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Miscellaneous/General:
Online Engineer Calculators for HVAC Applications. HUGE resource!
Flame Safe Guard Controls and Flame Rectification Part 1 [PDF]
Recently the gas laws have increased dramatically and safety has become more
of an issue. Flame rectification is used on almost all new gas equipment
manufactured today. As a result, so have the so called nuisance failures.
Hopefully with a full understanding of flame safety, and more importantly
flame rectification, we will be able to reduce the amount of nuance service
calls.
Combined Heat and Power Systems for Residential Use: An appliance
which makes home-spun electricity and heat. Once available only to large
commercial buildings, Combined Heat and Power generation (CHP) systems are
now being produced on a scale that is safe, practical, and affordable to
homeowners.
Air Conditioning & Filters:
Thermostatic Expansion Valves A
thermostatic expansion valve ( TXV) is precision device used to meter the
flow of liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator at a rate that matches
the amount of refrigerant being boiled off in the evaporator. This is it's
main purpose but like all the other metering devices it also provides a
pressure drop in the system, separating the high pressure side of the system
from the low pressure side. thus allowing low pressure refrigerant to absorb
heat onto it's self.
Air Conditioner / Heat Pump, Service Manual [PDF] This service
manual enables a service technician to service, repair, and maintain a
family of similar air conditioners and heat pumps. It covers standard
single-speed products and 2–speed products only. For variable-speed
products, refer to the respective service manuals.
Keeping your food cold- Solutions to
refrigeration when electricity is scarce
Plants For Clean Air
Studies by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
prove that plants not only beautify indoor environments, they make them
healthier to live in. NASA studied the benefits of plants for use in future
space stations and closed environments. Properly designed indoor planting
can provide an inexpensive, refreshingly low-tech means of removing
pollutants from the air in offices and homes.
Lionheart Non Electric Refrigeration Unit REFRIGERATION FOR THE
ELECTRICALLY CHALLENGED (AT LAST, A DO-IT-YOURSELF ABSORPTION REFRIGERATOR)
$15.00 to download with online check or Credit Card - or over snail mail.
Peltier coolers By Victor Rudometov, Eugene Rudometov. Peltier refrigerators containing specific
semiconductor thermo-electric modules have the widest perspective in the
market for cooling devices. Thanks to their unique heat and operational
characteristics, Peltier modules allow to reach the required cooling of
computer components without huge technical problems and finance expenditure.
They are quite compact, convenient, reliable and efficient. See also:
Cooling with Solar Heat: Growing Interest in Solar Air Conditioning
The basic principle behind (solar-) thermal driven cooling is the
thermo-chemical process of sorption: a liquid or gaseous substance is either
attached to a solid, porous material (adsorption) or is taken in by a liquid
or solid material (absorption
Controls:
Wheatstone Bridge / Series 60 and 90 controls In the HVAC industry
their are several types of control systems, 0-10 VDC and 4 to 20ma are soon
becoming the most widely used. Even with their popularity the series 60 and
90 control systems are still the most common types. The words series 60 and
90 are actually trade names referring to products with 6* and 9* in their
model number.
Automatic and Programmable Thermostats [PDF] In our modern,
high-tech society, we don’t think much about some of the electronic gadgets
in our homes. Take, for example, the ever-present thermostat—a staple of
American households for decades. It usually takes the shape of an unassuming
box on the wall, but that modest device controls the comfort of your family
on the coldest day in January and the hottest day in July.
Ducting:
Air Distribution System Design: Good Duct Design Increases Efficiency
[PDF] This Air Distribution System Design: Good Duct Design Increases
Efficiency fact sheet explains how good duct design increases efficiency of
air distribution systems for central heating and cooling. The air
distribution system may reach an efficiency of 80 percent or more for little
or no additional cost, resulting in homeowner savings of $50 to $200 or more
each year in heating and cooling costs.
Air Distribution System Installation and Sealing - Proper Duct Installation Increases Efficiency [PDF]
This fact sheet provides installation guidance for properly installing air
distribution or duct systems in order to maximize efficiency, comfort and
indoor air quality.
