The very best form of heating and cooling system for your home is the Florida Heat Pump which is basically a Geothermal system.  By goethermal, we mean a different type of heating and cooling system. The normal heat pump is required to extract heat from the air or cool from the air depending on whether it is operating in the heat or cool mode..

The Florida Heat Pump or Geothermal system works more efficiently as it removes heat and cool from water from beneath the earth. This water is normally protected from the extreme cold air or hot air that the normal heat pump must use for its operation.

The two basic types of geothermal systems are Closed system and open system.

Open Loop Systems

Of course the open loop will be the simplest of the two systems and will be more economical, but will be less efficient.  In this operation, water is drawn from a single well and then is passed thru the heat exchanger in the Florida Heat Pump system.  It is then discharged back into the very same well or in some cases a different well. To produce effective heat and cool, approximately two to three gallons of well water must be passed thru the heat exchanger per minute for each ton of heating or cooling capacity that is required.  This is the minimum amount of water required to maintain the system functions. One of the major advantages as mentioned above is the relatively constant water temperature of the well water throughout the year. As we all know there is huge swing in outside air temperature from the extreme heat of the summer to the extreme cold of the winter.

Closed Loop Systems

The closed loop system is more popular as it is more efficient, reliable and more economical to operate. This system has a buried pipe in the ground and water with a mixture of antifreeze is circulated through the underground pipe.  Various lengths of pipe will be required for each installation, as the actual soil moisture, ground temperature, and soil conductivity will affect the end results.  The major advantage of this system, is that it does not require the drilling of a well and earth water is not required for its operation.

More to come later on the advantages and disadvantages of the Florida Heat Pump Systems will follow. Meantime why not give our sponsor "Smiley Heating and Cooling" a call.

 

Troubleshooting a furnace thermostat can at times become a challenge. For the most effective troulbleshooting you will need a multimeter. The multimeter is given that name, as it is capable of acting as a voltmeter, and ampmeter or an ohmmeter.

Don't be concerned about all those details, as I will give you a step by step procedure to follow.

The main funtion of the furnace thermostat is to maintain the temperature of the house by turning on the funace when heat is required and turning off the furnace when the temperature in the room matches that of the thermostat setting.

Some of the more common thermostats in use today is the low voltage thermostats manufactured by Honeywell,  White-Rodgers, Lux, Robertshaw and others.

By low voltage, we normally mean voltage such as 24 volts ac, not the more dangerous 115 volt ac.   This voltage is much safer to run around the house.

If you run into any special problems during your troubleshooting progress, please call Smiley Heating and Cooling service to lend a professional hand, or you may visit their website at Heating and Cooling in a Jiffy.

 

 

Your heat pump consists of many different components, but the following three very important factors are essential to longevity of your heating and cooling system. They are in no specific order   Quality, Efficiency and Comfort.

The first item that I will discuss is Quality When you purchase a new heating and cooling system (heat pump), the quality of the system goes a long way to determine how it will perform and for what period of time.   Many times you can get by with purchasing a non brand name, but for piece of mind I strongly recommend that you stick with the Brand Name that has a reputation for performance for the long term. You can rest more easily knowing the power of a long time company is backing your product.  Most split systems and all new Carrier Air Conditions undergo 36 test and checks to ensure their quality is tip top.  More than 20 tests are performed on every single unit before being shipped to the customer.

The next important item is Efficiency  Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) is a term used to describe the cooling efficiency of a heat pump or an air conditioner.  The more efficiently the unit uses electricity, the higher the SEER number will be. The SEER rating of most air conditions and heat pumps before 1992 was 7.0 or below. Today's heat pumps and air conditioners have a SEER rating in the range of 10 to 17. A far cry better than those in the 1990's. Now for the downside.. the higher the efficiency of the unit, the more expensive the unit becomes.  If you are in a very warm or very humid area, you will get the higher cost of the unit back in no time thru savings in electricity.  You can easily use the weather temperature expected in your area to calculate how long it will take you to get back your original investment in a heating and cooling unit in regard to savings in energy costs. One important point that cannot be overempahsized, is that since the heat pump is usually a split unit meaning an outdoor unit(condensor) and an inside unit(coil) it is always best to replace them both at the same time to make sure the new unit will give the optimum results in regards to actual perfromance, total efficiency and overall comfort. Last but not least, I will discuss the Comfort Features.  Many of the newer heat pumps and air conditioners off special features that provide significantly more comfort and in some cases additional savings in energy and therefore money.  Some units run more quietly than others and can be set to run on low speed which can save up to 50% on energy. When the system has longer operating periods it may translate into less on/off cycles. This provides better comfort and energy savings. Some of the multi-speed or variable-capacity furnaces with adjustable speed fan coil may enhance both the efficiency and comfort of your heat pump and air conditioning system even further. Be sure and visit Smiley Heating and Cooling for all you heating and cooling needs.

