Category: HVAC

The 2010 National HVACR (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Educators and Trainers Conference is scheduled to hit Las Vegas March 14-16 at the Tropicana Hotel. The annual conference is open to anyone in the heating and air conditioning industry including, contractors, wholesalers, and educators. The main topics to be discussed revolve around new technologies, changes in federal guidelines, energy efficiency practices, training, and environmentally friendly technologies. Leaders in the heating and air conditioning field will host the event. Carrier, DuPont, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Energy Commission, along with a host of other experts, will present the latest in industry standards and set future goals. The conference includes breakfast and lunch for the March 15 and 16 dates and admission to all general sessions, breakout sessions, roundtables, industry exhibits and tours. Exams will also be offered, at no extra charge, to help with educator credentials.

Most of today’s businesses have an HVAC system which is harboring some level of mold growth. Mold cannot be avoided, but it is possible to keep its growth under control. The more mold, the more likely your employees will suffer from respiratory problems aggravated by the mold growth. Mold can be unnoticeable, but it could also be indicated by employees suffering from respiratory problems. This is especially probable if they already suffer from asthma, allergies or other respiratory illnesses. The best way to tackle this problem is to stop mold growth from growing to an excessive level. How To Effectively Stop Mold Growth The most effective way to control mold growth is to clean the HVAC system regularly. First turn the HVAC system off before you begin cleaning it. Clean the entire system with a disinfectant and apply a mold inhibitor. Your cleaning efforts should include the ductwork, filters and fan blades. Use a wet vacuum to clean up any standing water as mold needs water to grow. After cleaning the ductwork, filters and fan blades, you must allow them to dry thoroughly before turning the system back on. It’s important to clean and or replace the HVAC filters regularly

Currently, the HVACR industry is undergoing many technological advancements. As a result, HVAC instructors are struggling to devise new methods to ensure that the new era of service technicians has the relevant expertise. In the past, even when new furnaces were introduced, there were only a few different kinds of control boards that were used by all manufacturers. Thus, while there was lots of different equipment to repair, it was all basically controlled in the same way. Hence, in the old days, maintenance and repairs were reasonably straightforward. Nowadays though, manufacturers have adopted the use of high end equipment. This is based around data highways, rather than thermostat wires. Such proprietary technology is much harder to service, if you are not the dealer for the equipment. With the design, controls and virtually everything related to HVAC systems becoming more complicated, many teachers are going back to basics to train the current crop of tech students. The physics of electrical theory and applied thermodynamics never changes. Warm air flows to become cold, subcooling and superheat are vital principals, and psychrometrics is essential. Students faced with the task of repairing a new, complicated system will find their ability to implement the fundamentals

Many homeowners don’t know enough about cooling systems. Tackling air conditioning challenges becomes more intimidating. You can always call an AC repair technician to identify and fix system issues. Below are some common cooling system issues and what you can do about them before your technicians arrive. AC Won’t Turn On Check the Thermostat Settings. Your thermostat should be set below the home’s temperature. On programmable models, make sure it is not set to the hold or vacation mode pausing your active settings. Check the Power. Check your unit’s power sources. The exterior unit must be exactly plugged in, and the switch near the condenser should be set to “on”. Ensure that the breakers to the condenser and air handler are not tripped. Check the Air Filter. Clogged air filters prevent the system from firing up. Replace dirty filters or give reusable filters a good cleaning. No Cool Air Check the Air Filter. A blocked filter prevents cold air to travel through the ducts into your home. Replace your clogged air filter or clean your reusable filter. Reinsert the filter in the appropriate direction. Check the Ducts. Duct leaks reduce the supply of cool air. Duct leaks waste up to 30 percent