EER, SEER and TXVs – Short #165

In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about TXVs and their impacts on energy efficiency ratings (EER and SEER).

EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) is calculated based on fixed conditions (an outdoor temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit and an inside temperature of 80 degrees with 50% RH). EER is a ratio of cooling-only capacity in BTUs per hour to the total electrical input in watts. SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is the ratio of an HVAC system's cooling output during a typical cooling season to the seasonal electrical input in watts.

Both energy efficiency ratios use non-proportional units (BTUs to watts), but SEER is supposed to account for a wide set of conditions (even though the climates of regional markets can vary quite wildly). EER2 and SEER2 are new standards based on updated equipment testing protocols with more realistic static pressures.

TXVs and EEVs can modulate to control the amount of refrigerant going into the evaporator coil. TXVs maintain a set superheat at the evaporator coil outlet, which it detects with a sensing bulb mounted to the suction line. These sorts of modulating metering devices can boost system efficiency by adjusting the amount of refrigerant it feeds into the evaporator coil. Underfeeding can lead to inefficiency, and overfeeding can cause system damage.

Non-bleed TXVs shut tight once the compressor shuts off, which prevents refrigerant migration during the off cycle and pressure equalization, thus protecting the compressor and reducing the cyclic degradation coefficient. The compressor may have to start a little bit harder, but the effects of the hard shutoff can improve the SEER rating by about 0.5. TXV systems are, overall, more efficient than systems fixed-orifice metering devices.

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HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In today’s podcast, Bryan talks with legendary Hydronics author and trainer Dan Holohan about the history of steam heating and some practical applications of old ideas. Recently, Dan has been working on more novels, having published two of them over the past few months.

Steam heating is a “lost art” nowadays; it has become increasingly uncommon and has been disappearing since the Vietnam War. Many people who understood steam heating either retired or died after the Vietnam War. Many elements of steam heating are difficult to understand or surprising. (For example, steam pressure has a surprising relationship with velocity: low-pressure steam moves through piping much more quickly than high-pressure steam.) So, Dan Holohan is on a mission to revive that knowledge and teach the newer generations about the lost art.

There are many older steam heating systems still operating today, especially in the older large buildings in New York. Dan learned a lot about steam heating when working on these old systems and optimizing them. Most of the time, he optimized those systems by removing unnecessary accessories, not by adding components like steam traps.

Many old boilers used coal as a heat source. Nowadays, many old boilers have been fitted with conversion oil burners with thermostats, but they are still piped for coal. Some systems now have multiple risers or massive vents on the main riser to prevent the thermostats from getting too hot too early and satisfying the thermostat too early. We call that master venting, which reduces pressure and allows steam to move very quickly and efficiently.

Dan also discusses:

The 2-PSI standard
Transportation metaphors for BTUs in steam
Harmful renovations for old boilers
Replacement vs. restoration mindsets
Gaps in steam boiler education
Monopolizing the market if you HAVE the education
Boiler piping and venting
Two-pipe vs one-pipe steam

Find out more about Dan and hydronic heating at HeatingHelp.com.

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.