Need to replace an old high-efficiency heater? Check out these new must-have furnace features for enhanced comfort and energy savings. Characteristics of your new furnace, such as efficiency, size, and type, all have implications on the amount of money you are going to spend to operate the unit during the peak heating season, as well as how long your system is going to perform at peak levels. If you need a new furnace, you may want a high-quality, high-efficiency one. To get certain features, you may need to get a heating system rated about 90 percent annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) or higher.
For example, you should always go with the most efficient furnace that you can afford. Furnace efficiency is a measurement of how much of the energy put into a furnace is converted into heating power for your home - measured in AFUE (the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency).
Minimum-efficiency furnaces must reach 80 percent AFUE in order to comply with regulations. At the other end of the spectrum, the iQ Drive® modulating gas furnace reaches 97 percent AFUE. With the iQ Drive gas furnace, only 3 percent of the energy you put into the unit escapes up the flue. Essentially, you are using less natural gas to heat your home, which can lower your monthly utility costs.
Here are a few more things you should keep in mind when purchasing your new home furnace:
System Type
Central heating and cooling systems can be laid out two different ways. You can have either a split system or a packaged system.
Split systems are what people commonly associate with heating and air conditioning - comprised of a condensing unit, furnace and coil that sit on top of your furnace. However, many people who don’t have basements, crawl spaces and attics have to choose a system that can provide the same heating and cooling capabilities of a split system without having to find the room for a cumbersome indoor component. If this is the case in your home, you may want to explore your packaged system options.
These systems contain your heating and cooling components in one, convenient outdoor unit. If you currently have a split system, but want to free up some extra space in your home, you can always switch to a packaged unit. The same works for people who currently have packaged systems, but would like to switch to a split system. Your local contractor will be able to recommend the heating system that is right for your home.
The following furnace features boost your home's comfort, energy savings potential and return on investment.
Adjustable Gas Valve
A single-stage gas valve always runs at full power, so there's little chance to save on gas consumption. With two-stage and modulating valves, there is a lower stage of heating that runs a longer cycle. This encourages better distribution of heat and helps homeowners in cold regions save on heating costs.
Air Filtration
Today's high-efficiency furnaces with a variable-speed air handler and an ECM improve air filtration. Combined with a higher-efficiency air filter that properly balances airflow and capturing particles, your home's air quality can increase dramatically.
Dual Heat Exchanger
A lot of a furnace’s "waste heat" is generated during combustion. High-performance heating systems employ two heat exchangers, letting one capture waste heat from the other and use it, which ups efficiency.
Electronically Commutated Motor (ECM)
This type of motor powers the air handler. It’s more costly initially but offers significant long-term savings because it uses significantly less electricity than standard motors. Additionally, with an ECM, you can run the fan throughout the day - even if your heating or cooling system isn't on - and benefit from better air filtration.
Humidifying and Dehumidifying
Are you worried about humidity in your home? Does it get really dry in winter? You may want to consider a whole-house dehumidifier, humidifier or a combination.
Increasing indoor relative humidity during winter prevents damage due to overly dry air, enhances health and can lower energy costs, since more humid air feels warmer. Talk to your contractor about your humidity demands.
Ignition
Years ago, standard heating systems used wasteful pilot lamps. Today's systems depend on more efficient ignition like intermittent, hot-surface area or direct-spark. They enhance operating efficiency and contribute to higher AFUE ratings.
Variable-Speed Air Handler
A standard air handler just runs on substantial speed, utilizing a short cycle to produce a large blast of heated or cooled air.
A variable-speed device can run at a range of speeds. In the morning, it’s at complete speed to make the house cozy. During the day, it runs almost constantly at a lesser speed. By operating low and stable, this handler allows circulate heated or conditioned atmosphere, eliminates hot and cool zones and saves energy by not having repeated stops and starts, which require a lot of electricity.
In summer, variable-speed technologies likewise greatly enhance dehumidifying the air.
Fuel Source
Whether you want gas, electric or oil heating system, there are options available. However, there are numerous important things you need to know about each type.
Gas furnaces run off of organic gas and are the most economical method to heat your home when temps drop below freezing.
An oil or propane furnace is definitely a powerful source of heat as well, but it requires more area for storage, is definitely dirtier than a normal gas furnace, and may be considerably more expensive to operate (depending on oil prices). Nevertheless, it is an alternative to a gas furnace in areas that don’t have gas lines - particularly older homes.
