Heating Help

Sometimes

@ May 27, 2006 7:51 AM in Rheem trouble

If airflow is not what it suppose to be high or low will effects your readings. If it was insufficient airflow everything across the board would be low. If it was a unbalance heatload everything would be low except subcooling. What was the wetbulb temp?

Being I'm even

@ May 27, 2006 5:26 AM in Esp od duct systems

Don now...I also have the friction chart from ACCA that helps you to understand how the air flows in a duct system. Also a great book to have on one shelf as well.

Spending time with the Professor.

@ May 25, 2006 6:18 PM in The professor class.

Well guys the professor has departed the tidewater area. What a great guy and a very special person to do what he does.I must say out of all the years I've been in the trade this issue of pressure entalphy has eluded me. What a great tool to have to show and explain how something as a 3 ft piece of armflex missing can add to the hoc. Thanks again Professor for the great class you gave and all of us here really enjoy ourself. You know it was a great class when you have other already talking about a repeat very soon. And to all you guys that have taken the class please share what you are finding on the equipment out there. As soon as I go find some reading glasses to make out the lines on the chart,I'll share in the conversation. Now who know how the series circuit works with the two light bulbs and two switches? My take he has trick light bulbs.

What am i missing.

@ May 25, 2006 5:51 PM in p-h calculator

I'm seeing high subcool temps and high superheat readings. Could it be a mild day or clogged cap tubes?

Sold out

@ May 23, 2006 3:45 PM in Congratulations Don

It truly will be a great day.Thanks again Professor for making this trip for all us of here,looking forward to your arrival. I'll be finishing up a wta installed tomorrow by 12 I hope. And then heading back to the shop to clean and set up for class on Thursday. Give us a ring when you arrive.

Affirmative.

@ May 21, 2006 1:10 PM in Congratulations Don

Its here and we're ready to be owned.Thats the younger crowds way of saying schooled. Just got done working on a rack system.And I sure hate how theirs no pressure taps or ball valve to isolate the other coils on the same circuit.It just stink trouble shooting a low budget install. Thanks guys!

i knew that.

@ May 17, 2006 7:40 AM in Converting Knots to CFM

Just messing with ya.Good Morning!

Wow

@ May 17, 2006 7:05 AM in Converting Knots to CFM

Did I read that right 1 to 5 inches?No wonder they only need one return.

Why?

@ May 17, 2006 6:44 AM in Why?

Ok lets hear it..What are the reason you can not install a 13seer on a older coil? I've herd...not ari rated.Can never dail in your subcool or superheat temp.Will constantly have too recover or add freon depending on season because of a refrigerant imbalance.Companys will not stand behind the warranty. And then I herd just the other day in the supply house... If you install a txv all is well.Ha. And then...you hear from other that lots of manufacturers or putting in smaller blower to get their ratings.. Then the equipment can not produce enough esp and most system are only seeing 250 to 300 cfm per ton only. Which drop the efficency even less then what was in place to began with. I'll tell you this much..I'll sure be happy to finally have pressure enthalphy in my tool bag..so I can find out for myself what the real answer are. And then!

I would

@ May 13, 2006 9:08 AM in Question regarding trade schools (GrandPAH)

like them to understand the business side of what we do as well as the basic for what they'll be working on. I mean if they had a understanding of how much it cost to run a business and why we have to charge a certain amount of money to overcome the cost..then it would make life much easier on the both of us. How many times have we had a great tech or installer think that we are charging way too much for what we do,but on the same token think they're not getting paid enough. Personally give me a newbe with the basic and some real world hands on experience and, I'll mold him into what I want him to be. Stick with the basic and we'll take them the rest of the way and teach them how to apply it in the real world. Sure it would be great to have a tech or installer who knows it all,but if that was the case he would properly be working for himself instead of one of us. Thanks for the post man of many hats..I hope to hear more from other on this subject.

Well then

@ May 13, 2006 7:52 AM in A/C won't shut off

just wait untill you come across a transformer that blown and, you install a new one and the amp draw looks good. Then you get a call three days later and find the transformer or fuse is blown again. I could tell you what would be the best fix however,we all must go thru this at least once and our life to fully understand it.So mums the word. Crazy can be a good thing sometimes.

Hello techman

@ May 13, 2006 7:45 AM in temprise

It was a mild day inside and out and it was calling for a 26 degree superheat+/_. As the Professor said he'll be coming to see us and about 12 days.Then I'll be able to do as requested and hopefully we all can share some reading and what we find this summer with each other.

And just know

@ May 13, 2006 7:29 AM in temprise

going in, that its not polite to order anything that would cause me to lose my manner and pickoff your plate. Salad, very yummy!