 

Question

I have a question about tapping into one of my furnace ducts located in my attic.  I want to add heat to a room that has been added by enclosing a porch.  It is about 35 feet from the tie in point to the center of the room that I want to heat.  Will it be necessary to add some sort of fan at the connection point to move the air along the new 35 foot duct to get it to the new location?  Or will it be just fine to tie in and forget it?

Answer

IF you are referring to connecting to a 6 inch round to a 4 inch round, it would be more effective to connect to a main duct. By main duct, I refer to the large rectangular ducting. If you steal air from the room that has the 6 inch duct, may create a comfort problem in that particular room.  I duct booster (fan) should not be necessary.  You may want to include a volume damper to ensure that you can adjust the volume of air as required.  The volume boosters can be purchased at either Lowe's or Home Depot.   Don't forget for all your need in regard to Heating and Cooling Services, please remember Smiley Heating and Cooling.

 

Subject

Janitrol Gas furnace vent motor won't start.

Question

I have a Janitrol gas furnace only 2 years old, and recently the main power line failed and the unit was surged on and off several times due to line power failing and then being reapplied. Since that time the furnace will not kick in.. The model is gmt070-3A ser nr 0306608809 Initial investigation shows the following… 0. There is a low humming sound when powere is applied to the furnace.. similar to the sound of a motor that is tryhing to start but just can't make it. 1. AC power to furnace is ok.. 2. The status lite flashes in cycles of 3 I believe indicating that a problem exists with the vent fan motor.. 3. If you kick start the little vent fan… and by kick start I mean give it a manual spin to start it.. like pushing your car… when the starter is broke… Don't try that with an automatic transmission… that is less fun and I cant run that fast anyway… back to business.. 4. The vent fan I am referring to is not the air handler fan/motor, its the little fan that apparently is used to vent any escaped gas from the unit as its connected to the vent tube going outside the house.. 5. I highly suspect a starting capacitor for the vent fan motor, as if the motor was defective, I doubt a kick in the butt would make it run ok.. 6. Once manually started, the entire system works fine until it gets up to the thermostat setting and shuts down and then on the next cycle the little fan won't start.. 7. So my guess is the failing vent fan motor is unsafe so the little status lite give me a 3 blinks and the whole damn thing just sits there waiting for me to kick start the fan and all is well.. 8. I can readily see the start up capacitor on the air handler motor, but cannot see a start cap for the little vent fan motor… its is relatively small and therefore may not need a start cap.. how do I know… 9. Does anyone know if it has a start cap and where it is located… possibly back on the main  circuit board? 10. I would really appreciate any help anyone could offer here, as I am electrically literate and have a basic Multimeter if anyone has any suggestions for me to check.. If you have questions such as this, please call Smiley Heating and Cooling for immediate dispatch of a technician to solve the problem.

 

Here is some of the most common problems that you might encounter when your furnace is failing:

Be extremely careful, as you may be in the vicinity of 120 volts ac power.  Electrical power in this range can be fatal so watch out for any bare wires.

1.  First make sure the thermostat is set high enough so that the system is calling for heat. Just to be sure move the control to full heat. That way if the thermostat is simply reading wrong we will find out now. Be sure to reset the thermostat back to normal heat when testing is done.

2.  Don't overlook the system switch. Make sure its in the heat position. For a heat pump the three possible positions are  heat,  off,  cool.

