You’ve probably heard this phrase banded about – but do you know what it means? Well, ‘high’ efficiency basically means that it is over 90% efficient (to compare; a ‘mid’ efficiency runs at under 80%). To achieve this the equipment must take more heat out of the gas, which is done by adding a heat exchanger designed to pull the very last bit of heat, before it is exhausted out of the building. In doing this, the gas is cooled so much that some of the water in the gas is condensed, which is why newer heating systems need to have a drainage system. The cooler temperatures in the gas also mean that venting can be plastic PVC and, instead of needing a chimney, can now be expelled out the side of the building.
Due to the water that’s produced by these systems special care needs to be taken during installation (for example, all vent piping must be sloped back to the furnace so the water can drain away). As you can see from the attached video (taken on a cold day) the exhaust from a high efficiency furnace is very similar to a dryer vent.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
It probably does if my experience is anything to go by! I can’t tell you how many businesses, offices, and even warehouses I have gone to and seen a thermostat like this photo. It starts simply enough….someone is cold and turns the thermostat up a bit, and then someone else is too hot and turns it down. Then a note gets added, and then another. Soon the boss is getting tired of this and sticks on a note saying “DO NOT TOUCH’, so then everyone starts sneaking in to change the stat!
In the end this does not lead to a happy work place, staff fighting staff and management against staff. One solution is that no-one touches the stat except management or the HVAC tech, which can work if the rules are followed (there are still the sneaky people though!). Other options are that the thermostat’s settings can be ‘locked’, or you can install a thermostat guard which is a clear plastic box that needs a key to open.
A better solution is an Energy Management system, which means the thermostat can be locked out or even removed all together. If, for any reason, a member of staff is unhappy with the setting they can e-mail their manager and ask for the temperature to be adjusted. The manager just needs to login on-line and change the stat if required. One thing we have noticed over the years is that by just removing the thermostat and replacing it with a sensor staff seem to be happier. With no number to see and fixate on people don’t seem to get so hot and cold! One more advantage to the Energy Management System.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
Program your thermostat. One of the easiest ways to save money is to control the number of operating hours, to ensure it’s only on when it’s needed! Less usage will also translate as less maintenance costs and, of course, less energy consumed. There are now internet controlled stats on the market which mean you can control settings anywhere at the touch of a button.
Changing filters. Dirty, clogged up filters will affect the efficiency of your a/c system. Ideally filters should be changed every 3 months to ensure optimum performance.
Cleaning coils and fans. Similarly, dirty coils and fans will increase energy consumption of your equipment and cost you more. Equipment should be cleaned at least once a year.
Updating equipment. The older the machine, the slower and more energy thirsty it will be! Regular maintenance will prolong the life, but eventually it will be much more cost effective to replace aging systems.
Cleaning burners. If heating burners are allowed to get dirty they will clog up and prevent proper combustion of the gas. This will affect the efficiency of the unit.
Well, you could try asking your staff to turn down the thermostat and turn off unused lighting. However, this rarely works because:
no one remembers
thermostats are too confusing to use
too many people press buttons, without knowing what they’re doing…
which ends up with some areas cooling whilst others are heating
and finally, units are left to run 24 hours a day, all of which costs you a fortune
In the past the so called solution was a building control system which costs tens of thousands of dollars. Control of this building system would be put on a computer in the basement, together with a very confusing program, which the maintenance staff were expected to run.
But now there’s new technology that makes management of energy costs and comfort levels easy — a building control system that can manage either one stat on its own or an entire building, and can be controlled from any computer in the world.
In a word – yes! The old style mercury thermostats (with the little glass tube and the blob of mercury) have become outdated by modern technology and the digital thermostat.
These days the digital thermostats are mini computers that control your heating and cooling equipment (HVAC). The newer equipment is much more sophisticated than the older systems, so modern thermostats have safe guards built in to protect the equipment. New thermostats need to be programmed specifically for your equipment and needs, and this should be done by your HVAC provider when the equipment is being set up. Programming can be complicated and you will need the manual to do it properly. If you’re not sure of the controls it’s best not to attempt it yourself, you could end up damaging your equipment. A good energy management system is useful under these circumstances as all the settings can be checked over the internet, which will save you the cost of calling out an HVAC technician.