Aerosol Duct Sealing? Many homeowners may feel that their money is
flying right out of their windows, but it may actually be their ductwork
that is to blame. An estimated 15 to 30 percent of a home's total heating
and cooling energy is lost through leaky ductwork, costing consumers about
$5 billion dollars annually. See also:
Field Test of Advanced Duct-Sealing Technologies
within the Weatherization Assistance Program
Energy Efficiency in Remodeling: Ducts Reducing duct air leakage and
improving duct insulation has enormous potential to reduce utility bills and
prevent or eliminate associated comfort and health problems.
Residential Duct Systems - Selection and Design of Ducted HVAC Systems [PDF] guide
to residential duct systems provides information for homebuilders on the
selection and design of ducted heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems. Topics include ductwork and alternative duct systems, as
well as on equipment selection, installation and operating costs and design
of the total HVAC system. It includes tables, charts, rules-of-thumb,
examples of duct layouts and equipment and product illustrations. The guide
also references useful publications on thermal protection, designing and
building energy-conserving homes, load calculation, and detailed design of
duct systems.
Electronics:
Thermostat Wiring Guidelines In the following section I will list
each terminal and what it commonly does. As well I will give you guidance as
to what colors are commonly used. DO NOT ASSUME these are what you have.
Verify your wiring first by following it to each piece of equipment. Then
you will be able to match the equipment with the terminal.
Transformers To understand the complex, we must first understand the
basics. This article will explain transformers as they relate to the HVAC
trade in general . Remember that in combination with the following
information, local code related issues must be adhered to.
Basic Electricity and Electronics I was once told by a mechanic that
80% of all service calls were related to an electrical problem, and to think
I thought I was going to be a Air Conditioning mechanic :). Yes he was
right, I believe that a good understanding of electricity and basic
electronics is one of the most important assets a HVAC Mechanic can hold.
Heating:
| Furnace | Baseboard | Steam | Radiant | Fireplace | Stove | Other |
Furnace
Squeaky Furnace? Tired of hearing that annoying squeak when the
furnace blower starts up? Read this article to see how to fix it in less
than an hour.
Sequence OF Operation For A Oil Furnace On a call for heat from the
thermostat, the oil furnace will receive a 24 V.A.C. signal. This signal
will cause the primary control for the oil burner to become energized.
Consequently, the pump pressurizes the oil to the nozzle and causes a
continuous high-voltage spark for ignition at the tip of the burner. When
the spark ignites the atomized oil, it will create a high-temperature flame
in the heat exchanger...
Baseboard
Slimline hot-water radiant baseboard
is the cutting edge in heating development. Its unobtrusive design is
unsurpassed in baseboard heating technology. The baseboard, which measures
only 5 1/8" high X 1" deep, compliments any décor.
Baseboard Heating Blues
Baseboard hot water heating systems work on the principle that heat rises.
The "radiators" that bring warmth into the room are therefore installed low
to the floor, typically along the baseboard. Water is heated in a boiler
tank in the utility room just as water is heated for your hot water, either
by gas, oil or electricity in a system separate from the water heater that
supplies your plumbing system.
