Category: HVAC

Everyone from the professional contractor to the average homeowner experiences frustration with color-coded equipment. HVAC professionals deal with an entire color wheel of refrigerant cylinder colors. There are so many, in fact, that the issue has prompted the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute to take action. New revisions in AHRI Guideline N, “Assignment of Refrigerant Container Colors” state that all refrigerant containers should be a universal gray-green color by 2020. The guideline is a means of equipment identification. However, increasing numbers of approved colors and equipment has lead to concern about confusion among colors that look too similar. Find out how HVAC refrigerant cylinders expected in uniform color by 2020 will affect the market and the industry.

HVAC Refrigerant Cylinders Expected in Uniform Color by 2020

Concerns Behind the Change

Colors are added to equipment in many industries as a safety precaution. For example, refrigerants have different operating pressures and some contain flammable properties that pose serious safety hazards. In addition, using refrigerants in the wrong application can lead to equipment damage, which means expensive repairs. With so many new refrigerants on the market, the new guideline will ensure safe and proper use for contractors.

Support for the Change

AHRI conducted a survey of contractors, suppliers, technicians, and more to determine if the many colors used for refrigerant identification was confusing. More than half of the participants said that they were. As a result, the new change stipulates that all containers will be a universal color, but their individual packages may maintain the original unique assigned color. The goal is to have contractors and other handlers rely more on the labels to identify individual refrigerants.

Concerns for the Change

Ultimately, the cartons or packaging for refrigerant cylinders is not changing. Only the cylinders themselves are getting a new look. Therefore, assigned colors being used today will still appear on cylinder cartons in 2020. In the end, the change to the cylinders will not necessarily make anything easier for contractors. Rather it means that contractors will have to pay more attention to the labels instead of relying on the colors for identification.

Residential and commercial HVACs provide the same purpose for their respective buildings, however, the systems are vastly different from one another. Here are the biggest differences between the two.

Commercial HVAC is Larger

The biggest difference is the size. Residential HVAC systems are much smaller than that of commercial sites. Commercials systems also operate differently, as they have different components, such as compressor, evaporates, condenser fans, and thermostats. Residential units rely on less power to operate, as there are likely less people coming in and out of a residential home.

They Both Have Different Locations

In residential homes, the HVAC system is usually in the backyard or along the side of the house. Commercial units, however, tend to be located in a “swamp cooler” or on a building’s roof. Putting a commercial HVAC system on the roof is a great solution to saving space. This also helps with prevent noise pollution, due to the HVAC system’s ability to generate loud noise.

Commercial HVAC are Much More Complex

Due to the sheer size difference between the two, the structure is much different. Commercial systems require more adaptability, due to each and every business’s unique building structure. They also typically serve many more people than residential ones do. The drainage system is one of the most notable differences. In commercial HVAC systems, multiple pans and pipes are used to ensure the drainage is completely evaporated.

Commercial HVAC Has a Higher Maintenance Cost

The maintenance cost of a commercial HVAC system is much more than single residential units. This is due to all of the differences listed above, such as size and complexity. Commercial HVAC systems require highly skilled technicians to work on, as they also need to be professionally installed. You should never attempt to repair an HVAC system yourself.

Both residential and commercial HVAC systems serve the same purpose, however they are completely different machines.To ensure that your HVAC system (commercial or residential) is performing its best, make sure you are always getting routine checkups.

The spring season brings with it, not only a beautiful array of colorful flowers and blossoming trees, but also a barrage of allergies that can send your nose and sinuses running for the hills. Many people with outdoor or seasonal allergies resort to staying inside during the spring months, simply to avoid having to deal with a stuffy nose and watery eyes. That’s why it’s so important to keep your home free of seasonal allergy triggers that come with the warm spring weather.

If your home is not properly protected with an air filtration system, you and your family are still susceptible to potentially harmful airborne pollutants that can trigger allergic reactions. Air filters work to keep your home free of pesky allergens and keep fresh air circulating throughout the building so you can breath easy rest assured. Here are four other reasons why you should protect your home, business, and customers from annoying allergies with an HVAC air filter.