Finally, if you are still the proud owner of a mercury thermostat – it’s time for an upgrade! Mercury thermostats can damage newer equipment as they can turn on and off too fast, or be influenced by rapid temperature changes. Some manufacturers even warn that mercury thermostats can damage the control board of new equipment. It’s not terribly expensive to change to modern thermostats, and not only will it protect your equipment, but you can also program them to ensure you’re not wasting energy when the space is not used, saving you a lot of money in the long run.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. Our focus is Energy Management – saving you money whilst saving the environment.
Back to basics again this month, the blower wheel is the bit of your equipment that pushes air through the ducts to heat or cool your space. There are lots of different ways of pushing air, but most manufacturers have settled on the ‘squirrel cage’ fan. This is basically just like the wheel you used to have your pet hamster run around in! In this case though a motor turns the wheel, while fins on the outside of the wheel grab the air and push it down the duct work.
No matter what kind of blower you have, it will get dirt on it and decrease the efficiency of your system. If it is not cleaned over a period of time it will eventually damage your equipment. This brings us back to last month’s blog and the importance of filters. Filters help to reduce the amount of dirt reaching the blower wheel, helping to keep your equipment in top condition.
Simple things make all the difference. Getting the basics right will save you a lot of time and money down the line.
Blower wheel
Squirrel cage wheel
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
This month we’re going back to basics, as some of you have pointed out that you know very little about our business and the Tip of the Month has occasionally been too technical.
So, the most basic equipment of all is the filters. All forced air heating and cooling systems must have filters installed (forced air simply means that the system uses a fan to ‘force’ the air through the space). Filters can range in price from $3 to $60, depending on the size and type of filter. Some systems need to use up to 3 filters in a row, for example in a kitchen where the exhaust air must be clean or a hospital where the filters will catch micro- organisms. Let’s focus on basic filters in common usage though. You definitely get what you pay for where filters are concerned. If you want cleaner air and need to keep out dust (in a computer server room, for example) paying a little extra for a quality filter makes a lot of sense. Where there is lots of fresh air and natural air movement (a public building with open air sections), a cheaper filter works just as well.
In most cases a middle of the road filter is a good bet. It should be checked 4 times a year, and maintenance programs can be set up to include filter changes and equipment checks at these times.
Cheep Filter
Good Filter
Here is a video of what a filter should not look like.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
Air conditioning is basically the movement of heat from one place to another. Heat pumps, ice rinks, geothermal systems and even your home refrigerator all use this principle.
An air conditioning system is a sealed system with refrigerant in it, which is pumped around a loop. There are 4 basic parts in the system:
1. the compressor, which is basically a pump to push the gas (refrigerant) around the loop;
2. the metering device, which is just a valve which controls the flow of gas;
3. & 4. an inside coil and an outside coil. One gets hot and one gets cold. In the case of a heat pump, the system can change which ones are hot or cold.
There are also endless lists of parts that can be added depending on your needs, but these 4 make up the basis of all systems.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area. We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
Does my Heating or A/C need oiling? I Hear Squeaking!
In a word – no! Many heating or cooling (HVAC) units use belts and pulleys to move the air around the building. There is a belt that goes between the pulleys on the electric motor and the blower wheel. When this belt is adjusted correctly the system will work for a long time with no problems. However, if this belt is loose, the pulleys and belt will wear much faster than they should. If the belt is too tight there is too much tension causing excessive wear on the bearings in the motor and blower. Both scenarios will produce a squeaking noise.
Newer equipment now uses variable speed motors which ramp up slowly and adjust speed depending on demand in the system. This is easier on the equipment and saves power.
Caledonia Integrated Services is an Energy Management, HVAC and Electrical company, serving Vancouver and BC area.
We actively encourage feedback, comments and questions. You can leave a message here, or look us up on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, you can always e- mail us too!
When do I need an Energy Management system? Not a question we ever hear, but it’s very obvious to us when people should be asking!
It’s now that time of year again….it’s cold, it’s busy, and staff are run off their feet. This is the season when there is no time to check any of your equipment; and that’s unfortunate, because this is when it is working at its fullest capacity. This is where a building control system or an energy management system really starts to pay for itself, especially if you have many locations or many units. All of them can be set or checked remotely…..easy!
With a properly set up system in place for the winter you will be maximizing your savings in several ways. You will only be using energy (heat) when the space is occupied. One member of staff (or your service provider) can quickly go on-line and check any problems, and either fix it there or call a technician to the problem if needs be. These systems can pay for themselves very quickly and, not only will you save money, you’ll also make huge savings on time.
Wishing you all a peaceful Festive Season and a prosperous New Year.
