Wintertime HVAC Emergencies

Wintertime can cause many problems for your building’s HVAC system, however, HVAC emergencies can happen any time of the year. The fact of the matter is, these problems tend to be more common during the winter months. Your building may need emergency HVAC repair services if the following issues happen.

Heat Pump Failure

While these tend to occur in residential buildings, failing heat pumps can happen in commercial buildings. Heat pumps efficiently provide solutions to heating, but they need to be repaired as soon as possible when a problem occurs. Common problems are damaged heating elements, damaged electrical components, and low refrigerant levels.

Furnace Issues

Furnaces can also cause system-wide heating problems, but these are typically due to pilot light or other heating elements. Failing pilot light and ignition are common occurrences, however, electrical problems can be to blame. When furnaces fail, this can lead to freezing pipes.

Blower Issues

When the HVAC’s blowers go out, it can lead to inadequate heating. This can be a nuisance during the winter months. Some repairs that may need to be done are, motor fixed, replacing bushings, blower fan repair. A blower motor should be repaired as it can cause the heat to not spread to all parts of the building.

Hazards With Dysfunctioning HVACs

There is a potential for a carbon monoxide leak during the colder months. Other common wintertime HVAC emergency hazards are damage to electrical wiring and gas furnace leaks. These issues should not be taken lightly. You want to make sure you get a professional HVAC specialist to check your equipment as soon as possible for an emergency repair.

How To Protect Your HVAC System During a Hurricane

From the recent hurricane activity over the summer, it should be obvious to anyone that hurricanes can cause a massive amount of damage. When it comes to protecting your home, it’s always best to be prepared well before a hurricane strike is imminent. This includes protecting your HVAC system from the elements. Your system can sustain massive damage in several ways from a hurricane. Here’s how to protect it.

Disconnect The Power

If you air condition your home through window units, then make sure to disconnect the power. Also, you should remove them completely from the window. The high winds could end up blowing the units into your home and causing damage and injury.

Put a Cover On Your HVAC Unit

If you don’t use window units, then you’ll need to protect your outdoor unit as well. It can’t be moved indoors, so a simple tarp that covers the entire unit should work just fine. You will need to strap it down securely, however, so it doesn’t blow away. The tarp will help protect it from the elements, as well as from any flying debris. While you won’t be moving it, you should also try to anchor the unit in place. It may be too heavy for you, but it might not be too heavy for the hurricane. You can purchase straps that have been specifically designed to anchor your HVAC unit in place.

Get Surge Protection

A big part of hurricanes is the amount of lightning that comes with them. If your home gets hit and has a power surge, your HVAC system could be destroyed, along with any number of other appliances. You can purchase a surge protector that will ensure that everything in your home is protected. It’s also wise to switch off breakers to the thermostat and the HVAC unit until the storm passes.

Inspect Your Yard

While a tarp will provide some protection, it won’t defend well against certain things. Inspect your yard for lawn equipment, toys, large branches, and other objects that can be swept up in the wind.

Do not be caught flat-footed when a hurricane strikes. Make sure to take every precaution to protect your HVAC system.

A New Cooling Tower From SPX Cooling Technologies Is On The Way

The Marley AV line of cooling towers are getting a makeover. The popular single flow, factory assembled cooling towers are going to get a boost in power and some special features in a new redesign announced by SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc. Here is a rundown of what you need to know.

Features

The new features include a new cross flow design that that will come in both single and multi-fan models. Plus it will have a flow rate of 117 to 1541 gpm, and a tonnage range from 122 to 772. Despite this, it will be even more energy efficient. It will be able to handle household air conditioning and refrigeration, but will also be able able to handle lighter industrial loads.

It will come standard with a bearing housing belt drive system. However, also available on some models will be the Marley Geareducer and motor outside airstream options. There are a plethora of other design and usage options, such as stainless steel basins, access doors, sweeper piping, and mechanical access doors as well. These are all features that will make inspecting and maintaining the tower much easier and safer. Along with this, the tower will also have a hot water basin guardrail system and a plenum walkway that’s slip-resistant. Safety and functionality are the calling cards of the redesign.

Also a part of the redesign will be the brand new, Markey Drift Eliminator, patent-pending. These will help the cooling towers get even an even lower drift rate, at .0005% of water flow. That means that the tower will retain water much better than previous models. Customers will also have a choice between quiet and ultra-quiet fan modes as well. The Cooling Technology Institute has fully certified the AV, so you can expect quality. This new product will be available around the world.

SPX Cooling Technologies is a worldwide leader in manufacturing cooling towers and other cooling equipment and accessories. They are committed to providing an exceptional customer experience, from customer service to quality products.They have been innovators in the HVAC industry for more than 100 years.

The Climate of Minnesota

Minnesota is located in the Upper Midwest, which means its climate is more varied than most places in the United States. It gets cold in the winter, and hot in the summer, with snow and rain and everything in between coming all year round. Here are some facts about Minnesota’s climate.

Winter

Minnesota has hot summer and cold winters, which means it is categorized as having a continental climate. In the winter, the precipitation is predominantly snow, but there can also be freezing rain. Snow is a big part of winters in Minnesota, with amounts ranging from 170 inches to 10 inches, depending on the area of the state. Blizzards are not uncommon throughout the winter months.

Spring

Since the winter can be so cold, the spring is a time for change. There are often snowstorms in early spring, but temperatures warm in late spring. This drastic change in climate can lead to a risk of tornadoes.

Summer

Like anywhere else in the United States, summers are hot and humid in southern Minnesota, and slightly less so in the northern areas. The humidity can cause thunderstorms for 30-40 days out of the year. Temperatures can get to the mid-80s in the south, and upper 70s in the north. The climate is suitable for growing for 90-160 days in the year. The variation is because of shorter Iron Range growing season when compared to the rest of the state.

Autumn

The fall climate is almost the opposite of the spring. The temperatures can change quickly, which can lead to storm systems, which begin to develop into snow storms by the end of autumn.

Lake effect

Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake, so it unsurprisingly can have an effect on the climate in the Arrowhead Region that surrounds it. The lake keeps the area cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. So the temperature does not fluctuate as much as the rest of the state throughout the year.

When it comes to weather, there is no condition that Minnesota does not experience in some form throughout the year. If you live or travel there, make sure to dress for the elements, as you sometimes do not know what you are going to get.

Reference:

Climate of Minnesota.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Apr. 2017. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.

New Administration Issuing A Freeze On The Latest Efficiency Regulations

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus recently issued a memorandum declaring a government-wide hold on both new and pending HVAC regulations before they can be published in the Federal Register. HVAC professionals, especially the ACCA, are happy to hear the news. The freeze, they say, has allotted time for further review and discussion of installation and regulation problems that have resulted from past efficiency regulations. ACCA senior vice president for government regulations Barton James stated the “freeze allows ACCA the opportunity to further help the new administration to better understand how critical it is that future HVAC efficiency regulations must address the installation problems that are rampant in the industry”. But not everyone is happy about the new administration issuing a freeze on the latest efficiency regulations. Continue reading “New Administration Issuing A Freeze On The Latest Efficiency Regulations”

Contractors Review the Benefits of Smart HVAC Technology

We live in a world of ever-changing technology. Almost everyone has a smart phone. Smart televisions and cars are available on the market. Not surprising, HVAC contractors are looking to the future of smart air and heating technology. Whether you’re a bit old-school or are all about new-age tech, smart technology is paving the way for the HVAC industry. As a result, contractors are reviewing the benefits of smart HVAC technology into the market. But how will this new technology affect your home or business? Continue reading “Contractors Review the Benefits of Smart HVAC Technology”