Why Your HVAC System Needs An Allergy Filter

Effective Against Pollen

When flowers begin to bloom in the warmth of the spring sun, they release pollen into the air, which is picked up and carried off by the wind. This is right about the time that you get a deep breath-full of the same pollen and other allergens that can trigger a potentially serious problem. Pollen cells/particles are also produced by species of trees like Oak, Maple, Ash, and Elm, and can enter your home through an open window, a door, and even through your HVAC system. If you have noticed the appearance of allergic symptoms like sneezing, itching, or congestion, you might have pollen circulating through the air in your home. Installing a HEPA air filter can catch up to 99.7% of allergens, including pollen, and keep the air in your home clean and fresh.

Effective Against Mold

Another is another big problem for people with seasonal allergies, and without an air filter for your HVAC unit, it too has the potential to be swept up and blown right into your home, wreaking havoc on your allergies and your life. What’s worse is that some breeds of mold, like Aspergillus and Penicillum can thrive in controlled, indoor environments, and produce and release airborne spores well into the fall. UV light air filters are made specifically for the purposes neutralizing mold with a photochemical process that breaks down carbon-based compounds before they can enter your lungs.

Easily Applied to your HVAC System

As you’ve likely already picked up, there are several kinds of air filters that are available for your HVAC unit that will protect your home from harmful air pollutants. These include HEPA, carbon, ionic, and UV light air filters, all designed to intercept airborne allergens in their own unique way. They are universal, however, in that they are all easily installed in your HVAC unit. Most HVAC systems are designed to house a variety of air filters, so no matter what kind of system you have, or what kind of budget you’re working with, you can find an air filter that works well for you.

It’s Good for Business

Having a storefront that is filled with allergens circulating about the air won’t do you any good in terms of bringing back customers. Air filters keep your place of business allergen-free, so your customers can enjoy their shopping experience, and keep your business busy all day long. Even if you don’t suffer from allergies, yourself, it is definitely something you should take into consideration for your customers.

In recent years, there has been a shift away from oversize HVAC systems that are simply too much for the space they need to heat and cool. This is because more emphasis in building and energy codes is towards energy efficiency. Buildings are required to have more accurate cooling and heating load calculations to prevent the problems associated with oversized systems. These problems can include short cycles and poor dehumidification, among other things. However, sometimes systems are still not sized correctly.

Things Are Heating Up

One of the problems that lead to oversized HVAC systems is that the installer used the incorrect design temperatures when making their load calculation. Here is how that happens. In the winter, heat bleeds from the building to the outside. In the summer, the building absorbs heat. How much heat is gained or lost, and how fast it heats or cools, is dependant on the difference in temperature from the outside to the inside. There is a table that provides the industry standard for the proper design temperatures for each season. However, too many contractors ignore or tweak those recommended temperatures when they are making their calculations.

Temperatures are always in flux, whether inside or outside a building. How much heat a building games or loses is in flux as well, even from hour to hour and day to day. If the goal is to keep the temperature of a building at a constant, such as 72 degrees, then the difference in temperature from outside and inside will be less in the evening and morning during the summer when it is cooler. When the temperature difference goes up, then the cooling load will have to rise as well. In most cases, buildings have air conditioners that are not designed to change the amount of cooling based on the change in temperature. THis would require split heat pumps, which are not common.

Design Temperatures

This is where design temperatures come in. Since most HVAC equipment is fixed capacity, and not variable, the design temperature will help make sure your system is operating at its best. The question is, what do these temperatures represent? In Winter, the 99% temperature refers to the level that the outdoor temperature will be above for 99% of the time. This is based on a 30-year average. This means that in the climate in which the building is located, the temperature will only be below that point for 1 % of the time. For example, in hotter cites, the 99% winter design temperature may be 25 degrees or so.

In the summer, the 1% design temperature is the point that your climate will be above for just 1% of the time. In a hot place, that point could be in the 80’s, for example. In the past, there used to be 97.5  and 2.5% temperatures. Those are no longer used since the current design temperatures have become the new standard.