3.  Make sure your fan mode switch is in auto. Some thermostats may not have this function.

4.  Don't overlook the SSU switch. It must be in the on position. You can normally find it on the outside of your furnace or on the ceiling or wall near your furnace.

5.  Be sure to check the fuse holder near the SSU switch if you have one. You should use an ohmmeter to check this fuse. If you have no way to test this fuse, simply replace it. Be sure to place the furnace in the full off postion before tampering with the fuse.

6.  Install a new fuse and turn the system back on.

7.  If no results, check the main electrical circuit breaker panel. This is a gray box which encloses all the circuit breakers for the entire home.  Be sure it is in the on position.  If it feel sorta sloppy, move it firmly to the off position and quickly snap it back to the on position. Many times when these circuit breakers pop, they may assume a mid way position between on and off and my be deceiving.

8.  Make sure the furnace door and panel are tightly closed, as they have a disconnect switch that will disable the entire system if the panel or door becomes even slightly dislodged.

9.  This inspection is extremely important if you have recently changed a filter in this area and may have disturbed the panels or door on the furnace.

10.  If your system has a pilot light, make sure it is lit. Most of the new units have an electronic ignition and therefore no pilot light. If you still can't restore your heat then call us at Smiley Heating and Cooling at 757-455-8650. We may be able to help you over the phone and if not we can dispatch a technician promptly. Please visit our website at Smiley Heating and Cooling

Author

Tom Chambers

 

You see the term HVAC here and there, and its simply a short way to say heating ventilation air conditioning.  More and more today, the need for temperature control in homes, and buildings is more of a necessity than a luxury.  Without proper heating, cooling and ventilation, mould sometimes goes wild. This becomes an extreme health hazard.  Good climate control is one of the very best methods of preventing mould growth.

The highly trained folks that install, maintain and repair the climate control systems in your home and work space are known as HVAC technicians. The demand for highly skilled HVAC technicians such as the Smiley Heating and Cooling technicians are in high demand. Smiley is careful to make sure only highly skilled HVAC technicians service your expensive equipment.

New equipment is becoming more and more complex each year. If you have not had formal technical training in one of the many technical schools, you will be handicapped in the field of HVAC today. As a matter of fact I would go so far as to say you are actually a danger to yourself and those around you. The technical schools of today provide greater exposure to the latest developments and changes that are occurring at an ever increasing rate. At todays rate of change, technicians are continually being sent back to factory and technical schools just to keep up.

The technical schools of today is not a holiday, as they cover such items as electronics, computers, chemistry, science and physics. A study of electronics is an essential element for the qualified technician.  As I have discussed in previous articles, the most difficult task for a technician is that of determing the size of unit that will be needed to properly maintain the level of heating and cooling that is required. This is one of the most frequently abused items today. Many times the contractor simply replaces the failed unit with an exact replacement without considering what improvements have been made to the home. It is possible that home improvements in recent years, like the addition of insulation, or possibly room addons have made the old system totally inefficient. During a system change, a highly experienced technician must evaluate the entire situation.

In many cases, the technician may be servicing equipment in difficult and inaccessible locations which may require him or her to be in good physical condition. Who knows, you may have to run away from the dog or crawl under a very low house to access a furnace.

An attempt to set up your own business, can be a huge financial challenge. Equipment of today is very expensive and makes it difficult for a beginner to start his own business, even after years of on the job training with a previous company.

If you are a top notch technician in the Hampton Roads area contact Smiley Heat and Cool for a confidential interview. Only the best quality technicians need apply, but if you make the grade we do have some great benefits.. Confidential appointments can be made by visiting our web site at http://www.smileyheatandcool.com and filling out the contact me form or you may call 757-455-8650.

Author
Tom Chambers

Annual Furnace Tune Up and Maintenance is something you can do yourself with proper instruction.

The ever rising cost of keeping our homes comfortable in the winter has become an expensive task for all of us.

In the year of 2006, it was not unusual for heating bills to soar to more than $2,000 for the year, so it is imperative that we do everything possible to reduce the soaring costs of heating our home.

One thing is for certain, if we do a thorough tune up on the heating system, it will run more efficiently and therefore save us money in the long run. Based on that, it will be well worth the cost of a good tuneup in regards to saving money.

