#usually when something is called fuel performance its either a gas additive or a powder so full of protein it turns your piss into crystals

[henchmaxxing]

Good news guys, they make goth rope now, for in case you need to dock a goth boat

[northwest-nest]

A Winter Warm Up

We didn’t know.  Seems crazy, but we had no idea.

Our furnace and AC were working.  We were consistent about having our furnace serviced annually.  At each time of service, the service technician would find "something", which was always different from the last technician.  (I don't think there was malice.  I think they, too, didn't know.)

Then Darrick came to look at our furnace.  Low and behold, we were missing an entire part that is required to make the heat pump work.  Darrick diagnosed the problem and fixed it in one short visit.  Now, our heat pump does its job, and our furnace does its job.  (And our propane bill has dropped. Dramatically.)

The moral of the story is that HVAC is complicated.  In fact, so complicated, that technicians are often overwhelmed too.  Darrick Philp has started a new business consulting with HVAC companies to improve them.  He is helping improve the industry - starting in the Puget Sound! 

Darrick’s expertise left me wondering why do builders put furnaces in the ceiling and how does a heat pump work.  So I had to ask Darrick Philp, founder of Refined Consulting Group to give us the scoop.

Q and A with Darrick Philp:

Tell me a little bit about you.  (How long have you been doing this line of work? How did you get started? Why do you enjoy it?) I have been in the Heating and Air Conditioning business for over 20 years in all capacities. In my early 20’s I was hired by a local company as a service technician. I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many great people every day. It is hard to have a bad day when everyone you meet is happy to see you and pretty thrilled you are able to fix their problem and provide options to improve their health, comfort, safety, and system reliability. I have been a field trainer for new technicians desiring a career in the Heating and Air Conditioning industry. I eventually moved into management roles and business training roles that allowed me the opportunity to coach and educate companies nationally. It is my greatest passion to see homeowners receive great service from companies they can trust, and service based companies succeed in providing high level service to their clients based on industry best practices.

What is the most common mistake you see homeowners making?  (The list of things you see regularly when you arrive at someone's home.) It is easy for most homeowners to enjoy the heating and cooling produced by their comfort equipment and forget that it is there and requires maintenance to continue to perform without breakdowns. Regular service and maintenance of your heating and cooling equipment will ensure a much longer life. A homeowner will also enjoy significant savings on their gas and electric bill from a well-maintained system. Clean burners, clean filters, lubricated motors, clean fans, and sealed combustion and exhaust systems are just a few of the maintenance items that significantly increase the safety, efficiency, comfort and reliability of the system. Homeowners will also receive invaluable information and advice based on their specific system and home from a trained professional. Advice on topics such as; what filtration is best, how to balance airflow throughout your home, what is the benefit of a programmable thermostat, are their better control options, or what system types are most efficient.

What is a heat pump? How is it different from Air Conditioning/Furnace? Is there anything a home owner needs to do to maintain it? When considering the most efficient heating methods, heat pumps inevitably become part of the conversation. A heat pump is very similar to an air conditioner with one added option. While an air conditioner moves hot air from inside your home to the outside in the summer, a heat pump has the added capability of extracting “heat” from the outside, and “pumping” it into your home in the winter. Because a heat pump is moving heat from one place to another, and not necessarily creating heat, like a furnace may by burning fuel, it is a very efficient way to heat your home. In most cases, depending on the cost of electricity in your area, it is much more efficient than natural gas and propane options, and always more efficient than a standard electric air handler. Annual service is still required by the manufacturer, just like a furnace. Keeping the coils clean, lubricating motors, checking and balancing refrigerant levels, and clearing condensate drains are some of the maintenance items performed by a service company to keep your system operating at its best.

Why are builders putting furnaces in the attic? Attic installations for heating equipment are becoming more popular these days. With builders desiring to create the most usable square footage in the home, moving the heating equipment out of sight makes way for a nice coat closet or powder room. Unfortunately, for most homeowners, this perpetuates the forgotten heating system problem. Access can be challenging for your service company, and there are added risks involved in moving around in an attic. A few things to remember if you are contemplating a home with a heating and cooling system in the attic are: ease of access, a solid platform and pathway to the unit from the access point, adequate lighting and electrical outlets near the unit, and remote filter placement so you as a homeowner aren’t forced to climb into your attic every 1-3 months to clean or replace your filters.

Is there anything a home owner needs to do to maintain electric heat? As heating systems go, electric air handlers are the least complex. It is still very important to keep them maintained. With the high consumption of electricity, they are prone to electrical shorts and burnt wiring that can lead to other, more serious problems. Fans accumulate dirt over time, and motors typically require lubrication. Unlike gas heat, an electric air handler can have many problems internally, and still produce heat. When a homeowner calls for no heat on an electric furnace, it is typically from a more catastrophic failure after multiple other failures have already occurred. For example; 1 of 4 electric heat strips can burn out, a sequencer (control device) can fail for one of the remaining 3 elements, and the wiring can overheat and burn off on a 3rd element. With mild weather the system will continue to operate in a very unsafe manner until either the blower motor fails, or the final element fails to function. Other than a longer run cycle, a homeowner may be unaware there are significant problems with their system. A regular maintenance can help avoid major problems, and help keep the equipment running at the lowest cost possible.

What maintenance should a home owner do to maintain their HVAC equipment? Between annual or semi-annual maintenance, homeowners can contribute significantly to the efficiency, comfort and extended life of their heating and cooling equipment. Airflow is the most important component to efficiency and longevity of the comfort system. Maintaining good airflow requires a clean filter, unrestricted ductwork, and open vents in the home. Most dust systems are designed for the output of the furnace. Restricting the airflow with dirty filters, closed vents, or crushed ductwork can cause the system to overheat regularly. Aside from a significant loss of efficiency, this puts tremendous strain on the heat exchanger and compressor, usually resulting in a premature, catastrophic failure. Keeping the outdoor unit (AC or Heat Pump) clear of plants and soil buildup will maintain high efficiency and reduce the chance of a failure due to corrosion. Rinsing the coil on the outdoor unit is also a good practice from time to time. This will ensure the hot or cool air is transferred well and the unit is able to produce the maximum amount of heating or cooling for which it is rated.

How do I know it is time to replace my HVAC equipment? As a rule of thumb, heating and cooling equipment has a typical useful life of between 12-15 years. While many factors can extend, or reduce the functional lifespan, catastrophic failure may not be the only reason you’ll want to consider an upgrade. It is not always cost effective to continue to operate an older unit beyond this rule. Federal, state and local efficiency codes require higher and higher efficiencies of heating and cooling equipment. Over a 15-year life, the efficiency gains of new systems will begin to exceed the operating costs and maintenance and repair of your older equipment. As we say in the industry, “you may be paying for a new system, you’re just not getting it.” Only you can decide when that time is right for your system upgrade to be made, but with some helpful advice from an honest and helpful service provider, you can make an informed decision and put the investment into the replacement at the right time. Your service provider can typically provide you with an analysis of your return on investment. There are also local and federal rebates that can help make the system more affordable. If financing is a consideration for you, some upgrades can offset some or all the monthly payment in energy savings alone. How great would it be to improve the comfort in your home, reduce your consumption of energy, with little to no additional impact on your monthly budget.

A special thank you to Darrick!  To reach Darrick and his team, call 855-2-REFINE or email info@refinedconsultinggroup.com.