What is Working As an HVAC Specialist Like?

A career in Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) can be interesting and lucrative. For most jobs in this arena, you will experience helping people on a daily basis who very much appreciate the work you do, although they may complain about the cost of your services. Here is an overview of what it means to take an HVAC career path.

Typically, 2 years worth of technical classes are required as a minimum for this industry. The real trick though, is getting a company to hire you on as an apprentice. It is the common "Catch-22" of companies that will not hire you unless you have experience, so how are you supposed to get experience? Usually your foot in the door will be with a company who is so busy that they need installers to do heavy lifting.

You can then parlay one to two years of experience there into getting a technical service job. The money for this position will be better and the physical work will be easier, although the hours may be worse. The end goal should be to own your own company outright. The biggest profits are in the sales of the units and being able to keep all of a $100-$400 service call fee.

Do the math on 8 calls at $200 each per day and you can start to see some real money. Of course you will have a truck you will have to buy, along with some equipment and you will be exposed to liability. Still, build up a customer base with service contracts and you will never worry about a recession again.

In the field of HVAC, if you broaden your outlook, you will find pockets of available positions. Beyond being a service technician, you can be employed as an HVAC mechanic at a Heating and Air Conditioning manufacturing company. You can also become an HVAC project consultant on commercial jobs, a refrigeration construction foreman or specialize in Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning design.

In the coming years, you can find opportunities in the air conditioning requirements of commercial aviation and marine vessels. There are all sorts of specialty refrigeration requirements in industry which require the services of an experienced HVAC technician. These include the food industry, medical industry, and specialty manufacturing industries.

Heating and Air Conditioning service people install, repair and maintain the systems to heat and cool the interior space of residential, office and industrial buildings. They also work on specialty refrigeration units and industrial heating units. The equipment involved includes fans, motors, compressors, thermostats, tubing, ductwork and electronic and electrical controls. You will have to learn the systems in the marketplace and how to diagnose problems and repair them on site. You will also have to understand insulation and heat loss prevention.

You may find yourself specializing in only one type of system. For example, the company for which you work may only do solar panels. It is important that you are mechanically strong, as well as, good with people, because if you do residential work, you will deal with the public every day.

The work will involve some extremely busy times and you will most likely be working extended and odd hours during the start-up of summer and winter and during the extremes of summer and winter. Your vacations will likely have to be in March and late September.

HVAC is a solid career for which there will always be a need. However, working in 120 degree attics and 5 degree crawlspaces is not much fun, but comes with the territory. If you can put up with this discomfort and work towards owning your own company, you can have a rewarding career and genuinely help people with their heating, ventilating and air conditioning needs when they need it most.

Selecting The Central Air Conditioning Your House Needs

Central air conditioning qualifies as the modern age's peak of indoor climate control luxury for the warmer months (or for permanently hot climates such as those found in the American Southwest or Australia's interior). At the touch of a button, you can send cool, refreshing air flooding almost silently into any room of your house, or the whole interior.

In short, you will remain cool and comfortable even if the heat and sunlight outside is enough to make the paint on your home's exterior blister and bring molten tar bubbling out of cracks in the driveway. However, most people who buy a central air conditioning system do so with little knowledge of properly scaling the equipment to their abode, and thus end up paying more than they need to for their summer relief.

Size matters with central air

Several different types of size need to be considered when you are having central air installed in your home, or if you are thinking of replacing an aging system that has served former homeowners (or you) well for many years. In the case of the system as a whole, you do not necessarily want the biggest that you can find. You want to install central air that is of optimum size, not maximum size.

Unless your home is a sprawling villa with fifteen rooms overlooking the hotter portions of Death Valley, you do not need the largest central air conditioner you can find. Consult closely with the installation professionals to get a system that meets your needs rather than exceeding them.

