Page 57 - The Connection Warren-Watchung Edition September 2012

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•Additions

•Kitchens

•Basements

•Decks&More

HEATING & COOLING EQUIPMENT

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COMPLIMENTARY HEATING AND

AIR CONDITIONING ANALYSIS!

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I’ve been told that my heating and cooling

system is old and I should replace it. Are there

any simple things I can do myself to determine

how well it’s working?

– Bill, Warren

Bill, that’s a great question and the answer is

“yes.” If you can read a thermometer and

humidity gauge, then you’re already there.

The tips below are useful for a basic system

check. Consult with a local expert for a detailed

During Heating Season

To test if your equipment is heating properly, get

yourself a pocket thermometer such as the Taylor

model 5989N. This item costs around $5.

During a cold winter’s day and with the system

running for at least 15 minutes, insert the stem

of the thermometer into various supply registers

around your home and record the temperatures.

Your registers closest to the furnace should read

from 110-115°F. The most distant registers

should read no less than 100-105°F.

If many of your readings are below 100 degrees,

your furnace may be generating too little heat

for your home, there may be excessive cold air

infiltration into the ductwork, or the fan blower

speed may be set too high for the heating mode.

The equipment itself

If many of your readings are over 115°F, your fur-

nace may be oversized for your home, may have

the gas inlet set too high, or there may be too lit-

tle air flow through the furnace, possibly due to

a clogged filter.

If all of your registers are between 105-115°F,

but the house remains uncomfortable, it may not

be the equipment malfunctioning, but rather

excessive air infiltration around doors, windows,

and heat loss through a leaky attic or basement.

Sealing the house against outside air infiltration

and beefing up insulation may resolve the issue.

A consultation with an energy efficiency expert

During Cooling Season

During the summer, high humidity is the bane of

the cooling system. Temperature, humidity, and

air flow through the equipment all affect system

Air conditioners must condense moisture vapor

(humidity) from the air before it can be cooled,

consuming a large percentage of its capacity. The

more humid the air, the more moisture must con-

dense out before it cools, reducing how much

the air temperature is lowered.

Many people presume their older equipment

isn’t working simply because the system strug-

gles to cool the house during the summer. In

reality, new equipment may not perform any bet-

ter in the home unless the home is properly ana-

lyzed for its heating load, air tightness, and duct

With just a little know-how, you can make some

basic measurements to determine whether or

not your equipment is working.

All that is required are two instruments. The first

is the pocket thermometer. The second is a

hygrometer (a.k.a. relative humidity gauge).

Exo Terra’s model PT2466 retails for about $7.

First, determine the relative humidity in the

home. Set your thermostat to 75°F and place the

hygrometer near it. Humidity levels change very

slowly, so it may take some time to get a stable

reading. Allow the house to cool to 75°F.

50% relative humidity is considered comfortable

at 75°F. If your system is working properly, your

hygrometer should be reading between 45-55%

relative humidity.

If the humidity remains above 55%, or if the

house never reaches the 75°F, the problem may

not lie with your equipment. There may be an

excessive amount of air infiltration into the home

from the outside. Sealing leaks at windows and

doors might be all you need to do. A consulta-

tion with an expert is a good idea.

In our region, when the temperature outside

exceeds 90°F, it is not uncommon for cooling

equipment to run continuously throughout the

Once at 75°F and while the system is still run-

ning, measure several register temperatures

using the pocket thermometer. Next, compute

the temperature difference between 75°F and

the average temperature of the registers. This is

known as the “split temperature difference”

across the system.

If the difference is less than 17°, there may be a

problem but not necessarily with the equipment.

Several causes for low split temperature include:

Air moving too quickly through the evaporator

coil, incorrect level of refrigerant charge, and

excessive heat being absorbed in the ductwork.

Correcting one or more of these problems may

solve the low split. Speaking with an expert

would make sense.

If the split is between 18-23°, your system is

functioning properly and replacement is likely

unnecessary. Your home should feel comfort-

able, even if the equipment is running continu-

ously, especially if it is very hot outside.

If the split exceeds 23°, your system may be over-

sized for your home. Being oversized is not an

equipment problem unto itself, but it does con-

tribute to higher energy bills, hot and cold spots

within the home, and can contribute to mold

growth within the ductwork. Again, an expert’s

opinion might be helpful.

Like taking one’s blood pressure and tempera-

ture measurements to assess one’s health, the

measurements described above can indicate the

basic operation of your heating and cooling

equipment before jumping to the conclusion

that it’s time to replace it, regardless of its age.

About the Author

: Mr. Pincus is the owner of “Around

Your House LLC.” The Warren, NJ based company is state

registered (#13VH00930100), EPA Lead-Safe Certified

(#NAT-26396-1), and insured. Mr. Pincus holds both a

Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters

Degree in Engineering Management. He is universally

licensed in refrigeration (EPA #588485303780) and is a

Lead-Free Certified Remodeler (EPA #R-I-18342-10-

01131). For more information call 732-748-0294 or email

at apincus@ayhllc.com.

Send Us Your Questions:

Submit your questions to

AskTheContractor@ayhllc.com and your question may be

answered in a future edition of “Ask The Contractor.”

IS YOUR HEATING AND

COOLING EQUIPMENT SICK?

TAKE ITS TEMPERATURE TO FIND OUT.

By: Allan Pincus

The Connections NJ