What the Heck is High Performance HVAC w/ David Holt

David Holt with the National Comfort Institute (NCI) returns to the podcast to talk about high-performance HVAC and what the heck it even is.

High-performance HVAC is all about delivering the highest possible equipment performance out of the box. High-performance HVAC is a key element of NCI's work; equipment should be able to deliver the health, comfort, safety, reliability, and efficiency expected by the occupants, and equipment that can't do that often has root issues we need to troubleshoot and fix. In many cases, the root cause has something to do with airflow issues.

As contractors, we can focus more heavily on testing fan airflow to get to the bottom of poor HVAC performance, even when there may not be an apparent airflow problem. We need the proper test instrumentation to measure CFM, a key indicator of performance. We can't expect to maximize system performance until the airflow is correct across the heat exchange surfaces.

Many factors that contribute to poor equipment performance actually have to do with building science, including issues like air leakage. Although HVAC contractors can't control that, we can be successful if we have a culture and mindset that makes us put our customers first and work with the circumstances we're given to deliver the best possible solution.

David and Bryan also discuss:

David's role at NCI
Manufacturer, distributor, contractor, technician, and customer relationships
How to measure CFM effectively
Effects of improperly
Issues that arise during building construction
Parts vs. equipment vs. systems
What makes a good service technician
The high-performance mindset
Having a classroom vs. a commitment to training

If you want to get more involved in HVAC training, you can text David at (706)-332-2212 or visit https://nationalcomfortinstitute.com/pro/. Learn more about NCI's High-Performance HVAC Summit at https://www.gotosummit.com/.

Check out the HVACR Training Symposium and order your virtual tickets before, during, or after the symposium (Jan 19-21, 2023) at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

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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.