Not only are large systems superfluous and excessively costly, but they suffer from "overkill" - they cool the air so quickly that they shut on and off rapidly, over and over again, because of their thermostat readings in your rooms. This uses more electricity than a smaller unit that runs for a time, then shuts off for a time. Furthermore, this constant, rapid switching on and off will quickly wear out the mechanism, leading to maintenance problems and early, expensive replacement.

Fortunately, there are many high quality small and medium sized central air units on the market today, allowing you choose the one best fitted to efficiently cool your house with maximum comfort and minimum cost. The size of ducts also needs to be calculated properly for the volume of your rooms and their distance from the central unit.

Energy Star central air

The prudent purchaser of central air will not only consider how much cooling their house really needs and scale their purchase to that measure, but will also seek out Energy Star certified central air conditioners when possible. These models have been federally tested and use up to 30% less energy than their standard counterparts - giving you full comfort at a thrifty cost in terms of your power bill.

Whole House Air Cleaning Systems: They're Better Than Room Air Purifiers, and Could Save You Money!

On the surface, a whole house air cleaner system can seem like a big investment. However, buying one whole house air cleaner is far cheaper (and more effective) than buying an air purifier for each room. With a whole house system, you can rest assured that you, your family and guests have clean air in every room-for a lot less.

Good room air purifiers often cost $500-700 each, and each will have a set of filters to replace. With a whole house air cleaner, you can spend $1000-1500 or so and have superior air cleaning in every room, and ONE set of filters to replace. BINGO! That makes sense.

Not to mention, just the savings from fewer allergy and asthma medication purchases are often enough to pay for the air purification system. In fact, one of the best home remedies for asthma and allergies is to install a whole house air cleaner system in your home, a purifier that attaches to the furnace or air conditioner. When all of the air in your home is free of dust, mold, bacteria, viruses, and other things that are often asthma triggers, you sleep better and overall, feel better every day.

Installing an A/C mounted air filtration system also means less house cleaning and mopping, which means fewer cleaning product purchases, too! And, most whole house air cleaners are actually portable--just unbolt the components from your central air conditioning system when you move!

All whole house air cleaners are not the same, however. There are some air purification systems that use ozone, which causes problems for humans, so stay away from those. The best whole house air cleaners feature a true HEPA filter to remove over 99% of allergy/asthma triggering particles, activated carbon to remove chemicals and odors, and UV or ultraviolet light for extra protection from bacteria, viruses, and mold. For the best, most complete air cleaning in your home, install UV or UVC / ultraviolet lamps in the ducts as well as attaching an air cleaner system to the furnace. That way you have effective filtration and germicidal UV lamps to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold.

How To Choose A Whole House Air Cleaner: First, make sure the filtration system / purifier has a HEPA filter, activated carbon to remove odors/chemicals, and UV light to kill bacteria, viruses, and mold. Second, make sure the UV bulbs are 36 watt bulbs-any less wattage will not be as effective as an air cleaner. Again, for best results, attach a home air purification system / purifier to your furnace or air conditioner and install a dual-bulb duct-mounted UV air cleaner. Third, regarding the price, consider having to purchase about 50% less medications and cleaning products and deduct that yearly amount from the price. You might find that the A/C mounted system is actually quite affordable.

So do your health a favor, and save some money--consider buying a whole house air filtration system, instead of several room air purifiers. You'll save a lot of money, and you'll feel the difference.

If you have any questions, please see the author box below.

To Your Health,

Rex Murphy

HVAC For Commercial Buildings - Types of Available Air Units

HVAC systems perform heating and cooling for residential and commercial buildings. They are also sometimes used to pull in fresh air as a way to dilute contaminants in the air. These contaminants can be odors, organic compounds, chemicals, or other items. When properly maintained, these systems create a comfortable environment in any building where they are used. Many commercial businesses use HVAC systems that have been installed by an industrial air conditioning service because they are reliable and efficient. When installed by a professional, they can reduce energy costs for a company. There are many types of commercial HVAC units available for both residential and commercial use.