The third choice, the electric furnace, is also an alternative to natural gas furnaces, however they can be a drain on the bank account. Electric powered furnaces must create unique heat from electricity, which can considerably operate up your meter.
A most economical solution is the electric-powered temperature pump. These systems transfer heat from one air stream to another - using less electricity. They also take action as an air conditioner during the summer. So, for some homeowners, a temperature pump can meet up with all heating and cooling demands.
Zoning Systems
Distinct parts of your home may get hotter or colder faster based on numerous construction and location factors. If your thermostat is located near one of these areas, you could encounter hot and cold places throughout your home, or you could be using more energy than necessary to keep your home at a set temp.
A zoning system helps resolve both of these problems. These systems divide your home into organizations called "zones.” Each zone is managed by a separate thermostat. Additionally, dampers within your ducts can open up or shut off access to different zones so as to even out temps throughout your home and be sure you are applying just the right amount of energy to keep your home comfortable.
Indoor Air Quality
For those who have a furnace in your house, you most likely have a furnace blower that distributes heated and conditioned atmosphere throughout your home. Inside your ducts, you could have additional indoor air quality systems that help generate clean air for your home.
Make sure that if you are having your furnace serviced or a new furnace installed, you have your contractor check out the filters. Your furnace filter should be changed around twice a year (right before the heating time of year and then again right before the cooling time of year). You will breathe much easier knowing you have a clean filter.
Variable Speed Blowers
There are two types of furnace blowers - the variable-speed blower and the fixed-speed blower. Variable-speed blowers can be beneficial if you would like premium house comfort. Variable-rate blowers are able to do just what the name implies - vary the rate of your furnace blower motor as it distributes atmosphere through your home. This means the atmosphere becoming distributed through your home can be a more constant temperature and the unit will operate quietly.
Installation
It is dangerous to compromise quality installation for savings with regards to furnace set up. An improperly set up furnace can encounter performance issues, which may be taxing on your wallet in the long run.
Heating devices are complicated - signifying not simply anyone will be able to use a heating program at home. If you are buying an efficient program, you have to be in a position to expect the ranked efficiency and a badly installed unit might not exactly be undertaking at its productivity potential.
Pricing
Although using the furnace will comprise the key chunk of your installation costs, generally there are other activities that need to be studied under consideration when budgeting for a fresh furnace.
Other costs connected with furnace assembly include: how big is the machine, additional fixes that might need to be designed to the weather distribution system, the expenses of labor, indoor quality of air features, and more.
Think about furnace costs seeing as an expenditure at home comfort. If you just throw a fresh system at home without exploring one's body options, you may well be losing expected productivity or could possibly be compromising the caliber of your indoor air.
Having an effectively sized system is very important to overall home ease. Although a greater furnace will be more costly, you don’t genuinely have a decision in the matter.
When your contractor involves your home to provide you with a quote, they should perform a Manual J load calculation to determine the program size you will need (measured in BTUs or tons). This calculation calls for your entire home into consideration - from square footage to home window efficiency.
If your contractor offers you a quote over the telephone, without looking closely your own house, that is a major red flag. Devices that are too tiny or too big will never high temperature your house properly, could continually be running, or burn up sooner than expected.
Buying high-efficiency equipment offers different perks furthermore to domestic bill savings. High-efficiency heat equipment can be eligible for native utility incentives and rebates that may cause cash back in your pocket. Have a look at our current offers and speak to your native contractor to determine whether the different furnace you wish qualifies for just about any incentives.
Just like any sort of appliance in your home, your plumbing system suffers wear and tear over time. Although the pipes and drains of a plumbing system are designed for durability, they still require regular care to keep them from aging too rapidly and needing numerous repairs and replacements. Qualified plumbers can help you keep your plumbing in the best shape possible through regular maintenance visits.
Even if you have a recently installed plumbing system with corrosion-resistant copper and PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) or CPVC (chlorinated polyvinyl chloride) piping, you should schedule maintenance once a year.
Plumbing maintenance encompasses more than checking to see if your pipes have leaks or are suffering from corrosion. Maintenance also includes the major appliances you use on a daily basis, which can undergo significant stress during a year.
