What Temperature Should I Set My Programmable Thermostat To - 4) Please confirm this advice if you would; it is better to have your thermostat left at 70°F. to 72°F. during the day while your home is empty and adjusts accordingly when you get home as opposed to shutting off the heater/ac and turning it on when you get home. I would think this would put less strain on the unit. Thanks in advance for your help. (more…)
Boiler Efficiency Options - High Performance HVAC wants to help you understand your next boiler purchase better. To do this we want to break down all the different types of boilers and components, and various options and features that you may find when making a purchase.
Typically, you want to find a like replacement for the boiler you currently have installed, or if you are buying a new boiler, you want a system that will handle the load and is durable. The most important feature of the new purchase is usually the fuel efficiency simply because the cost of running the new system will give you pay back over time for the new purchase.
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How a Programmable Thermostats Works - Programmable thermostats can save you more than ten percent on your homes utility bills. For that reason a programmable can pay for itself within a few years depending on the type and expense of the type you purchase. I always lean towards Honeywell thermostats simply because I’ve seen their reliability in the field and sometimes ease of use. Among others, you can expect good quality from Honeywell thermostat products. The new, hi-tech style currently out on the market is the Honeywell touch-screen thermostat.
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Hot Water Boiler Reset Control - Richard, We are looking at replacing our boiler with a new hot water boiler. The HVAC contractor, I suppose he is the salesman for the HVAC contractor, is trying to sell us what he refers to as a reset control for our boiler. He tells us it will save us more money by making our boiler more efficient. I think I understand how it works but my wife is not entirely sure about it. Can you tell us what you think about a boiler reset control and how it works?
Thanks, and we have learned so much from High Performance HVAC. And keep up the good work.
Brent (more…)
Rooftop Economizer CO2 | HVAC Control – This damper is part of a free cooling system for a rooftop economizer. It is part of an economizer damper system that allows free outside air cooling when the outside air temperature and humidity are ideal. This economizer also works on CO2 control so that if the CO2 levels inside the space rise above a set point the economizer damper opens allowing fresh outside air into the building while venting the air laden with CO2 to the outside. (more…)
Refrigeration for HVAC - Air conditioners and heat pumps use the process of refrigeration to provide heating and cooling. What is the definition of the process of refrigeration? Refrigeration is the process of moving heat and depending on whether it is a heat pump or air conditioner and what mode it is in will depend on where you are moving the heat. An air conditioner and a heat pump (in the cooling mode) will move heat outside. The evaporator coil absorbs the heat and the condenser rejects the heat. (more…)
HVAC Temperature Measurement Conversion - In air conditioning and heating applications it is necessary to accurately measure temperature to offer control of the temperatures relative to the application for which the HVACR equipment is serving. There are four separate temperature scales used to measure temperature and it becomes necessary at times to have the ability to convert between the different scales.
Aside from the temperature measurement scales and their use in HVAC, there are also methods for using specific tools to make those measurements. For example, in many cases, a technician needs to know the dry-bulb temperature and the wet-bulb temperature. In the old days, a technician would use a sling psychrometer to get the wet-bulb temperature.
Today, there are digital instruments that will measure the wet-bulb temperature for the technician. Here we begin with temperature conversion: (more…)
Heat Trace Tape Control for HVAC Piping - HVAC Piping systems, especially in the Northern regions, need a way to freeze protect piping the runs outdoor which is a necessity in many different HVAC application. To protect HVAC piping from freezing heat trace tape is wound around the pipe and controlled by an outdoor thermostat or temperature control that energizes the heat trace tape and keeps the pipe from freezing. (more…)
Domestic Hot Water Mixing Valve and Domestic Storage Tank - This domestic hot water mixing valve offers a way to temper the hot water coming from a hydronic hot water loop and boiler. It is very important to maintain the appropriate and desirable temperatures of water used for domestic water use.
First, you want to maintain a safe temperature so people are not scalded by extremely hot water temperatures. Once the temperature is safe it needs to be reliable. Since the boilers operate or are on standby 24/7 - 365, the availability is there to reliably make domestic hot water on demand. (more…)
DDC Outside Air Economizer System - Outside louvers allow the DDC control system to open dampers and introduce fresh air into the building. Building automation system, or the energy management system as it is sometimes called, monitors outside air temperature and humidity and based on a calculation and opens the outside air dampers when this calculation determines a precise set point. (more…)
