Zoning a House for Air Conditioning

Something very common in the Sacramento area is zoning in two story homes. Today  I visited a home which was suffering from a zoning system that doesn't work anymore. 

The home I visited had a two ton furnace up in the attic which was attached to a two-zone damper system. The home was approximately 1700 square feet, built in the 1990s. This home would typically have had a 3 to 3.5 ton air conditioning system. With zoning, we can heat and cool a home in zones, allowing us to condition the living spaces when they have a heating load that calls for the ac to turn on. Works great, two thermostats call for cooling alternately, with the upper floor normally running more often than the lower floor in the summer. 

Well, this home's damper system was not opening and closing properly, which means it was running much more than necessary, raising the customer's utility bills and decreasing comfort in the home. 

What is the solution? In this case, replacing the defective motors with new ones, as well as replacing the control zone board. In this house, it would also be advisable to replace the existing fiberboard plenum with a sturdy metal one. 

Do you have a home with two thermostats, one upstairs and one downstairs that doesn't seem to heat or cool properly? If so, contact a company that has expertise in working with this type of system. The relatively small cost of getting a zone system back to operating properly will yield great results in comfort.

Contact The HVAC Tech at 916-751-6060 if you live in the Sacramento or Rancho Cordova area. Or simply comment to this blog.

Take Care,

The Hvac Tech

Does Your Furnace Run Intermittently?

One of the frequent complaints that I hear from my customers when they are having a problem with their furnace is that it will run for a while, blow hot air, and then it will start to blow cold air for a several hours before coming back on and blowing warm air again.

Obviously, there are several possibilities and I will begin to check the individual components that are involved in the heating process. What I want to focus on primarily though, is how oftentimes I discover that the issue is connected to air flow, or actually the lack thereof. As I have mentioned in previous posts, dirty air filters cause many problems. Sometimes simply changing a dirty filter will solve an intermittent heating problem in a gas furnace. If not, I inspect the air conditioning coil that is located near the furnace. If that is dirty can also cause the furnace to shut down its production of heat yet still run and blow cold air.

What is happening is that your furnace is producing heat but the blower is not able to evacuate that heat away from the furnace compartment quickly enough because there is a constriction at the filter and/or in the evaporator coil because it is dirty. Because of lack of air flow the temperatures in the furnace rise above safe levels and the safety devices in the system shut the flame off. The blower continues to blow so that the moving air can remove the heat from the heat exchanger area and after a while temperatures drop and the furnace will reignite the flame and heat until temps rise too high again and the process starts all over again.

In this instance the issue can only be resolved by cleaning the evaporator coil and filter.

Obviously, there are other issues that can cause this, improperly installed inducer motor on a condensing furnace will also cause this, a malfunctioning control board, dirty flame sensor, the list goes on and on but the point I want to make is the importance of keeping your central heating system clean. Changing filters often is one of the most important things you as a homeowner can do to keep your system running efficiently and properly.

So, change your filters often and you should enjoy less visits from your local heating and air technician.

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech

A great time to have your Heating and Air System Checked.

With the weather being so mild you might think that it's not a good time to have your heating and air system checked out. After all, if it ain't broke why fix it? Right? Why not wait until you need your system to have it checked out? Well here are some things to think about when it comes to your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump:

1. Better Service.  When do you think most folks have their system worked on or checked out? Probably the hottest part of the summer or the coldest part of winter. That's the worst time to do it because heating and air companies are super busy then. With lots of service calls the technicians are trying to see as many people as possible as quickly as possible and are only taking care of the biggest problems first. Why compete with all those other customers? The best time for your system to get a technician's full attention is when it is slow. Then the tech can take his time to look over the system, make recommendations and better listen to your needs.

2. Better Prices.  Most companies do not run their best specials in the "demand" months because there is a long line of customers who need to have their system checked out. Your best bet for a good price on service or replacement is when the weather is mild and there are technicians just sitting around waiting for the phone to ring.

3. Better Control.  Why let your heating and air system control when you are going to have it repaired? Do you want to wait until the hottest day of the summer for your Air Conditioner to say, "ok, I give up, fix me now"? That would be the worst time to get it fixed. You will then have to be at the mercy of whoever can get to you the quickest, and in the summer the best companies get overloaded with service calls and so then you have to either wait until they can get to you or try some new, unknown company with few customers and take a chance that they will treat you properly. Instead, take control of your system by getting it checked out before it gets overloaded. Think about it like taking a trip: When should you have your car serviced, before a long trip or after?