A cooling only split-system consists of two pieces. The indoor unit contains the supply fan, cooling coil, and an expansion device. It handles air flow throughout the building. A condensing unit is located outside. The condensing unit houses the compressor and the condenser coil. These systems are often found in homes and small commercial buildings. They have one of the highest energy efficiency ratings of all types of air units. Another form of heating must be used with a split-system such as electric heating.

A cooling only packaged-system has all components of the split system, but in one casing. It is placed on the outside of the building. Air is sent to the system through air ducts and then sent back as cool air by a distribution system. They also require a separate heating method just as the split-system.

Another form of HVAC for commercial buildings is the heat pump. They are much like a cooling only system but have the ability to reverse the refrigeration cycle. This type of system can cool and heat indoor air. Sometimes an electric resistance heater can be used to help at lower temperatures. Heat pump systems need a period of time to defrost in colder temperatures. The electric heater must be used to heat the building while the pump is defrosting. Heat pump units are sold as both split and packaged units.

Another option when it comes to HVAC for commercial buildings is a chilled water system. These types of commercial HVAC systems have water pumped all through the building. Water coils cool the water. A cooling plant or chiller plant must be used to transform cold water to cool air. This transition is performed by special heat exchangers located in various spots of the building.

The most commonly used type of air conditioners is the split or package cooling only units. These are fairly easy to install and do not require special equipment or facilities to run. With the proper maintenance, cooling only systems remain efficient and effective for many years. Contact an industrial air conditioning service to determine the type and size of system that will work best for your business facilities. They can give you an estimate based on your needs and general installation costs. Once the system is installed, be sure to have them perform maintenance on it every year to ensure the air unit has a long and productive life.

Cooling Homes and Offices With Central Air Conditioning System

Most offices prefer installing central air conditioning systems than the single AC unit in each room or space in the environment. These units allow a person or business to have an environment that is constant in temperature, this keeps the entire environment at a constant level.

Installation

Hence, it has become a way of life for most people to install the systems in homes, offices, eateries, cinemas, shopping complexes and factories. A cool environment is preferred over a hot or humid one for better functioning which increases the productivity of the workers. Hence, most productivity environments would install systems to enhance the productivity of the workers to reap higher revenue.

Preferences

Most productivity environments or big properties such as shopping complexes and factories prefer to install a central system as this has more benefits over the single unit systems. One benefit is that the air is dehumidified with less electricity consumption.

Another benefit with a central air conditioning system is that greater control over the environment's temperature is achieved within the building itself to prevent wastage which leads to higher efficiency in operation, as compared to single units. Single unit air conditioners tend to consume more electricity with a higher level of control difficulty as one cannot ensure that the users of the space are present while the unit is switched on. Many like to leave the air conditioning unit on to keep the space cool even when no one is present.

Split units

Most central air conditioning systems operate through the split unit system where there are 2 parts by which the cool air is compressed and condensed by an evaporator. The first portion of this split unit is installed outside the building, either on the outside walls of most residential homes and on the commercial building's rooftops. There are controls which allow one to adjust the temperature inside the building at various locations or space.

This flexibility allows a central air conditioning system to function like the single unit systems but with lower electricity consumption and less disturbances. If you are planning to install a central air conditioning system, it is advisable to hire a professional technician on air conditioning systems to do a good job for you to ensure the best functionality of the unit.

How to Take Care of Your Carrier Gas Furnace

If you own a carrier furnace then you know just how popular this company is. Boasted to be one' of America's largest and leading manufacturers of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems (HVAC) makes this company a recognized authority on gas furnaces. With over 43,000 employees working in 170 countries all over the world and selling fast moving consumables that everyone needs is probably why this company makes about $13.5 Billion dollars a year. Consumers trust in this brand because their carrier furnaces are highly efficient, very modern and all furnaces comes with a remarkable warranty that far exceeds other brands in the market.