For example, your water heater is part of regular plumbing maintenance, and water heaters must have yearly inspections and tune-ups to make sure they work efficiently and correctly. You’ll need a new water heater long before you need new pipes, and maintenance technicians will be able to identify when it’s time to retire your current water heater.
Here are some preventative maintenance tips you can use:
Fix leaking faucets and showerheads. Dripping faucets can waste a lot of water and that can add to your bill. And if you don’t fix a dripping faucet or showerhead, the drip will get worse as time passes. Those problems could cause water damage. To avoid challenges, check your facets frequently for leakages and make maintenance as needed. Examine the handles to be sure no drinking water drips when the handles will be considered the off situation and check within the sinks for water staining or drips when the drinking water is running.
Unclog sluggish drains. When the drinking water is sluggish to drain there could be a trouble. Before it gets beyond control, use a homemade combination of vinegar and warm water to flush down the drain and unclog any particles. This preventative maintenance idea can be carried out every few weeks and can get the drain moving again.
Check all uncovered pipes and kitchen appliances for water leakages. Your disposal, refrigerator, or hot water heater can end up being the way to obtain a leak. Appear at any manufacturer’s requirements for keeping your kitchen appliances. Watch for obvious symptoms of a leak such as for example water stains on wall space and ceilings, or puddles of drinking water. Also be skeptical of mildew. Installing a drip tray underneath your water heater and washing machine can help limit damage if a leak were to occur.
Fix leaking toilets. Sometimes a faulty seal around the valve seat can cause your toilet to run even when it is not flushed. Over time, gunk will form around the valve seat and flapper. This gunk will prevent the flapper to seal properly, which will cause the water to continue to run. Another problem could be with the handle or tank stopper. The repair that is needed is often quick and economical maintenance.
Be careful everything you flush or pour down the drain! The trouble with drains and toilets can be that so a lot of things will get flushed down them. The simplest way to prevent problems with your pipes is to be careful what you flush or pour down them to begin with. Don’t flush anything other than toilet paper and human waste down the toilet. Don’t pour whatever could be reactive down the drain.
Check the drinking water pressure. Drinking water pressure is just how much power is appearing out of your faucets and shower heads. You can attempt the drinking water pressure on your program with a pressure gauge to be sure it really is at a secure level. An added preventative measure can be to include a pressure regulator to keep up your drinking water pressure at a secure level.
Remove and tidy your shower mind of any sediment that may include accumulated. This can enhance the drinking water pressure of your shower mind.
Drain your hot water heater to remove sediment yearly to semi-annually. As time passes your water heater will get sediment in it and be less effective.
Look in the burner chamber of your hot water heater. You shouldn’t find any flakes of corrosion within the chamber. And verify the flame of the hot water heater is usually a blue color without signs of yellowish in the flame. If you visit a yellow color, this might imply that the jets should be cleaned.
Examine the hoses for symptoms of cracks, brittleness, or leaking. Substitute your hoses as needed.
When you have a septic container, you ought to have it frequently inspected. Put pumping your septic container to your list as an important part of maintenance.
In case you have a sewer system, it is good to understand how your lines run and inspect for tree roots that could potentially damage your sewer lines. A preventative measure would be to have your sewer lines snaked periodically to avoid clogging.
Another reason for having plumbing maintenance done annually is usually that the consequences of failures in the water line or the sewer line can be immense. These are problems you want to avoid if at all possible, since they can cause damage to your home and the repair work can often be extensive.
Regular maintenance will catch small problems with either the water line or the sewer line on your property before they become large problems.
You can also purchase a water alarm and simply place the alarm next to a potential leak source. The alarm will give off a high-pitched sound when it comes into contact with water, much like a smoke cigarettes detector when there is a fire.
A qualified plumbing contractor will check your water heater, faucets, supply line, shut-off valves, toilets, drains, and home appliances such as washing machines and sump pumps. They will search for corrosion, leaks and blockages at every level.
Towards the end of a protection visit, your plumber should supply you with a set of ideas for fixes or advice that may help you continue to keep your house safe and sound from water and sewer damage.
Routine maintenance can help you and your plumber create a relationship which means you will both prepare yourself in case of an emergency.
Most persons are aware that when water pipes freezes, it expands. That’s why your forgotten can of soda in the freezer exploded. When drinking water freezes in a pipe, it will expand in the same way.
