Airflow rates are critical in a high-efficiency heating or air conditioning installation, and who better to explain the intricacies than Ralph Adams? As Education Co-Chairman of the National Association of Oil & Energy Service Professionals and Service Manager at Parker Fuel Co., in Ellicott City, Md., Adams has taught duct design and airflow issues to hundreds of technicians.
He lays down the rules of airflow management in an in-depth piece now posted on Oil & Energy Online. Here is an excerpt:
“The Department of Energy (DOE) did a study that found most duct systems are between 60 to 70 percent efficient. That means we are losing 30 to 40 percent of our system efficiency in our duct system. This also means that if you are selling your customers high-efficiency heating and cooling systems without looking at the delivery system, you are not delivering the efficiency that the homeowner is expecting from the equipment – and from you. Instead you are letting them down and probably setting them up for chronic system problems down the road.”
Adams goes on to discuss heat load calculations, commissioning reports, airflow testing, and offering the customer options. If you or your technicians have been replacing too many compressors and heat exchangers in recent years, please check out the article and learn how to manage airflow for high-efficiency equipment.