With a market as competitive as it is when it comes to heating you can be rest assured that you money is well invested. People want quality but some of their models tend to be quite pricey and as with all machines and that involve moving parts especially ones that deal with heat and oil, you'll come across problems sooner or later. These problems usually mean that you need to repair or replace whichever parts are damaged or faulty.

There are two options open to you. It is best advised to do both of these things. The one involves learning how to troubleshoot problems as they arise and taking care of the problem yourself. The other point involves that you also buy extra carrier furnace parts, so that when you're faced with a dilemma, you can hopefully quickly and easily resolve the situation. By doing this you're not just taking care of your carrier gas furnace but you're also prolonging it's lifespan by weeks and even months. Proper care of gas furnaces can stretch their lifespan by up to 5 years in some cases.

Some of the most frequent problems you'll encounter with your carrier furnace are:

• Oil burner can't start - Troubleshoot this buy looking for a blown fuse or any faulty circuit breakers. Sometimes the motor over-loads so wait for thirty minutes and press the reset button.

• The Furnace won't fire up - This is common among other brands. The first step is to check if the tank is empty and refill it if it is. If after this you can't see an ignition spark then use the reset button on the stack control panel.

• Not enough Heat- Start by looking if the thermostat is set to 5簞, and adjust if necessary. In rare cases you'll find that the blower is to blame by being clogged and dirty. Cleaning this should sort it out. Also check and clean the air filter if it seems blocked up.

• Noise - Start by looking for any loose parts or screws and adjust where you see fit. Blower and fan belts cause a lot of squeaking noises so lubricate with belt dresser or replace.

Looking after your carrier gas furnace will prevent it from having frequent hang-ups, especially during those cold winter months. Always call a professional if you find that you can't solve the problem with your carrier furnace and also be safety conscious.

Making Your Air Conditioner Last Longer

Air conditioners are not cheap. You definitely do not want to be buying a new one every year or so. A bit of preventive work can make them last.

One of the biggest problems with most air conditioning units made today is that they are tough, and well built. This may not seem like much of a problem, but what happens is that most home owners become very complacent about their air conditioners. They continue to run and run year after year, and many people tend to worry little about them as long as the air is cool and comfortable. The truth is that without routine maintenance, a normal air conditioning unit loses about 5% of its efficiency each year. This means that within a short time your powerful SEER 13 unit is working more like an older SEER 8.

A good air conditioner can last 15 years, or even longer, with just routine maintenance. It will also operate at its rated capacity for most of that period. Much of the maintenance that is required to keep your unit up to snuff is inexpensive and easy to perform. The first step is to make routine inspections of your unit to discover any potential problems. The best time to perform any air conditioner maintenance is a little bit before it is needed. Check all hoses for leaks and make sure the condensate tube is draining freely.

Filters are critical to the proper and economical operation of the air conditioning unit. They should be inspected often and changed or cleaned monthly. This is even more important during the summer months when there is a higher level of dust and pollutants in the air, and, of course, the units are running more frequently. Other methods of insuring maximum air flow through the system include cleaning and vacuuming of the registers and air vents. You should also insure that furniture and drapes are not blocking registers.

The outside compressor should be cleaned with a hose. Plantings should be kept at least a foot away, and grass and weeds should be trimmed to insure adequate air flow around the unit. Remove any debris from the fan area. During the winter months, the compressor should be covered. It is also a good idea to remove any window air conditioners during the winter, and store them until they are again needed. A yearly tune up of your air conditioner by a certified technician can cost between $50 and $100, but can result in as much as a 5% reduction in yearly operating cost.

You can also increase the life of your air conditioner by finding ways to not have to use it. Programmable thermostats can regulate temperature to decrease use at night or when the house is vacant. Simple things like ceiling fans or attic ventilation fans can reduce the demand on the air conditioner. Even planting trees to increase shade or using drapes over windows facing the sun can help. Reduction of use combined with proper maintenance can increase the life span of any air conditioner. One important safety consideration is to make sure that all power is turned off to the air conditioner before performing any maintenance.