Well, if you still aren't convinced then simply put it off and take your chances. Not what I would recommend, but perhaps you are feeling lucky......

If you would like to take control over your Summer cooling do it now, in the Spring. Give me a call at 916-751-6060 or simply fill out a comment with your contact info.

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech

Carbon Monoxide Monitors

Carbon Monoxide Monitors are an important safety device to have in your home if you have gas appliances. The need for one is especially important if you have a gas furnace inside your home in a closet.

There are different types of detectors but the one you want is the most sensitive you can find. I like to have one that can read as little as one part per million, expensive, but worth it.

You see, most detectors will not sound an alarm until they have detected over 100 parts per million of CO for at least two hours. This is a dangerous amount of carbon monoxide. I frequently tell my customers to be concerned if I detect 10 parts per million or more because that means there is some spillage from the gas appliance/furnace into the living space, and if I detect that amount it means under the right conditions there may be much more carbon monoxide buildup during different parts of the day.

To give you an idea of the danger level of CO, at 200 parts per million you can experience dizziness, headaches, and some CO monitors won't even go off until 200 parts per million which is way past the amount I would find acceptable in my home or my customers.

If you live in the Sacramento area and would like to know more about the conditions in your home please contact me at 916-751-6060 or comment on my blog.

The HVAC Tech

Furnace Air Flow Problems

Air flow in a central heating and air conditioning system is crucial for proper performance of your home's system. There are many things that can affect air flow but today I will address something that a homeowner can do to improve airflow immediately without the help of a paid professional.

First, change that dirty filter and get one that will allow a good airflow thru the ductwork. How do you determine this? It can be a little difficult since most filters in the retail stores concentrate more on allergies and dust removal. I recommend the more basic filters. If you want one of the allergy filters buy one of the ones with the lowest particle removal. In other words don't get the more expensive ones because they restrict air flow too much. Change that filter every 30 to 60 days even if the filter says you can go longer.

Second, and this one will take more work:  Take a look at the supply registers/vents that blow the air into your house. If they are rusty go ahead and change them out. Older supply vents/registers typically have more louvers which are thicker. This will reduce air flow substantially. Look for a replacement register with wide spaces between the adjustable louvers. Better yet, if you can find vents without the adjustable louvers get them.

I recommend if you still have an air flow problem that you cut out the adjustable portion of the supply vent. It's amazing how much more air you can get into a room by doing that.

One other thing you can do is to make sure the vents on the register face are open all the way. Older vents can be quite restrictive. Open these up and point them toward the room.

Sometimes registers are installed upside down or backwards, forcing them to blow onto a wall or up into the ceiling. Change these around to blow the correct direction. Be careful when you remove the registers. Many times the paint on the wall or ceiling blends right over the register. In this case you will want to cut around the register's edges so that the paint doesn't peel when you remove it.

Feel like this is something better left to a professional? If you live in the Sacramento or Roseville California area feel free to contact me and I will be happy to speak with you about this.

Take Care and have a Great Day,

The HVAC Tech

Heat Pump Compressors

The heart of the Heat Pump is the Compressor. The compressor is what "compresses" the refrigerant vapor into liquid facilitating the refrigeration process in the summer and the heating process in your home in the winter. If this component begins to wear out there are some warning signs that a technician can detect in order to inform you of your heating and air system's condition.

Couple of the things you as a homeowner might notice would be the compressor being louder than normal during startup or normal operation, higher summer utility bills than previous summers.

One of the best tools a technician can have in his toolbag is a good megohmeter.  This device will tell the condition of the compressor's windings. The windings in a compressor are similar to most electrical motors: wire wrapped or wound around metal. The plastic/rubber coating around these wires will melt if your compressor is overheating and will mix in with the refrigerant, which is the beginning of the end for your outdoor unit. Detecting a failing compressor early can help avoid a hot summer getting worse by being without AC for a few days or even weeks when you need it most.

Contact your local heating and air tech for routine service on your heat pump and ask if he can check the condition of your system's windings.