Contactors and Design Temperatures

In general, contractors do not like having to return to the scene of a job to adjust things if the customer complains about being uncomfortable. This is why they will install oversized systems to make sure there is always enough cooling and heating. They do not know how about the other factors that come into play with the temperature of a building, such as insulation and infiltration. Despite this, if you are having a new system installed, make sure that the contractor uses the correct design temperatures so that you will not only be comfortable, but you can avoid any issues with having an oversized system for the space that you have.

Even with the best quality furnace or air conditioning system in the world, one needs a proper and effective duct work or else there will be loss of energy and money. This will cause the structure to have uncomfortable temperatures. Poor duct work will definitely affect negatively the quality of the air inside the rooms. Here are some essential facts on why tight ducts are effective for heating and cooling.

Importance of Tight Ducts for Effective Heating and Cooling.

Majority of structures in America are installed with forced air-heating and cooling system. A main heating, ventilating and air conditioning system mostly a heat pump, furnace or A/C which creates cool or warm air that is blown around by powerful fans through interconnected ducts and registers to reach the various destinations within the structure. This is a repetitive process where the ducts that supply air, take the heated or cooled air to the rooms, while return ducts and registers do the reverse by drawing the room air back into the equipment to be heated or cooled.

One would want to avoid defective ductwork, where ducts network is not well linked to each other, or to the registers, or to the furnace plenum.

Some negative causes of defective ducts.

Loss of energy, the HVAC equipment must operate above its required optimum in order to compensate for the lost energy as heated or cooled air is lost out into unconditioned areas such as the basement area , spaces below the roof , and even cracks on the wall . Some rooms never reach their optimum required temperature, because much of the conditioned air is lost through the faulty ducts before it even reaches the intended destination or room. This mostly affects rooms at the far end of a building whose ducts are long but leaking. Poor quality of air, this is caused by contamination of air from cracks and basement spaces that mix through the leaking points, this causes changes in the air pressure. The contaminated air is then circulated in the structure, lowering the quality of the air from the plenum.

How to Achieve Tight Ductwork.

The best way to achieve an air-tight duct is to hire a professional to do inspection of the existing network of ducts and seal the leaks with the necessary insulation. Although one may temporarily seal leaking ducts using sealants such as metal-backed tape or even mastic sealant in areas where the ducts are obviously leaking.

The Benefits Of Getting a Commercial HVAC Retrofit

There is not a company in the world that is not looking to save energy and money. Those with older heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems may want to replace their entire system, but might find the cost prohibitive. Luckily there is a way to save energy and costs by retrofitting your current system with add-on components. Here are some of the benefits to this practice.

Energy Saving and More

Energy savings are certainly a big benefit, but there is more that you can get out of retrofitting your system. For one, you can squeeze more life out of the old unit, which means saving your capital dollars for other things. You can also continue using the refrigerant that is already in your current unit, so there is no need to purchase any more. These retrofit add-ons will also help your HVAC system run more efficiently, which means it will heat your building faster and with less cost.

Retrofitting Options

Here are some of the different options you have for retrofitting your HVAC system. You can install more efficient screw compressors. This will lessen the amount of energy used in chilling the building. You can also use air-side economizers. These components will use outside air to help with cooling your building, as opposed to refrigerant. Supply fan speed controls assist with monitoring how hard the system works by allowing you to adjust the fan speeds to suit the time of year and the climate.

Kits For Retrofitting

Many retrofit components are available in kits. These kits make it simple for a home or building owner to retrofit their system without having to put in a lot of shopping and thought. Some kits are made specifically for certain types of systems, and others will work with any system.

How To Know If Your System Will Benefit From Retrofitting

It is not necessarily about the age of your system to decide whether it needs retrofitting. If your system is running long hours in a day, then you will save more money through retrofitting. Or, you may simply notice that your energy bills keep increasing. No matter what your situation, you can always call in a professional to inspect your system and discuss your retrofitting options.

If you want your HVAC system to run more efficiently, the experts at Corporate Mechanical can help. Reach out online or call 763-533-3070.