Steam
| Heating Help.com's Steam Problems Page: | |
| Steam confuses a lot of people but things get a lot less confusing when you know where to look for solutions. What we have here is a good portion (but not all!) of my book A Pocketful of Steam Problems (with solutions!). Find the type of system you're having trouble with. Then look for the problem and click on it. What you'll find will be a list of things that can cause that problem, along with a plain-English explanation of each. Work your way through the list, making sure you don't overlook any of the possibilities, and you should be able to solve even the toughest steam challenge. | |
|
Problems that plague ALL STEAM SYSTEMS
|
Problems that plague ONE-PIPE STEAM SYSTEMS
TWO-PIPE STEAM SYSTEMS
|
Basic Steam Heating Systems Manual
Glossary of Terms
Making New Boilers Work With Old Systems
One-Pipe Steam Systems Balancing Tips
Steam Boiler - Condensate & Boiler Feed Unit Selection Guide
Steam Boiler - How to Run a Hot Water Zone
Steam Boiler - Multiple Issues With Multiple Boilers
Steam Boiler - Successful Boiler Replacement
Steam Heat Exchanger Control & Drainage
Steam Heat Exchanger Pressure and Product Selection
Steam Heat Exchanger Troubleshooting - Part 2
Steam Heat Exchanger Troubleshooting - Part 3
Steam Heating - One-Pipe Systems Balancing Tips
Steam Heating - Ten Reasons Unevenly Heated Buildings
Steam Table - Saturated Steam Properties
Steam Trap Engineering Data Manual
Sizing & Selection of F&T Traps
Temperature Regulators Engineering Data Manual
"Vapor/Vacuum" Dos and Don'ts
Water Hammer Prevention in Steam Systems
Basic Wiring
Boiler System Safety
"Electrify" Fluid Levels With Conductance Controls
How Motorized Valves Affect Steam Boiler Water Level
Why Residential Boilers Need Low Water Cut-Offs
Flash Tanks For
Steam & Boiler Systems
Danfoss Graham - HVAC Energy Analysis Software -
Comprehensive analysis tool that allows
simple calculations or more complex analysis using actual fan or pump
curves. This program estimates electrical energy consumption and a simple
payback for fan and pump applications that use an AC drive and motor.
Radiant
Radiant heating is an extremely ingenious means of distributing
heat. This concept of heating was developed several hundred years ago buy
the Romans.
Under-Floor Heating This page depicts how Under-Floor Heating works with the Preassembled Boiler
Room in a Box. Under floor heating is usually installed where you have
access to the floor joists of a retrofit or new home. Under floor heating is
used where you want to have your tile floor in your kitchen or bathroom
heated or in your family room/den/addition where you have hardwood floors
and would like to have a comfortable room where your feet aren't constantly
cold.
Do- It-Yourself Installation Of Radiant In the Floor/Slab-On Grade Tubing
This document is intended for
do-it-yourself installation for in the floor/slab-on grade installs.
After you submit your plans to AIM Radiant Heating for correct sizing of our
Boiler Room in a Box we will provide you with a layout for how the
tubing should be installed. In the floor/slab-on grade installations
normally are installed within the basement and/or the garage of the house.
The real question to ask yourself is: "Can I install this radiant in the
floor system without a contractor/plumber?" The answer is YES!
RADIANT FLOOR HEAT Over one hundred pages of information about
installing and designing radiant heat
Fireplace
Heat Values In Wood: Covers 27 species. Includes density & weight/cord, BTU’s & Recoverable BTU’s/cord,
and Units needed to produce 1million BTU’s. Wow.
How to start a wood fire. I used to think that everybody knew how to start a fire in a fireplace. Then
my friend filled the house with smoke… Damper? What’s a damper?
Five essentials to getting the most out of your woodpile. No matter how much you
admire the sight of a cut and split stack drying in the autumn air, you owe
it to yourself to get by with as short a stack as is prudent for the winter
in your locale. Here, then, are five strategies for milking the most Btu's
out of every stick you burn. Great article by Ike Johnson.
WOOD BURNING Guidelines - Reducing Creosote. Fairly decent article by Shari Blank on an extremely
important issue.
Stove
The cholesterol in your stovepipe can be fatal
The season is arriving. The garden is ready for its final turning, the
apples are picked, and it’s supposed to freeze by the end of the week. So,
how is your creosote level? Not your cholesterol, your creosote. It builds
up on the inside of your chimney and stove pipe, not your veins, but it
could cause similar problems.
Choosing and using your wood stove in today's environment. Pretty good article for
someone in the market.
Installing a Woodstove. An excellent article with detailed, easy-to-figure-out graphics and very
fast loading.
Heat Values In Wood: Covers 27 species. Includes density & weight/cord, BTU’s & Recoverable BTU’s/cord,
and Units needed to produce 1million BTU’s. Wow.