If you live in the Sacramento, California area, you may contact me by replying to this post or by calling: 916-751-6060

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech

Thermostats

The thermostat is the item most homeowners are familiar with in their heating and air system. When I go into a house to perform a maintenance or tune up it is the first item I want to see because I can set it to the temperature I want to test the system and also can begin by asking the homeowner if they have any questions about the settings and from there questions about the way the system is heating and cooling their home.

One aside from a technician point of view, is how some homeowners sometimes a homeowner says that their furnace or air conditioner is a Honeywell system. That is because the majority of thermostats today are made by that company and it is the name they associate with their system. Honeywell doesn't make heating and air systems and so it is a bit amusing when I hear the comment.

Anyway, a lot of times I am asked right off the bat by the homeowner if the problem with their system could be the thermostat, and sometimes it is, but usually the thermostat is the least problematic component of the system, at least for me.

One problem I do notice frequently about faulty functioning of thermostats is how they are installed. Thermostats read the temperature from the back side, so they are reading the wall temperature. Many times there will be a large hole that the wires come thru to the tstat and what happens is that the temperature in the wall may actually be several degrees hotter or colder than the indoor temp and so will cause the reading to be errant compared to the indoor air. This can easily be fixed by covering the hole with butyl tape or some foil tape.

There are many selections of thermostats. When I am working with elderly customers they can be delighted to find out that a few of the manufacturers have models with larger numbers and buttons which makes it easier to read the information and temperature setting.

If you are having troubles or questions about your thermostat be sure and contact your local heating and air company for more information. Whether you would like a basic one that has a dial (yes, we can still find those for sale) or a very sophisticated one that can communicate over the internet, chances are we can find one that you will like.

If you live in the Sacramento area be sure and contact me if you have questions about your thermostat.

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech

Heat Exchangers and Rust

Today I am writing about furnace Heat Exchangers and how rust in the exchanger can tell you about the condition of your gas furnace.

The heat exchanger is commonly referred to as the heart of your heating system. It has also been called the "hot box" the "fire chamber" and others and is simply the area where the flames enter your system. This area is an item of concern because of the potential dangers it can pose to you and your family if it is breached with cracks or holes.

Although I could go on for pages on this one subject alone I want to give you a simple way to check if you might need to be concerned. Note: a thorough inspection of your heat exchanger should be performed by a TRAINED furnace specialist. I have been trained and certified by a nationally recognized Heat Exchanger Trainer and believe me, before my training had some misconceptions even tho I had years in the field.

The easiest way to check for yourself is to remove the louvered metal panel on your furnace or better yet have a professional remove it and look into the area where the flames are. The metal ports or holes that you see should be completely free of rust. The more rust you see the more concern you should have, because if there is rust at the entrance of the heat exchanger you can bet there is more inside the tubes or chambers itself.

Also, if there is a metal plate covering part of the exchangers (you will see this especially on older furnaces) look above the plate, if there is rust above it you should have a concern.

I would recommend an inspection by a professional at this point. A careful technician who knows what he is doing should have a special camera that can peer inside the chambers to perform a visual inspection. There are other tools as well but if the technician hasn't invested in a camera then you should get another opinion.

Although not conclusive , rust is a telltale indicator of problems and should not be ignored.

If you feel your furnace should be checked out, call your local professionals and make sure to question the technician who comes out about his credentials and years in the business. No professional will be offended by this and an experienced tech will welcome the opportunity to expand on training.

If you live in the Sacramento area and would like an inspection do not hesitate to contact me and I will make arrangements.

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech

Washable Filters

Washable filters are becoming more and more common because of their convenience. No need to take a trip to the store, find the right size, stock multible filters, etc. With a washable you simply take the filter out of the return register rinse, and let it dry for a couple of hours and then replace. Nice.

I personally have two Electromaze washable filters in my home. The reason I have two is so that I always have a dry filter ready for when I want to clean the dirty one. The reason I do this is because it takes up to two hours for some of the filters to dry, especially if they have a pad between the entry and exit surfaces. I don't know about you, but I can easily forget all about the wet filter and it could be all day before I remember to get the filter. Also, if I want to change the filter in the morning I wouldn't have enough time to wait the two hours, I would have to replace it when I get back from work, many hours later. And on those rainy days what do you do? So it's nice to have a spare, just change it out and store the other filter.