What kind of numbers

@ May 11, 2006 6:31 AM in temprise

are you guys seeing with all the new high eff equipment? I'm seeing saturated temps 15 degree above ambient.I'm also seeing higher superheat readings then ever before. Hmmmm.... And if I may change the subject...install a Trane gaspac yesterday and the customer was not too happy to see a piece of equipment that was bigger then her shed. I do understand all about surface area and air being able to have more area to pass thru = better efficency. I just think they could/should have done a better job on the profile. Let see now instead of us working around the flowers and bushes..I see six foot fences in the future. Your thoughts? Good morning!

liquid flood back.

@ May 10, 2006 6:45 AM in Liquid floodback

Does it take out the valves first? A system we put in last summer the compressor would not pump.Found a loose thermal bulb with only one screw and no thermal wrap on the bulb. Thats another question why are alot of company not wrapping the bulb now days?Could be they're walking over a dollar to pick up a dime? Anyway did nothing to the bulb and charge it up in ac mode in dail it in.Subcool and superheat in the safe zone. Then I flip it over to heat to see the superheat plunge to zero.Shutdown unit and tighten down the bulb and wrap it. The superheat came up and maintain around 15 degree. Darn it...that two compressor replace thus far this year under warranty.

What!!

@ May 9, 2006 7:15 AM in Lost My Contacts

Say its not so.Now come on guys do you think the Professor would let us get off so easy if we would have not found a restiction on a ac system? Hmmm..I guess I'll go out and buy you some floppy disc and when you get finish giving your class we'll start up a class on how to backup your contacts in case your computer goes down. No charge by the way..just think of it as welcome to the area,type of gift. LOL.

Drain lines

@ May 9, 2006 6:45 AM in What exactly is residential AC maintenance?

did you say? Man let me tell you a story about drain lines.I had a three story building one time that the drain would keep clogging up.Blew out the drain,pour over four gallon of water in the pan and it all appears to be draining. Get a call from the customer three days later that its clogged again.Sure enough the pan full of water in flowing into the emergency pan. Now I go looking for the cause and find that the drain line under the house is bowed before it goes outside..u shape if you will. Thinking to myself should I cut it or not knowing what going to happen.Yes I cut it and, yes I get three story worth of held up condenste coming down on me. So I bet one would think that the weight of the water should have push it up and over the hump would you not? Just for the record the system had a trap and yes I strap the drain under the house to get it going back down hill. However there was still one part of the puzzle missing as to why she did not drain and I had to add one. What did I add?

I know .

@ May 3, 2006 5:22 AM in Why \"B\" -Why M.C.--Acetelyn Tanks!

the b stand for this damn thing is a B&*%$ to carry under a house. And the mc stand for...me can carry this one much easier!!

I'm with mike

@ April 28, 2006 2:08 PM in Super heat not stabile

Superheat swing..aka hunting.It sound like the valve needs to be adjusted open.Reduce the adjustement spring pressure in this will give you a higher volume. This should help the evaporator feed be less erratic. Happy hunting..Pun intended.

Thanks everyone

@ April 24, 2006 6:10 AM in Complaint place at department of professional and occupational r

for your advice.And i agree about keeping stock on the truck however,even if I'd had it on the truck this customer would have not been happy because he has or is custom to being walk thru his problem over the phone. Here is some of Rob reply on my behalf. Dear Sir. My name is Rob Kendrick owner of Kendrick heating +cooling. State lic#&*)(%,I am writing this letter in responce to a complaint registered by Mr Duncan Wallace file# *&%$%# regarding LOwes Mechanical. Mr and Mrs Wallace has been along time customer of mine and at the time of their request for service I was not avialible that day. I refered Mr Lowe to Mr Wallace and he was hesitant to call him and said he would wait for me.He has a gas fired boiler with four seperate zones.The complaint was 1 zone wasnt heating Mr wallace is a fairly complitent man and the pass I have helped him over the phone in the past to troubleshoot various problem.During our phone conversation he told me he had just replace his Tstat with a programable stat and it would not work. I had him verifly the control wiring at the stat and could'nt remedy the problem so I agree to come out the following day. The letter goes on but it long and to keep from boring you all I will keep it short. My conclusion is the reason I was/am the bad guy here is because this customer is custom do doing thing himself and getting free advice over the phone. It like having kids if you buy them candy everytime they enter a store they expect some candy everytimg they go into a store... right? Lesson learn.

Thanks guys.

@ April 22, 2006 5:28 AM in Complaint place at department of professional and occupational r

I was more mad then I was worry.I now had time to cool off and will write my letter and explain our side of the story. I going to also forgive Mr/Mrs Wallace.After all I have no clue as to what happen in their life to make them act and treat people the way they do.