How to start a wood fire. I used to think that everybody knew how to start a fire in a fireplace. Then
my friend filled the house with smoke… Damper? What’s a damper?
Five essentials to getting the most out of your woodpile. No matter how much you
admire the sight of a cut and split stack drying in the autumn air, you owe
it to yourself to get by with as short a stack as is prudent for the winter
in your locale. Here, then, are five strategies for milking the most Btu's
out of every stick you burn. Great article by Ike Johnson.
WOOD BURNING Guidelines - Reducing Creosote. Fairly decent article by Shari Blank on an extremely
important issue.
Checking It Out - Understanding Pellet Fuel and what to look for in appliances. Note:
The following information was prepared by HEARTH Education Foundation, in
cooperation with the Hearth Products Association and the Pellet Fuel
Institute. If you’re thinking of going the pellet-stove route, you really
owe it to yourself to read both parts of this long, interesting and highly
informative article.
Coal Stoves and Inserts. In certain parts of the country, coal is popular as a home heating fuel.
Coal comes in different grades, the best grade for home heating being "hard
coal" or anthracite, of which the best varieties are mined in Eastern
Pennsylvania. Because coal is a dense and powerful fuel, and burns extremely
efficient, a ton of coal can produce as much or more heat than a cord of
wood and substantially more (almost twice as much) as a ton of Pellets.
COAL BURNING TIPS. Coal fires are not as easy to start as wood fires and the ease of burning
will vary with different types and makes of stoves. The burning of coal
requires patience and a specific and regular procedure of loading, shaking,
adjusting, etc. If you do not follow the right procedure the coal fire will
go out. This can happen in a short period of time and once the extinction
process has begun, it is almost impossible to reverse. This article will
help you keep the home fires burning (safely).
Other
Solar Planning Program.
Written at UCLA, this sophisticated program allows you to model the energy
performance of a house and its interaction with the local climate. Designed
for architecture students, it is easy to use and comes with good
documentation. You can add varying amounts of windows or thermal mass, for
example, and see the result output as a stunning graphical "data landscape"
that shows you how these factors will influence indoor temperature and
energy consumption. An extremely valuable "what-if" tool for anyone
designing a house and wondering about passive solar and thermal mass. Don't
speculate - simulate!
Theory of Heat Pump Operation Incredibly detailed, informative article.
Websites
WarmAir.com
A portal of information, calculators, and resources about heating and
cooling systems.
Forums
HVAC-Talk- Heating, Air & Refrigeration Discussion (and other fun ...
Discussion forum offers over 20 different forums that focus on different
aspects of the HVAC/R trade
HVAC - DIY Chatroom - Home Improvement Forum
HVAC Mechanic free answers to furnace, heating, heat pump, and
air conditioning problems provided by furnace, heating, heat pump, and air
conditioning technicians.
Heating and Air Conditioning Forum - GardenWeb discuss all
aspects of heating and air conditioning, including how to win the thermostat
wars.
Online Magazines
Heating/Piping/Air Conditioning HPAC Engineering HPAC
Engineering is a forum for peer-to-peer communication among engineering
professionals in the buildings and construction industries. Our editorial
content is carefully planned, solicited, edited, and presented. Our graphics
and tables are designed by Penton Media's talented illustrators. Our Website
is a treasure trove of content, with all of our feature articles dating back
to 1992 available in high-quality PDF format.
SNIPS
read primarily by those in the fields of sheet metal, warm air heating, air
conditioning, ventilation and metal roofing. Such subjects as indoor air
quality, tools, helpful hints for contractors, management advice, individual
project features, new products, local and national association news, etc.
are also regular topics.
HVACR
Directory & Source Guide Expert Reporting of Industry Issues &
Events with one single source, you'll be well-informed on all current issues
concerning your continued success: finding qualified workers, training &
retaining your techs, consolidation, deregulation, mergers & acquisitions,
laws & codes, IAQ, special issues reporting market trends, industry
statistics, and more.
ASHRAE Journal ASHRAE, the American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, will advance the arts and
sciences of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigerating to
serve humanity and promote a sustainable world.
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