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Welcome to D.C. Refrigeration & HVAC
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Emergency Measures #1- dead outdoor fan motor |
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 07 July 2010 19:01 |
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It's been really hot the last few days and that means ACs everywhere are working overtime. If you find yourself in a pickle where your outside unit is running, ie- the compressor is running, but the fan outside is not and you can't get immediate service, here is something you can do to get you thru that time till you can get someone out to fix it. The fan on an outdoor unit is used to move cooler air over the coil so it can condense the compressed high temperature vapor back to a liquid so it can be returned to the indoor part of the AC to provide cooling. In the event your fan fails you can use water from your hose to accomplish the same task. While it may not be the prettiest solution, I've used it a time or two to help customers make it till I could get them a fan motor. First turn your system off and let it sit for about 5 minutes so if the relief valve in the compressor has blown it will reseat itself. You take the spray nozzle from the hose and position it so the water hits as much of the coil you can manage, then turn the AC back on and hopefully your AC will keep running till the part or your service person arrives. Try to avoid aiming it directly at the electrical components, but remember, they were meant to be outside in the rain, so you most likely will cause no harm and the worst that can happen if it was installed correctly is it blows the breaker. This solution will work in most cases, but you do this at your own risk, please don't hold me responsible for misapplication of this advice. This is intended as a temporary solution at best and should not be used for more time than is necessary till the proper repair is rendered. |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 25 June 2010 07:38 |
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It's been quite a long while since I updated this section. It's been very hot the last few days and things are getting really busy. Since the last update I've installed a 2 speed airconditioning system with a variable speed air handler. These are very cool, pun intended! The system, installed in an attic is so quiet you almost can't hear it running inside. In fact I was alarmed that it was not coming on, and had to put my ear up to the central return in the hallway to verify the fan was even on! The customer is very happy! These types of systems, 16 SEER, are eligible for the 1500$ tax credit. If you are interested, I can provide some literature for you to peruse, let me know. |
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Keep your furnace running when it snows |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 09 February 2010 10:25 |
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If you have a condensing gas furnace that vents out the side of your house, you may have experienced snow buildup. Your furnace may shut off if the pipes outside get covered. It IS supposed to do that. Your furnace has safety devices built in so if either of the pipes are clogged, partially or completely, the furnace will shutoff, to prevent a problem. If the exhaust pipe clogs it would be same if your chimney clogged if your furnace vented into the chimney. This would mean the exhaust fumes would back up into your house, causing a carbon monoxide condition, if the furnace would not have shut off. If your furnace has 2 pipes outside, the other pipe is where the furnace gets it's air for combustion, same as a car needs air mixed with gasoline at the proper ratio for combustion. If the combustion air pipe clogs, then it would not have enough air mixed with natural gas for proper combustion, creating carbon monoxide and sooting up the furnace if the safety device did not shut it off. So when the next snow storm comes, make sure you keep the snow away from the pipes. If your furnace quits working during a snow storm, check the pipes first before calling for service. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 February 2010 10:42 |
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We are now an official Tappan Dealer! |
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 15 March 2010 07:31 |
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As of last week(week of March 8, 2010) I am an authorized/official Tappan equipment dealer. The equipment is manufactured by Nordyne. This dealership is thru the supplier APR, and my local APR supply house is right up the road from me in the town of New Oxford. I went to the annual Tappan dealers meeting last Thursday in Grantville and was pretty impressed with what the equipment offers as far as information and support and warranty. I will post a new article once I gather some of the details together. It appears to have one of the best warranties in the business, especially the 10 year quality pledge, which means if the compressor dies or the heat exchanger cracks in the first 10 years, you don't just get a new compressor or heat exchanger, you get a new unit. I like that, because nobody wants to have a system in warranty and have it potentially butchered by having the heart of the system be replaced. more information in the days to come. |
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How most recently installed gas hot air systems work |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 01 December 2009 21:18 |
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If you have a gas hot air system that is less than 15 years old and vents in PVC pipe(exhaust pipe is plastic) there are a few things you can check if you think there is a problem to help get to the bottom of it. The key is the "Sequence of Operation". This is the order that things come on when your furnace starts.
- The thermostat calls for heat
- The furnace responds by turning on the exhaust blower
- After it purges the old exhaust air for 30-45 seconds it turns on the ignition device, spark or glow plug
- After the sparker sparks or the glow plug glows, the gas valve opens to let the gas into the burners, the glow plug goes out or the sparker quits sparking
- After the burners ignite and run for a minute or two, the supply air blower comes on(air comes out of the vents)
- This continues till the call for heat is completed, the thermostat removes the call for heat
- The gas valve shuts removing the flame from the burners
- The exhaust blower may run for a short time or shuts off when the gas valve shuts off
- The supply air fan runs for a few minutes and then shuts off(no air from the vents)
- The furnace sits silently waiting for the next call for heat
If you think your furnace has a problem, check the sequence of operation and see where it misses the step. |
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 December 2009 21:34 |
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Season Alerts
Summer Alerts for Cooling
- Make sure your filter(s) are clean or replaced
- If you notice lack of cooling make sure outdoor unit is running, if it isn't shut the system off and call for service
- When mowing, blow grass away from outdoor unit. Grass clogging the unit makes it work harder!
- Regular service can prevent a catastrophic failure
- In the summer high returns should be open and low returns should be closed
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