If it expands plenty of, it will burst, water will escape and serious damage may occur. A 1/8-in . crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water in a day. But this is one disaster you can prevent by taking a few simple precautions.
Both plastic and copper pipes are susceptible to freezing. Tube freeze for a mixture of three reasons: a quick drop in temps, poor insulation and a thermostat that is set too low.
Water pipes in warmer climates may be more vulnerable to winter chilly spells, since the pipes are more likely to be situated in unprotected areas outside of the building insulation. Home owners can be proactive by identifying whether they have any plumbing items that need protection, and then ensuring that they provide that protection.
Pipes in attics, crawl areas and outside wall space are all vulnerable to freezing, especially if there are cracks or openings that allow chilly outside air to circulation across the pipes.
Research at the University of Illinois offers demonstrated that wind chill, the same cooling effect of atmosphere and wind that causes the human physique to lose heat, can play a major role in accelerating ice blockage, and thus, bursting water pipes.
Know where the drinking water cut-off valve is definitely situated in your home. Ensure that every dependable person in the home knows its location.
Remove, drain and cautiously store hoses used outdoors.
Keep garage doors shut if any drinking water lines are located inside.
Seal all openings where cool air can get at unprotected drinking water pipes. As mentioned above, it’s especially important to keep cold wind away from pipes.
Pipes in attics and crawl areas should be safeguarded with insulation or warmth. Pipe insulation is available in fiberglass or foam sleeves. Remember, the even more insulation you use, the better safeguarded your pipes will become.
During freezing weather, leave cabinet doors open up under kitchen or bathroom sinks (especially if they are located against an outside wall) to allow warmer room atmosphere to circulate around pipes. You may also place a little lamp with an incandescent bulb close to the pipes. Make sure to take out anything flammable from the area to prevent fires.
Let faucets drip slowly to keep water flowing through pipes that will be vulnerable to freezing. If the dripping stops, it may mean that ice is definitely blocking the pipe. Keep the faucet open up to assist in pressure relief.
Heating cables and tapes are effective for freeze security. Follow manufacturer’s directions closely when using these products.
Outside pipes and hose bibbs (outdoor faucets) should be drained or enclosed in 2-in . insulation sleeves.
When weather is very cool, keep thermostats at the same heat day and night. Lowered temperatures at night may contribute to colder attic temps and thus, more vulnerable pipes.
Apprentice plumber: An entry-level plumber, learning the trade. State requirements may include a high school diploma or GED, an aptitude test and that the applicant is 18 year of age or older. Apprentices may work with a journeyman, under the supervision of a master plumber.
Auger: A flexible metal rod, usually made of spring material, with a cutting or clearing device on one end. It is used to clear clogs in drains. Closet augers, also called toilet auger, have a tubular guide to permit entry through the toilet trap design. Larger, longer augers are used to clean underground drain lines and may be motor driven.
Copper piping: Water line made of copper or a copper alloy. Copper pipe is usually rigid; tubing is flexible. Copper will not rust and has a long life cycle, but it can corrode, especially at solder joints, which could cause leakage. It is primarily used for potable (drinkable) water.
CPVC: Chlorinated poly-vinyl chloride pipe, a type of plastic. CPVC can be used in both hot and cold potable water piping.
Discharge drain: A drain that discharges water into a drain system or into the ground through a channel. French drains are one example of a discharge drain.
Drain: The opening to a piping system that is used to remove wastewater from a fixture or system and transport it elsewhere for treatment or reuse. Most drains are open, but floor drains may have a protective grate over them.
Energy Star: An international standard for energy efficiency that originated in the United States. Electrical appliance must conform to certain standards in order to qualify. Dishwashers and washing machines are two of the appliances that can be Energy Star Rated.
Faucet screen: A small metal screen used to catch small debris in the water system, found in the faucet arm nozzle. Water hoses for washing machines may also have a screen to prevent debris from damaging the water valves.
Faucet: A sink fixture that controls water flow. Most sink faucets have a mixing valve that allows the user to modify the temperature of the water by changing the ratio of hot to cold. Faucets may come with either two handles, one for hot and one for cold, or with a single lever handle that changes the mix ratio.
