Old Leaking Condenser Coils

Old Leaking Condenser Coils

Old coil with HVAC Refrigerant Leaks

Old Leaking Condenser Coils (also referred to as freon leaks) can cause serious issues with HVAC heat pump equipment. HVAC refrigeration circuits are designed and built to hold the refrigerant. It is a sealed hermetic system. The HVAC refrigeration circuit should never need refrigerant. An HVAC refrigeration system does not burn refrigerant. The refrigerant is used over and over again to move heat from one place to another. Aside from a leak, once the refrigeration system is properly charged, the system should never need refrigerant for the life of the equipment. (more…)

Crankcase Heaters and Compressors | HVAC Refrigeration

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…)

How Air Conditioning Works | HVAC Cooling

How Air Conditioning Works - Ever wonder how air conditioner works in a house? AC’s work by removing the heat from the space they service. An AC is simply a big refrigerator that uses the process of refrigeration to provide cooling for a building. AC’s work by using direct expansion coils or chilled water coils to absorb and move the heat from the air as air is blown across the coils.

Types of air conditioner systems that use direct expansion coils for cooling are window units, split system air conditioners, package unit air conditioners, packaged terminal air conditioners like the air conditioners used in hotels, and mini-split ductless AC’s. Essentially, an air conditioning system works by removing heat from the air.  (more…)

Heat Pump Sequence of Operation – HVAC Technical

Heat Pump Sequence of Operation - Every electrical-mechanical piece of equipment has a sequence of operation. While some manufacturers of heat pumps vary slightly with their heat pump sequence of operation the overall sequence of operation for a heat pump is the same for most manufacturers. So unless you have a special type of heat pump (they are out there – the Acadia heat pump is designed for extreme cold weather temperatures up North like Canada) the sequence of operation for your heating equipment should be very similar to what is described here. This is the basic operation of a heat pump like you will find in conventional heat pumps.
(more…)

Cooling Tower Evaporation Cools Water | HVAC Technical

Cooling Tower Evaporation Cools WaterCooling Tower Evaporation Cools Water | HVAC Technical - Cooling towers use the process of evaporation to cool or removes heat from the condenser water that was transferred to the water in the chiller condenser barrel. The heat is absorbed in the load in this case in a data center on a data center floor. The servers and electrical equipment produce a massive amount of sensible heat.

The heat is absorbed by computer room air conditioners or computer room air handlers. These systems, computer room air handlers, and air conditioners have chilled water coils. The chilled water originates at the chiller into the primary loop. The water circulates through the primary loop and makes its way into the secondary loops. (more…)

How Hydronics Works | HVAC Technical for Consumers

How Hydronics Works

Air Source Chillers provide cool water for a hydronic piping system

How Hydronics Works | HVAC Technical for Consumers - Hydronics refers to using water and chilled water, steam boilers and hot water boilers, and other methods of transferring heat using water.

A boiler or chiller is used to heat or cool the water and then the water is transferred through the hydronic piping loops to heat exchangers such as coils or baseboards where heat is transferred from the water to the air for heating and from the air to the water for cooling to provide comfort for people or a process.

Hydronics is very popular in commercial and industrial HVAC applications for heating and cooling occupants in large buildings and providing heating and cooling for equipment and machines including computers and servers. Basically in a nutshell Hydronics uses water to move heat from one place to another.

(more…)

Chilled Water System Basics | HVAC Cooling

Chilled Water System Basics
Chilled Water System Basics - Chilled water systems work much the same way as direct expansion systems work. The exception is they use water in the coil rather than refrigerant. Technically speaking, water can be classified as a refrigerant. Chilled Water systems can be rather complex and many chilled water systems are found in commercial and industrial applications. There are some chilled water systems used in residential applications. (more…)

HVAC Green Technology | Heating and Cooling

HVAC Green Technology | Heating and CoolingHVAC Green Technology | Heating and Cooling - First of all, we need to define Green Technology before we compare it to HVAC and discuss how the HVAC industry is working to make the equipment and designs used in Green Technology, friendly to the environment. Green Technology uses evolving technology in utilizing methods and materials to develop techniques that are more friendly to the environment than previous methods and materials. (more…)