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Btu Buddy 54: A Cooling Tower Starved for Water
Bob receives a call from the dispatcher to go to an office building that has a 100-ton system that is water-cooled. With the help of Btu Buddy, he finds that the water level in the cooling tower is low. They check the water fill circuit and discover a kink in the copper pipe.
by Bill Johnson
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Beating the Heat
When you energize a motor, you get two
outputs: a desirable one (work) and one that is not so desirable (heat).
Equipped with this knowledge, you can understand why one of the
criteria you must consider when selecting a motor for an application is the
effect of operating temperatures on that motor.
by Neil Simon
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Btu Buddy 53: Helping on a 100°F Day
The temperature is 102° outside. The complaint is from a car dealership. The showroom temperature is 85° and the dealer is having a big sale the next day. Bob finds the a/c unit is already doing all it can. Btu Buddy shows Bob some tricks to get more out of the system.
by Bill Johnson
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Chiller Maintenance
The chiller maintenance tool that contributes most to a chiller’s overall efficiency is the daily log. An accurate daily log will provide a daily snapshot of the chiller’s operating characteristics and make abnormal conditions easy to spot.
by Mike Taitano
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Btu Buddy 52: Topping Off the Charge for a TXV System
In this installment of the Btu Buddy series, Bob and Btu Buddy meet on another job that has a low charge. This unit has a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV). They determine the evaporator is starved for refrigerant and check to see why.
by Bill Johnson
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Fixing a Noisy Indoor Unit
Noisy indoor unit complaints usually fall into one of six different categories. Problems include a loose, broken, or out of balance blower wheel. Here is a discussion of possible causes and items to check.
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Cooling Tower Safety and Maintenance
Aligning cooling tower debris management and water treatment procedures is key to a company’s worker health and safety, the company’s reputation, and operational efficiency.
by Randy Simmons
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A Review of the Refrigeration Cycle
This article discusses the refrigeration cycle, highlighting the various components — compressor, condenser, metering device, and evaporator — and the flow of refrigerant through the system.
by Mike Taitano
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Air Conditioning Start-Up Checklist
This convenient a/c start-up checklist from the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co. has been designed to help maximize reliability, economy, and fuel conservation in the operation of air conditioning equipment.
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Btu Buddy 48: Grounded Compressor Motor
In this installment of the Btu Buddy series, a customer calls and says his heat pump is not running. Bob finds that the compressor is shorted to ground.
by Bill Johnson
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Things the Motor Nameplate Does Not Tell You
When choosing a replacement motor, you can often use the motor's nameplate to help you in making the selection, but a nameplate doesn't always provide you with everything you need to know.
by Neil Simon
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Is It the Drive, the Motor, or the Load?
In troubleshooting situations involving a motor,
more than half the battle is simply isolating the problem. So when problems arise, how can you tell if it
is the drive, the motor, or the load? Here are a few tips.
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Btu Buddy 46: Air in a Hot Water Heating System
In this installment of the Btu Buddy series, the dispatcher sends Bob to a motel that is five stories high with the complaint that the top floor does not have any heat. Bob discovers air in the hot water heating system.
by Bill Johnson
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Commercial Refrigerator Troubleshooting
Here are some tips for your next commercial refrigerator troubleshooting call. This article provides tips for various conditions, including handling a unit that’s dead, that’s freezing up, or that might have a compressor problem.
by Mike Taitano
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Btu Buddy 45: Grounded Electric Heat Coil Causes Fan to Run
In this edition of the Btu Buddy series, Bob goes on a call where a heat pump indoor fan motor is coming on from time to time even when the thermostat is off. He finds that a grounded heat coil is causing the intermittent fan operation.
by Bill Johnson
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Btu Buddy 44: Stolen Outdoor Unit for a Heat Pump
In this installment of the Btu Buddy series, Bob finds that a small retail store using a heat pump has had the outside unit stolen, most likely for the copper. He then moves on replacing the unit and preventing this from happening again.
by Bill Johnson
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HVAC Service Tips for New Technicians
This article, written by an industry veteran, provides some general HVAC service techniques picked up over the years. It’s designed to help technicians who are just starting out in the trade.
by Mike Taitano
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Btu Buddy 43: A Smoking Oil Furnace
In this edition of the Btu Buddy series, a customer smells smoke coming from her oil furnace. Bob checks it out and finds that the furnace is not drafting. He inspects the chimney and discovers an obstruction.
by Bill Johnson
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Fan and System Troubleshooting
This article is a guide for identifying the most common problems encountered in fans and air-handling systems. This is often an “art” and not a “science” because many problems are subtle and hard to diagnose.
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