Flapper: The hinged, movable part of a type of shut off valve that prevents or shuts off flow. A common type of flapper is found at the bottom of a toilet water tank. It is raised to start the flush cycle and closes when the tank is empty, allowing it to refill.
Float valve: A type of control valve that shuts off water at a predetermined level or capacity. A float valve controls the water in a toilet tank. One form of operation has a hollow ball, mounted by a connecting rod to the valve. As the ball rises with the water level, the valve closes until water flow is completely stopped.
Galvanized steel (piping): A type of steel water piping, coated with a zinc compound. The zinc acts as a sacrificial metal, slowing down the corrosion process.
Garbage disposal: An appliance attached to the drain system, usually under the kitchen sink, that chops up food waste, allowing easier flow through the drain system.
GPM: Gallons per minute. Usually used when describing how many gallons of water a fixture uses to operate.
Hose: A flexible rubber or plastic tube for carrying water. Garden hoses have special fittings to connect to the hose bibb and attachments.
Hose bibb: External or internal valved water fitting to which a water hose is connected. It is also called a spigot or faucet. Internal hose bibbs are found in the laundry area for washing machine hook up.
Journeyman: A plumber who has completed apprenticeship requirements. Ongoing training is still required, although more responsibility is given to the journeyman. Normally the journeyman must hold that license for 4 to 5 years before progressing to the master level.
Licensed, insured and bonded: Three business certifications that a plumbing service should have to do business. Licensed means that the plumber has passed regulatory requirements of the governing body. Insured means that the plumber has obtained insurance to cover employee injuries and damages on the jobsite. Bonded means that the plumber has obtained additional insurance through an outside agency in case of extenuating circumstances, like the company going out of business or an employee theft on the jobsite. Certain jobs, such as work being done for a government or state agency, require bonds.
Low-flow: A water fixture that produces a lower water flow at the outlet.
Main drainpipe: The piping where the dwelling’s drain piping system enters the septic system or underground drainpipe.
Master plumber: A plumber who has completed both the apprenticeship and journeyman phase. A master plumber usually has ten to fifteen years of experience and must pass a state plumbing exam, including tests on plumbing codes and practices. The master plumber is responsible for business operations, planning and bidding on plumbing jobs.
Outdoor faucet: A hose bibb located outside the home or building. The connection threads will usually be designed to accept hose fittings.
Overflow: A type of drain used to prevent overfilling of a fixture. For example, the small hole near the top of the bathroom sink connects to the sink drain, preventing the basin from flooding onto the floor.
P-trap: A sink drainpipe designed in the shape of a “P.” It runs from the sink and down through the floor to the main drain piping. The shape is designed to trap a small quantity of water in the pipe, preventing sewer odors from entering the dwelling. An S-trap is similar, but exits the room through the wall instead of the floor.
PEX (piping): A newer type of flexible tubing, used to replace the potable water piping in a dwelling or building. PEX tubing uses hose barb connections and compression rings, thus it requires less labor to install. It installs easily around corners, omitting the need for the elbow fittings needed when installing copper or galvanized piping.
pH: Potential of hydrogen. Measurement used to determine acidity or alkalinity in a given substance.
Pilot light: A small gas flame used to ignite a larger burner when a gas valve is turned on. If the pilot is always lit, it is called a standing pilot. On demand pilots are ignited by a sparking device when needed.
Pipe threads: A spiral flute cut into the end of a pipe, allowing pipes to be coupled to fixture or pipe couplings. Pipe threads should have Teflon pipe tape, pipe thread compound or a combination of both applied to the threads to prevent leakage under pressure.
Plumber: A technician that specializes in plumbing installation and repairs. Plumbers are usually licensed by the state or other governing authority, have been educated in various aspects of the plumbing industry and are qualified to make repairs or handle new installations. Plumbers may work on all types of plumbing or may specialize in certain areas, such as residential, commercial or industrial plumbing. They should be licensed, bonded and insured.
Plunger: A cupped, suction device on a handle that is used to clear a clogged drain.
PPM: Parts per million. Used as a measurement of concentration.
Pressure gauge: A measuring device used to determine the pressure in a piping system.
Pressure tank: Part of a well pump assembly that reserves water for use. The tank contains a bladder that puts pressure on the water in the tank. When a faucet or spigot is opened, the pressure forces the water through the piping. Through gauges and switches, the tank monitors the water pressure and starts the pump when pressure lowers to a predetermined level. When the valve is closed, the pump continues until the water has reached the upper pressure limit.