A couple things to keep in mind with this type of filter. The older washables used a type of plastic that can allow mold or mildew to grow on the media itself. This is not an acceptable media and should be discarded. I would recommend discarding it especially if the filter is older than 2005 because it is likely not to have any antimicrobial properties before that year.

When buying a new washable filter make sure it says, "antimicrobial" on the label and you will be well served.

 Make sure the filter is sized properly. It is a "permanent" filter so you will want to check that it seats properly in the filter grill with no possibility of air going around the filter into the return duct.

One thing I notice occasionally is a filter that has been painted. If you paint the room your filter is in with a spray process and the fan comes on it will suck the suspended paint spray right onto the filter surface, coating the media and eliminating the electrostatic nature of most of these filters. If that happens you need to throw the filter away and replace it.

Well that's about it for now.

The HVAC Tech

Furnace Filters

The filter to your furnace or heat pump is probably the only thing you as a homeowner are involved in when it comes to routine maintenance on your heating and cooling system. However, I believe it is by far the most important item that can be done to keep your system operating efficiently.

If you could equate a filter change with routine oil and filter changes on your car, maybe it will demonstrate just how important this one step is. Suppose you changed your car's oil and filter only once per year....only once every two years.......once every three years. How would that effect the motor? Not good right? Probably will reduce the life of your engine, cause it to run hot, increase friction, reduce mileage and cause other problems that will have to be repaired due to the lack of maintenance? Well that is what happens to your heating and air system when the filters are not changed. A dirty filter will:

   Cause reduced air flow which will overheat your furnace
 
   Reduce heat delivery to your home which will increase the run time, costing you more money

   Cause unfiltered air to bypass the filter thereby coating your blower wheel and motor with dust, coating the    evaporator with dust, and circulating dirty air back into your house.

The above is just a short list of what can happen. Dirty filters are the number one reason I repair furnaces. Yep, it is that important, even more important than the age of the system. So, you can change your filter often, have a scheduled maintenance plan to change it, or you can let it go, allow the system to get dirty and just plan on replacing parts and eventually replacing your system.

So in a nutshell, change your furnace or change your system. It's that simple.  :)

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech

Evaporator Coil Cleaning

If I were to name two of the biggest contributors to furnace failure, and the cause of most service repair calls I would have to blame it on 1. Dirty Filters and 2. Clogged and dirty Evaporator Coils.

I will post an article about Filters another day but today I want to review how important it is to have your indoor evaporator checked and cleaned. Heating and air conditioning are all about air flow. Proper air circulation thru your central duct system is crucial to a properly functioning HVAC system in your home.

The evaporator sits on top of your furnace if it's in the garage or hallway or alongside the furnace or air handler if it's in the attic. It is the indoor portion of your air conditioner if it is a split system. What happens is that over the years dust makes it into this component due to clogged air filters, leaky ductwork and because of lack of routine maintenance becomes coated with dust. Imagine the radiator in your car. The coil is very similar in that it has very small openings  for air to pass thru. when these openings get clogged with dust and dirt it blocks the airflow thru the unit and the air has to go around the coil causing reduced air flow and an increase of static pressure in the coil which causes problems for proper circulation of heated or cooled air.

This causes a cluster of issues. In the winter, reduced air flow out of the furnace will cause it to overheat which will trip built in safety devices in the furnace shutting it down, causing it to cycle on and off, blow cold air, overheat motor windings, and can drastically stress out the heat exchanger causing uneven thermal expansion and contraction which can cause dangerous cracks.

Basically, bad news for your system. In the summer this can cause your air conditioner to ice over, run all the time without cooling and cause your electric bills to rise.

Solution? We need to clean that coil and along with it the blower as well. This can be time consuming depending on the style of coil you have and the extent of dust coating the coil and blower.

If you live in the Rancho Cordova or Sacramento area contact a trained technician such as myself or contact the company servicing your system to come out and inspect your system. A proper cleaning can extend the life of your heating and cooling unit as well as save you money in operationg costs and reduced service calls.

Take Care,

The HVAC Tech

Hot Surface Ignitors

A commonly replaced part on a gas furnace is a hot surface ignitor. Pilot lights are a thing of the past in modern furnaces which is a good thing because they waste fuel. However, this means that we use another type of ignition system which requires a part, which means it needs to be replaced after use.

Customers have asked me if ignitors can be cleaned and the answer is no, you cannot clean one of these parts because they have a coating which is compromised over the years and must be replaced.

