HVAC systems control temperature, humidity, and movement of air throughout a building. Licensed professionals help design and install systems that meet precise requirements and energy goals.
A career in hvac offers opportunities for advancement and personal fulfillment. Training programs range from 6-month certificates to 2-year associate degrees. Choose a program that matches your career goals and interests. Visit https://www.taphvac.com/ to learn more.
Ventilation is one of the most important aspects of any HVAC system, and it’s often overlooked. It’s not just about adding fresh outdoor air to a space; it also regulates humidity and helps maintain healthy indoor air quality. In fact, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), ventilation is so crucial that it is considered a necessary component of any space’s heating and cooling system.
The purpose of ventilation is to ensure that a home’s or building’s air is always fresh, clean and free of pollutants. It also regulates humidity and balances temperature throughout the building. It can be done either through mechanical or natural means. Natural ventilation includes open windows, doors and ceiling vents in the home, while mechanical ventilation involves air ducts and vents that are connected to the HVAC unit.
In the case of air ducts, there are two types: supply and return vents. The supply vents distribute conditioned air to rooms, while the return vents pull the air back into the air handling system for reconditioning. The return vents are usually in the basement or attic, and they can be opened or closed depending on your needs.
It’s important to keep in mind that HVAC systems are complex and require regular maintenance. A professional can help you determine your specific needs and select the right system for you. It’s also a good idea to check that any contractor you work with has NATE certification. This is an industry standard that verifies the technician’s skills and knowledge. It also demonstrates their dedication to the industry and to their customers’ satisfaction. This is important because it can prevent you from getting ripped off by unscrupulous contractors.
Air Intake
A fresh-air intake system helps your furnace run more efficiently. It draws a measured amount of outdoor air into the return ductwork, diluting pollutants and providing your furnace with oxygen for clean combustion. It is often recommended for new homes and those built to modern energy efficiency standards.
It can also reduce the risk of respiratory problems by bringing in clean outdoor air to replace stale indoor air. In addition, it lowers humidity and reduces the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in your home. It can be especially helpful for families with kids or elderly people who suffer from respiratory conditions like asthma.
Your HVAC technician can install a fresh-air intake vent as part of a routine maintenance visit. Typically, it is a duct with an open vent that runs into your basement or the room housing your furnace. In most cases, it has a screen to prevent pests from entering and snow or debris from blocking it. It may also be equipped with a damper for manual control. Some have a timer to provide intermittent ventilation, depending on your needs and code-mandated ventilation requirements.
Some homeowners block their fresh-air intake, but this can lead to a variety of issues, from a lack of ventilation to negative pressure in the house that allows carbon monoxide and toxic fumes to back up down the flue vent. It is important to keep your fresh-air intake clear, and you should swap the filter regularly as recommended by your HVAC professional. You should also regularly check for moisture on windows and walls, rust on the exterior vent, and other signs of blockage or imbalance. If you do encounter any of these, contact a technician for a full inspection and servicing.
Blower
While bigger system components like furnaces and ductwork tend to receive the most attention, your HVAC blower motor plays an equally important role in keeping treated air moving around your home. Located within your system’s furnace or air handler, the blower is an electric fan that pulls conditioned air from your home’s ductwork, circulates it through your heat pump or gas valve to warm or cool your house, and then returns it back to the ductwork to keep your space conditioned.
The blower also filters your home’s conditioned air as it circulates, helping to remove allergens, dust, and other irritants from your space. If you notice that your blower fan is making strange noises, such as banging or rattling, it may be due to an electrical malfunction or some other internal damage that needs professional care.
One of the most common reasons your HVAC blower fan might need professional attention is a dusty or dirty blower wheel. This is a delicately balanced and calibrated component, so any slight imbalance can lead to energy wastage and other problems. The best way to keep your blower wheel clean is to hire a professional. They’ll use specialized tools and techniques to ensure that all contaminants are removed, rather than just redistributing them.
Another common reason your blower motor might need maintenance is a broken limit switch. The limit switch is a safety feature that prevents your heating or cooling system from overheating, and it’s responsible for shutting off your gas or electric furnace when the blower stops working. This switch can be damaged by a wide range of things, including clogged air filters and overheating. A professional can check your system’s fuses, switches, and sensors to determine if a problem with the blower is preventing it from shutting off when the limit switch is triggered.
Air Handler
An air handler is the indoor component of an HVAC system that pairs with either an air conditioner or a heat pump. It looks a bit like a furnace, and it houses the evaporator coils, blower, and ventilation parts, including an air filter. When paired with an air conditioner, it circulates cool air throughout the home during the summer. When paired with a heat pump, it circulates warm air during the winter.
Most residential air handlers are connected to existing ductwork, which transfers conditioned air to different areas of the house. The air handler has dampers that control how much conditioned air is distributed to each area of the house. The air handler also has a blower, which moves the air from the air filter to the evaporator coils and back again. The air handler’s blower motor uses variable speed technology to ensure that the home is always heated or cooled evenly.
The evaporator coils in the air handler are cold during cooling mode, and they absorb heat from the air that passes over them. The evaporator coils can also have an electric heater package, which includes heat strips, to provide heating during the winter.
Commercial air handlers are larger and often have more complex designs, and they’re used in places like offices, warehouses, and factories. They can have additional components, such as economizers and humidifiers, to help manage odors and control humidity levels. In addition, many commercial air handlers use vibration isolators in their fan compartment to minimize the amount of noise and vibration that the system creates. The isolators are flexible sections of rubber or neoprene that are placed in the ductwork before and after the air handler, and they mitigate vibration from the blowers within the air handler.
Ductwork
The ductwork in an HVAC system is responsible for carrying heated and cooled air to the rooms of a building. It is a network of tubes in walls, floors, and ceilings made from sheet metal or other sturdy material. It is usually insulated to reduce noise and prevent heat loss. It is important to maintain your air ducts to ensure they are clean and working properly.
A well-designed and fabricated ductwork system provides multiple cost-effective benefits to the home or business. It promotes healthy indoor air quality by providing an adequate exchange of filtered air throughout the building while reducing humidity levels. It also lowers energy costs because it reduces the strain on your heating and cooling equipment. Leaky ducts, on the other hand, can result in high energy costs and poor indoor air quality.
Return air is sent up the return duct trunk back to the furnace to be conditioned again, then the supply ducts carry the air out to the rooms of the house. This cycle is repeated continuously to provide comfortable indoor temperatures.
One of the most common reasons for ductwork modifications is when a new HVAC system is installed, and the existing ducts are not sized correctly. This happens because new systems require more power than the existing system, and the ducts are not properly sized to handle the additional load.
Other common ductwork modifications include upgrading the old ducts to new insulated sheet metal ducts, adding dampers or zoning to your ductwork system, and sealing duct joints and connections. When performed by a trained professional, these modifications can reduce air leakage, improve energy efficiency, and enhance indoor air quality.