PSI: Pounds per square inch. Used as a measurement of pressure inside a given object.
Rain barrel: A tank or container used to collect rainwater or roof runoff water for various uses.
Reset button (garbage disposal): A button on the bottom of the garbage disposal used to reset an overload device on the disposal. The overload trips when the disposal becomes locked up, preventing motor damage and potential fire hazards.
Sanitary sewer system: The system of drain piping that carries wastewater from the dwelling’s sinks, tubs and toilets to the city or municipality sewer system.
Septic field: The system of pipes that discharge bacterially treated wastewater from the septic tank and discharges it into the soil for natural decontamination.
Septic system: The complete system of sewage removal, including the septic field, septic tank and associated piping. There is no connection to a municipality or commercial sewer system.
Septic tank: An underground tank wherein sewage is broken down in an anaerobic bacterial process. Usually composed of two chambers, the septic tank receives the wastewater from the dwelling in the first chamber, which allows the solids to settle to the bottom. The liquid component of the wastewater flows into the second chamber, where further settling takes place. Water then flows into the piping of the septic field, where it is absorbed into the ground and naturally filtered and cleaned.
Sewer connection: The place where a dwelling sanitary sewer system connects to the city or municipality sewer system.
Shutoff valve: Any piping valve that stops the flow of water in the pipe. Water meter shutoff valves are located underground in a cabinet and use a quarter turn valve rotation. Shutoff valves in the home are usually found under the sink or beside the toilet to shut off water supplied to those fixtures and faucets. They are usually a gate valve that requires several turns to fully close.
Sink basin: The bowl of the sink. Many kitchen sink basins are comprised of two connected basins to allow for washing and rinsing. Bathroom sink basins will include an overflow drain in their design, molded onto the underside of the basin.
Sink plunger: A type of small plunger that fits over a sink drain, used to unstop clogs.
Solar water heater: A water heating system that uses piping that is coiled through heat collectors on the roof. An energy saving device, solar water heaters use the sun for all or part of the water heating process and can be tied into a conventional water heater for backup.
Spigot: A common term for a hose bibb.
Storm water sewer system: A drainage system, separated from the main sewer system, that collects rain and runoff water and transports it to a natural water source. This water contains no sewage and does not need to be treated.
Sump pump: A pump used to remove water from a collection pit.
Tank: A water holding container that reserves a portion of the water supply for future, anticipated use. Toilet tanks hold water for the flush cycle. Water heater tanks reserve heated water for future use.
Tankless water heater: A newer style of water heater that does not contain a holding tank. Water is heated on demand after the unit detects water flow. These units are usually heated by natural gas burners.
Toilet plunger: A plunger with a flexible end, shaped to be inserted into the drain at the bottom of the bowl. This increases efficiency.
Touchless faucet: A faucet that does not require the user to turn handles to use. The valve is electrically operated and is controlled by a motion sensor or photo eye.
Vent stack: Also called vent pipes. These pipes permit equalization of the pressure in the drain system with the atmospheric pressure. This prevents vacuum conditions that can interfere with the natural flow of the drain piping. The pressure on both sides of drain traps is equalized, assisting in proper flow.
Wastewater: Any water that is used in a process or sewer system becomes wastewater or graywater and must be treated before reuse.
Water heater gauge: Gauges used to indicate either the temperature or the pressure of water in a water heater, or both.
Water heater: An appliance used to raise the water temperature in a water system.
Water meter: A gauge used to measure the amount of water flow in a system, measured in gallons.
Water pressure: The amount of force, measured in pounds per square inch, that a water system produces.
Water softener: An appliance designed to remove hardness chemicals, such as calcium, from the potable water supply.
Water supply: The potable water supplied to a residence or commercial building.
Well pump: A pump used to pull water from an underground natural water supply.
Hello... My name is Kyle Bahraini and I'm an HVAC instructor. This is normally called the HVAC program but what it is is Residential Heating and Air-conditioning and commercial refrigeration. The term HVAC stands for: heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and then we put a slash R (/R) on there and that stands for refrigeration. All that falls under the category of what we're going to do in this article.