The major and most important parts of a typical home heating system consists of three major components.

The first component that I will discuss in detail is the thermostat.  The thermostat is probably the item that we are most familiar with, as we frequently use it to control the room temperature. We lower and raise the temperature to get the room at a comfortable heat for us.

When the temperature in the room drops below the setting we have selected, the thermostat causes the blower motor to come on and move the hot air from the furnace into the individual rooms. For the purpose of distributing the air throughout the room, heating ducts are used. As the fan runs, it pulls the cooler air from the house and passes it through the furnace where it is warmed and then returned to the room. The fan continues to move the cool air out and the warm air in until the temperature reaches the preset value that we have set into the thermostat. At this time the thermostat sends a signal to the furnace to shut down.

You may have noticed the blower continues to run for a few minutes after the thermostat has signalled the furnace to shut down. The furnace shuts down immediatley, but the fan continues to run to force all the hot air out of the ducts.. That way the hot air in the ducts is not wasted.

If you decide to get a tuneup, as I strongly recommend you should, it can cost up to $100 and sometimes more. Please remember, a furnace is a  mechanical system and routine maintenance is absolutely mandatory to keep the system running efficiently and safely.

If you are mechanically inclined, it may be possible for you to do the tuneup yourself and save some money.  However if you can afford it, I strongly recommend you use the services of a professional such as Smiley Heating and Cooling. They are specially trained to take care of every requirement of the furnaces mechanical system.

If you decide to tackle the project yourself, here is some of the important things that must be looked at:

1. First using a strong light, inspect the outside of the furnace. There should not be any black soot around the outside of the furnace.

2. Next you should turn up the thermostat on the furnace to make the burner light off.  The flames in the burner should be blue and steady. If you have a yellow flame, orange flame, or if the flame is flickering you have a problem that needs attention. When the flame is not blue, its time to stop your do it yourself inspection and call the professional.

IF the flame is ok then it is safe to continue our inspection.

3. Now lets turn the thermostat down so the flame goes out and wait for the furnace to cool. An added safety precaution is to turn off the circuit breaker for the furnace.

4. Next step is to remove the sides of the furnace and using a long nozzle, vacuum any dust that may have accumulated inside the furnace.  Use a damp rag to wipe the blades of the fan.. Use soap if they are unusually dirty. Check to see if the blower fan has oil cups. If so we need to place some oil drops here to extend the life of the motor. Many of these motors are sealed and do not need oiling. IF they have oil cups, just give them a couple of drops of oil.

5. Some of the furnaces have a fan belt between the motor and the fan. Be sure to inspect the fan belt for a tight fit and no unusual wear or cracks. Most motors have the fan mounted directly on the shaft and therefore have no fan belt at all. It is a simple process to check the belt tension. Simply press down on the belt approximately half way between the motor and the fan.  If the tension is correct, the belt should not push in more than a half inch from it straight position.

6. If all is well at this point, its time to replace the covers and turn the circuit breaker back on.

7. Next be sure to move the thermostat up again to cause the furnace to light off and run just to make sure all is well.

8. If the furnace and fan fail to run, turn the circuit breaker back off and try reinstalling the side panels, as many have a  switch in the panel area to shut down the fan when the panels are removed. If the panels are not fully installed, the disconnect switch may not have closed and of course the fan will not run and the furnace will not heat.

9. Don't forget to turn the circuit breaker back on once you have determined that the panels are seated properly.

10. The last item to be taken care of is the filter. This filter should be changed at least once a month during the entire heating season.

Give yourself a pat on the back, as now your furnace is ready for the Winter.

Even if you do your own inspections each year, I strongly recommend that you have a professional do this inspection at least every few years just to be sure that you have not missed anything.

Last item is that I strongly recommend a Carbon monoxide detector be installed. This colorless, odorless gas can be deadly.
IF the detector indicates a buildup of carbon monoxide, call a professional immediately.

Author
Tom Chambers

 

Its extremely important that the sizing of your Heating and Air Conditioning Systems be done correctly.

Without a doubt, there is nothing more important than correctly sizing a new heating and cooling installation. It is easy to both oversize and undersize the installation. Correctly sizing is extremely important in regards to comfort, efficiency, and lowest operating and maintenace costs over the lifetime of a completely new system installation.

