Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
HVAC Distribution
Systems
Open
Openreturn
return
Draft
Drafthood
hood
(open
(openat
atbottom)
bottom)
Atmospheric
Gas Furnace
Find the:
1. Circulating fan
2. Air filter
3. Cold air return
4. Heat exchanger
5. Warm air to house
Test methods:
Damaged
Damagedareaareaofof
1. Visual inspection heat
heatexchanger
exchanger
2. Inspection with small torch
3. CO reading
4. Wavering flame
5. Tracer gas
ItIt is
is often
often necessary
necessary to to remove
remove duct
duct
insulation
insulation to to properly
properly seal
seal ducts.
ducts.
Seal
Seal withwith mastic,
mastic, then
then re-insulate.
re-insulate.
Photos courtesy of NRCERT
The thermostat
activates the burner
on a furnace.
Balancing
Balancing damper
damper
Motorized
Motorized dampers
dampers are
are
uncommon.
uncommon. Motorized dampers are
used for zoning a
ducted distribution
system, rather than for
balancing.
Diagnostics include:
• Pressure pan (duct leakage).
• Duct blower (duct leakage).
• Static pressure.
• Temperature rise.
• Room-to-room pressure differences (door restrictions).
• Air handler blower CFM flow.
Total: 10.7 Pa
pressurization
testing to quantify:
• Total duct leakage
(to indoors and
outdoors).
• Duct leakage
to outdoors.
Duct
Duct blaster
blaster
Photo courtesy of The Energy Conservatory
Master
Bedroom
Utility Room Kitchen
Living Room
Bedroom Bath
Photo courtesy of
PA Weatherization Training Center
Solutions
1. Undercut door.
2. Add jumper duct.
3. Add door grille.
4. Add wall grille.
5. Add transfer grille.
6. Install return in
affected room.
Find the size of the free vent area of your solution by opening the door while the
air handler is running. When the manometer reading falls below 3 Pa, measure
the in2 of door opening. This is the in2 of free opening for your solution.
Magnet
Magnet
Point the tip into the air stream Static pressure tip
If the static pressure is too high, the fan flow will drop.
The temperature
rise for this example
is 70:
Measures airflow
in residential
air handlers
#20
#14
Photos courtesy of The Energy Conservatory
Analysis
Interviewof Existing about
occupants Ductwork -1
the thermal comfort of the
existing system.
Ask about:
• Uncomfortable rooms.
• Excessive noise.
• Frequent cycling
of furnace.
Plumbing
Plumbing through
through return
return duct!
duct!
Photo courtesy of R. Karg
• Restricted returns.
• Panned floor joists.
• Ducts in unconditioned
spaces.
Photo courtesy of R. Karg
• Balancing dampers. Photo courtesy of R. Karg
Good design:
• Provides conditioning to meet all room heating loads.
• Provides thermal comfort evenly in all conditioned
rooms.
• Heats the dwelling quietly.
Based on graphic from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, Inc.
Damper
Damper fin
fin
water.
49 | WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM STANDARDIZED CURRICULUM – December 2012 eere.energy.gov
Hot Water Distribution Controls
HVAC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
Thermostat
Circulator pump(s)
Zone valves
Aquastat
An aquastat:
1. Maintains boiler water
temperature.
2. Provides high-limit
temperature protection.
3. Will not allow circulator
to operate if boiler
water temperature is
too low.
Air
Air bleeder
bleeder vent
vent
Expansion
Expansion tank
tank
A good design:
Pressuretrol
Pressuretrol
(pressure
(pressurecontrol)
control)
Sight
Sightglass
glass
Low-water
Low-watercutoff
cutoff
Oil
Oilburner
burner
Photo courtesy of R. Karg
Low-water
Low-watercutoff
cutoff
Steam travels to
each radiator,
condenses (giving
off heat), and flows
back to the boiler
through the same
pipe as condensed
Graphic based on Basic Steam Heating Systems, Hoffman Specialty, ITT
Industries, 1999, p. 2, www.hoffmanspecialty.com.
water.
If one- or two-pipe
radiators don’t heat up,
the supply valve may be
closed or the air
Supply
valve may be blocked.
Supply valve
valve
Air
Air valve
valve
Two-pipe radiator
Steam pressure is
often set too high.
This can cause
distribution problems
and wastes energy.
maximize efficiency.
High pressure can cause distribution problems and
waste energy.