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| HVAC Training Basics for Beginner |
We're going to talk a little bit about residential heating and air conditioning, and commercial, and then we will go on from there. One of the the first things you need to kind of understand about heating refrigeration is a theory where heat transfers from hot to cold. That is the principle by which how we heat/cool a house or a place of business. And we use those principles and we use our equipment to make that happen so we can maintain a temperature inside the building that is comfortable for us.
The ventilation part is air quality. And in the field, we call that IAQ; indoor air quality.
And when we get into that, we're talking filters and humidity and things that make the living more comfortable. Air-conditioning is actually a term meaning conditioning of the air for comfort living. There's not very many places you can go to that doesn't have heating refrigeration in the building. I like to tell my students that you can't go to the moon without heating and refrigeration. So it is a very vital part. So we'll get into all that out in the shop.
We're out here in the shop now and we're going to take a look at the furnace. One of these three types of furnaces, you will have in your house. And the first one we're going to look at is this one here. It is a Trane xe1000 but the brand name really doesn't matter. This furnace is what we call a natural draft furnace. It was probably - and this is probably in the range of about 25 to 30 years old. It was an efficiency furnace in its day. And it draws air from the house and through this opening and creates a draft up the flue and out. And that's where it gets its name; natural draft. In its day, it would be rated about fifty to sixty percent efficiency; meaning, that about 50 to 60 percent of the gas consumed was converted to heat for the house. And that is the natural draft furnace. From this point, we migrated to what they call the induced draft furnace. Now this induced draft furnace, in the efficiency rating, is about eighty percent. Meaning that eighty percent of the gas consumed is converted to heat. And you're losing twenty percent up the flue.
Basically the furnaces work the same, they just have added more efficient components and safety devices to get to the point where the furnace achieves said efficiency. After the eighty percent efficiency furnace, we move into the ninety percent efficiency furnace. This again means that ninety percent of the fuel consumed is converted to heat for the home, and you're only losing about 10 percent or less up to the flue pipe.
The interesting thing to note here is that our flue pipe now, is schedule 40 plastic pipe; where with the other two types, it was metal. And that's because the manufacturers designed a second heat exchanger to absorb that heat, which makes a furnace more efficient, and allows us to vent this furnace out through the side of the house rather than going up through the chimney with the other two. So that is one of the three types of furnaces you will find in your home, unless you have an electric furnace and we have an electric furnace sitting here on the table. It works on total electricity.
And it is - according to the manufacturers, it is rated the most efficient because you get one BTU of heat for one kilowatt of electricity. But when the homeowner takes a look at it, that kilowatt adds up and really drives your electricity bill pretty high. So even though it's high on the efficiency it's probably not a furnace most people would choose unless they we're using propane. It would be cheaper than using propane for a fuel. But those are the different types of furnaces you would find in your home and that's what we're going to talk about in this course. Those three units that we looked at a few minutes ago are residential units.
Now we're taking a look at a commercial unit. Another name for this would be called a package unit. You find these on the rooftops of buildings, and sometimes even alongside the buildings. It's called the package unit because on this side of the unit over here, is the air conditioning side. And on this side over here, from this area to here, is the furnace area. So we have the furnace and the air conditioner all put together in one package unit. This is about a six ton unit, which is pretty small for commercial. Commercial equipment gets a lot of that's up around 20-30 ton or larger. But this one here we have it setup so that we can train the students on. And again this would be in the category of about an eighty percent efficiency furnace. Once again, meaning that eighty percent of the gas consumed is converted to heat, and we have 20 percent going up the flue. It's very much like the residential equipment. So when students are trained on residential, they can also work on commercial.
A lot of techs like the commercial equipment because everything is combined in one area, and it's pretty easy to work on. In your residential unit, usually your furnace is in the basement and your air-conditioner sits outside. So you have a little more running back and forth, but it's the same thing. Once you know how to work on a residential unit you're very qualified to work on commercial.
On the back side of this unit is where the air comes out and it is docked into the building by means of ductwork that carries the air throughout the building. And we will take a look at this later on.
We'll go through it, and we will fire the furnace. And then we will fire the air-conditioner, and you will get a chance to see how that's worked. We will do some troubleshooting; things that the technicians today are doing. Everybody is starting to turn their furnace on now for the winter.
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So all the companies are doing what they call winter tune-ups. And that's where HVAC technicians would come out to your home, and they would go through the furnace.