Systems normally run 12 to 15 year range before requiring replacement, but once they reach the 10 year point, they often become unreliable and less efficient than the new modern systems as improvements in technology is occurring on a daily basis.

Several national surveys have reported that more than half of the heating and cooling installations are not sized correctly by the HVAC contractors.

The most common sizing mistake is in oversizing. This error in judgement not only makes the new system cost more to install, but also causes it to operate inefficiently, fail more often, and costly to operate. IF the heating equipment is oversized, it often creates large temperature swings in the house. This can cause an uncomfortable atmosphere and wasted energy. When the  air conditioner (and heat pump) do not run long enough to properly dehumidify the air, this can result in the "clammy" feeling and mold growth which is unhealthy and is present in many air conditioned houses.

It is the installer/contractor's job to perform the correct sizing calculation for the building. Many installers only check the "nameplate" (the label on the unit that has the Btu per hour output among other things) of the existing system and sell you one just like it, or even worse, one that's larger. This is a not a correct sizing method and not in your best interests!  Rest assured, that a Smiley Heating and Cooling installation will be done in a professional manner and a thorough analysis of you needs will be accomplished before anything else is done.

Before homes became tightly constructed as they are now, it was not unusual to install air conditioners and furnaces that had two, three or even four times the required capacity. Additionally many people have installed new windows, caulking,insulation and weatherstripping to their homes. Due to all the possible improvements made by the homeowner, nulls the contractor's ability to use the nameplate to determine what size system is required.  If the name plate is used then it is likely to result in a system that is oversize. Improvements made to reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer should permit you to install a smaller system. The more efficient smaller system while remaining comfortable, will allow saving large amounts of energy over a period of many years which can result in a substantial savings in dollars.

Many replacement installations are done simply by replacing the existing configuration with similar equipment without a  thorough evaluation to determine if the original package was optimum for the home. Due to many improvements in the efficiency rating of new systems, many times to replace the existing unit with one of the same size would result in a system larger than what is required. This is just as bad as undesizing a system. It is important that all relevant factors be considered in the new or replacement installation.

A huge number of factors must be considered when designing a new installation: some of the most important include:
Some of the most significant factors for correctly sizing a cooling and or heating system include:
The weather temperature extremes in you particular area.
The amount and type of insulation installed in the dwelling.
Number of windows, window sizes, their locaction and particular type.
Infiltration rate of the air throught the house
Number of occupants, their ages and needs such as asthema etc.
What the occupant actually prefers in regard to furnace or heat pump.
Number of occupants, their ages and needs such as asthema etc.
Ready availability of utilities such as using a heat pump when gas lines may be too expensive to install
Trees size and shape and orientation in regard to whether or not they block sun rays.
What type of lighting and what major appliances will be giving off heat.
In some cases you may be able to get a correct sizing calculation before signing a contract for the gas or electric utilites for little or no cost to you. This will give you some assurance that the HVAC contractor is doing right by you.

When the evaluation is in progress, pay close attention as a good estimator will measure ceilings, walls, floor space, and  and all windows to be able to determine the room volumes. Additonally there should be an assessment the R-value of the home's insulation, windows, and building, to also include the  materials used in the construction of the home. The rate of air leakage in the building is a valuable tool to determine if additional insulation and sealing is required for the best efficiency overall.

One of the very best methods of determining air leakage in a home is a test called blower door test.

If the contractor walks in, and simply looks at the existing unit, and recommends that the replacement unit be the same size,  or larger, then he obviously is not taking into account any changes or improvements that have been made to the house nor is he looking at the possibility of an original error in the sizing the original unit.

Occasionally the HVAC contractor may ask you how many square feet in the house. If he offers a unit size based on square feet, he is 'sizing by Square foot' and is one of the most commonly used methods which is very inaccurate. It is not unusual for a contractor to use a rule of thumb that says a one ton (12,000 btu) for each 500 square feet of area. Interestingly enough, the next contractor may be using a different rule of thumb and come up with a very different requirement.

Author and Heating and Cooling expert
Tom Chambers