Complaint place on me at the DPOR.

@ April 21, 2006 7:32 PM in Complaint place at department of professional and occupational r

This is my first complaint place on me the nine year I've been in business. I would love to hear the wetheads comment on this to see where I went wrong. Describe the complaint. 2-24-06 I contacted our long time heating contractor,Rob Kendrick because of a heating proble.He suspected a defective zone valve+in the evaluation process the pressure relief valve was damage.Because of his involement in a large job he said he would send Don Lowe on 2-27-06 to replace the pressure relief valve at his expense.However in the interest of being fair I paid $175 of the 250 charge(I paid Rob Kendrick $75 previiously}+ Don Lowe said zone valve was ok.Unfortunately it was not + the heating problem continued.Lowes came out on 3-16-06+3-15-06 to replace the zone valve+ checked operation.He was only here 15 mintues to replace only the valve,no operation check as air persists in the system.I asked for an Itemized bill for the original $250 charge in which he refused to give.There was no need for him to come without the zonevalve thereby charging me another $85 visit charge.Further he should give a customer a receipt listing work done and charges. Thank you Duncan Wallace. Now here my side of the story. Mr Kendrick a dear friend on mine and a hvac contractor of over thirty years call and saids.... Don I have a customer that I was out on yesterday..2-23-06. And he had installed his on tstat and it was wire wrong. I wire it in properly and now he's calling about a water leak.I'm to busy do you have a chance that you can get there today and find out whats going on. I call him and said Mr Duncan this is Don Lowe with Lowes Mechanical and I can get by around 5 oclock and see what the problem is.His reply was that fine and what ever it is Rob must have broke it being he was just here yesterday. I and the help arrive at 5.30 and discover the boiler is up to 30 lb and the relief is popping.I reachup turn off the water feeder valve and go and get a hose and drain down the boiler to 15 lbs.Turn the water valve on and find that the prv is stuck ride open and is overfeeding the boiler. I explain to the customer that the needs replacing in which again I hear rob touch it so it must have broken it. He then point me to the direction of the gate valve that was also leaking at the stem and say Rob mess with that as well in must have broke it also. At this time I'm tired of hearing it so I explain to him that the valve went bad from oxygen and minerals and that that is the reason for the prv and gate valve demise.At the time I also ask when the last time it was service and got no reply. So I explain to him that I did not have a prv or the ball valve on the truck,being we dont use gate valves. And I will have to return tomorrow. Anyway I told him and he watch as we purge all zones of air and turn off the water feeder so he could have heat till we return.And that he needs to keep a eye on the pressure being we have shut off the water feeder and he has no low water cutoff on the boiler. Any way we got heat and I explain to him I would return tomorrow 2-25-06. I call him on the 2-25-26 and told him I could not make it untill the 2-27-06.His reply was that would be fine and the heat is working and the pressure is maintaining around 18 psi. 2-27-06.We arrive turn off boiler,drain boiler down installed new ball valve for the expansion tank and also installed new prv valve.Fill boiler,purge air out of all zone and check operation.While Mr wallace watch. Acouple days later he calls the shop and asked for a itemized bill the secatary looks at the invoice and said it show on the invoice of so much for parts and then it also state the labor rate.How much more itemized.And she said he hangs up. Well the 3-13-06 rolls around and we get a call from Mr Wallace saying he has no heat and the same zone that Rob work on and yes it our fault he still has a problem. I go out that very same day on 3-13-06 and discover that the zone in question that the zone valve end switch was intemitted and not bringing in the circulator or the boiler. And that being you have three other zones valve on it was proper the reason Rob did not catch it was because the other zone were keeping in the circ and boiler. Ths the reason for heat some time and other time not. We return on 3-15-06 and replace the zone valve and Mr Wallace was on a trip to another state playing gulf and we gave Mrs Duncan the bill.Who also just like her husband say she thought it was high way robbery that i would charge a additional 298 dollars for only 15 mintues of work. I acourse explain to her I made a trip out here on the 3-13-06.I also had to pickup the valve at the supply house and that I have overhead that is also figure in to run my business. Her reply was well, I still dont think it right you charge that much money.However in the same sentence she asked would I be willing to clean and service her ac equipment when it comes time.And I reply yes. Now here I get home from a hard days work to find a letter from the DPOR..that I need to address this complaint with them before 5-8-06. And Mr Wallace if you are reading this post..I just want to say I'm glad Rob had you as customer instead of Lowes Mechanical all these years. Because if I had to depend on customer like you then I would give up and go to work for Mickey Ds.