump. It’s not a good idea to put a new high SEER air conditioner or heat pump condenser without matching it. It should be matched with a properly rated and efficient air handler especially the coil. (more…)
Heat Pump Frost Ice Buildup. Hi. I noticed that one of my outside heat pump condensing units was laboring throughout the night. This morning I found ice frost buildup on the heat pump condenser fins. I live in Tucson, Az. It has been colder than normal (below freezing) with a bit more moisture in the air than usual as of late.
Can you please tell me what causes this frost ice buildup, and how I go about rectifying it? Does this mean that the condenser pump is shot? I’m originally from the Midwest and have never experienced this before. What should I be doing? Thank you for your help. (more…)
Crankcase Heaters and Compressors | HVAC Refrigeration. Hello, I have a question about crankcase heaters and compressors. I am aware that they keep the refrigerant from saturating in the compressor when not running. However, if the refrigerant is R-22, it becomes saturated at approximately 40 degrees. We know the a/c is only operating at warm ambient temperatures. When it is off for the evening hours & the ambient temps stay above 40 degrees, why would one need to have a crankcase heater? Why do we need it on during this temperature range, or are crankcase heaters designed to be activated only during the colder months? Also, if one installs unregulated crankcase heaters (always operating), can this be a negative factor for the compressor life? (more…)
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:
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…)
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…)
Hot Water Boilers - HVAC Hydronic Heating - People who use boilers for their primary source of heat report that they love the kind of heat that a boiler provides, whether they have a hot water steam boiler. If you thought that there is only one type of heat, you might want to reconsider. All you have to do is add adjectives to the beginning of the word heat. There is:
Boiler heat will give you even, draft-less heat. That is opposed to “drafty”, uneven heat that some heat pumps and forced air systems provide.
(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…)
HVAC reciprocating compressors were the workhorse of the HVAC industry and when someone mentioned a compressor the first thing one thought about was a reciprocating compressor. This compressor has a piston(s) that compresses vapor and in the cases of an HVAC compressor, the compressor compresses the refrigerant vapor. (more…)
