The Best of Extra Edition: Nov. 17, 2014
At www.achrnews.com, The NEWS’ Extra Edition page is home to hundreds of online-exclusive service and maintenance, technical, and business-management articles. Here are some of the best.
Btu Buddy 12: Tackling Low Airflow with Electric Heat
Bob gets a call from the dispatcher about an office that has electric heat. It’s very cold outside, and one of the office zones is not heating as it should. It’s 62°F in that zone. Bob arrives and finds the zone temperature is now about 60°, and the personnel are very uncomfortable. Bob goes to the equipment room and finds a blueprint of the building and discovers there are about 10 electric heaters. Each zone has an air handler, so they are all the same.
Btu Buddy 13: A Lunch Seminar with Bob and Btu Buddy
Bob and Btu Buddy met at the local diner for lunch to discuss their last service call. After their meal, Btu Buddy said: “Now that we’ve had lunch, let’s have a cup of coffee and talk about electric heat and the components that operate it. The first thing you must realize is there is a lot energy being dissipated with electric heat. The reason for this energy release at the heaters, instead of at the wires entering, is management of electrical resistance in the electric circuit.”
HVAC Instructors Stress Safety
One thing all HVAC instructors agree upon is that one of the most important things they teach is safety. As one instructor noted, it goes beyond wearing safety glasses and the proper gloves. A technician must be aware of the danger, not just from electricity, but from other risks on the job including ventilation, caustic chemicals, and contact with a refrigerant. There’s a lot to be aware of. All the instructors interviewed agreed that technician safety is a combination of education and equipment.
Ten Ways to Make Facilities More Energy Efficient
Businesses of all sizes are challenged to improve their bottom lines. Some choose to do more with less; other options include resizing, cutting expenditures, and more efficient spending. One of the best, yet overlooked, ways to improve the bottom line is employing energy-efficiency measures within a facility to decrease energy expenditures. Contractors can recommend that businesses adopt these 10 steps to make their facilities more energy efficient, decrease energy expenditures, and support environmental stewardship.
Publication date: 11/17/2014
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