A couple things to look for when a technician replaces your hot surface ignitor (HSI):

  Make sure he is very careful. A fingerprint on the surface of the ignitor will reduce the life to only about two years, so it is advisable to use rubber gloves when installing this part, or at the very least to be very careful not to touch the business end of this part.

  Get the old part. A worn out ignitor will be coated with a whitish substance instead of a robust, sparkling black surface.  A quick test with an ohm meter will also verify the condition of this part.

These parts are very brittle. I have broken my share of them putting them in, so I recommend using only a trained, experienced technician to install this part.... like me!

Give me a call if you live in the Sacramento area and I will be happy to talk to you about becoming your heating technician for all your furnace needs.

James  916-751-6060

Roseville Rightsize Rebate Program

Roseville Right Size Rebate program is in full swing. This is a great way to get a new efficient Air Conditioner or Heat Pump system for your home....if you live in Roseville you can take advantage of this program but funds are limited.

What is the program all about? Well, this is a great way to turn in your energy waster and get a new one which will be better for the environment and allow Roseville Electric to reduce their production of electricity. Did you know that if your Air Conditioner or Heat Pump is 8 years old or older it could be using twice the energy of a new, current model?  That's true. The new systems available today are quieter, more efficient and much better for the environment.

Better for the environment? Absolutely. The most common refrigerant in older Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps use R22. This refrigerant has a chlorine atom in it which can destroy up to 100,000 Ozone molecules! Yep, that's right, the older Refrigerants are devastating to our atmosphere. The new R410A/Puron does not have this chlorine atom in it and so will not damage the ozone-that's good for all of us!

How is the rebate determined for my home? Very simply, it's based on the age and size of your home, and the type of heating and cooling system you have now. Rebates range from $2,400 to $5000. In some cases there will be only a small outlay of money while with others there still may be several thousands of dollars out of pocket but with a local utility helping pay the cost why not take advantage?

Supplies are limited! I have been told that there will be about 150 homes that will get the full $5000 and about 300 more that will share the remainder. Once the money is gone the program will be over.

One of the really great things about this program is that Roseville will require duct modifications which reflect modern methods of duct design that will allow for much more efficient airflow, reducing energy costs and increasing your comfort. Very few homes have balanced airflow to each room. This is a key feature to the Right Size program since air balancing will be required. You will feel the difference if your home has improper air flow now, and many do.

Live in Roseville and want to learn more about this program? Call or email me at 916-751-6060 or jamesmerts@gmail.com and I can give you a free consultation for your home.

Take Care!

The HVAC Tech

Furnace Repair Rancho Cordova

It's still not too late to repair your furnace or heat pump this season.  Here are some common things to look for:

     Is your unit turning off and on too quickly?
     Is there heat coming out of the supply vents for a short time and then blowing cold air?
     Is the furnace blowing air all the time?
     Is there a lot of dust in your house?

Any of these items could indicate the need for a qualified technician to service or repair your unit. Sometimes it's a quick fix like a new capacitor, cleaning the flame sensor or cleaning the blower motor or indoor evaporator coil. I am happy to check any of these items for you if you live in Rancho Cordova, California or the greater Sacramento area.

I can be reached at 916-751-6060 to schedule an appointment.

See you soon!

The HVAC Tech

Rancho Cordova Furnace Tune Up

It is important to keep your furnace tuned up and ready to heat your home efficiently and safely. Most of us will take our automobile in for regular tune ups but what about our furnace?

Did you know that tuning up your furnace can allow it to work more efficiently thereby saving you money in operating costs as well as catching small items that are wearing out before they turn into big items that can cost you an arm and a leg.

By cleaning the burner assembly, checking capacitors, hot surface ignitors, flame sensors and the general condition of your furnace you can ensure a safe, efficient heat source for your home.

If you live in the Rancho Cordova, CA or Sacramento area I can provide a tune up for your home for only $69. I will check out your furnace, clean the blower assembly, check the filter and even run a quick diagnostic for you.

How can I do it so cheap? In this economy it is important to keep busy and by doing a tune up cheaply I can see more people and it's better to work than stay home.

I work for a local heating and air company and would like to offer you my services and become your heating and air technician for life. If you would like to schedule a tune up please call me at 916-751-6060 or just respond to this blog.