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Tech Tips:

As a small business owner in the 21st century, I have recently been exposed to the overwhelming amount of new technologies and processes that I could use within my business. In the last few years, there has been a surge of software and connected tools that are entering the marketplace. All of them promise to […]

The Case for Buying a Combustion Analyzer

Last year, I bought my first combustion analyzer. I had just started my own company and felt the additional weight of responsibility to sit down and determine the best way to verify that the furnaces I was servicing were working safely. In the past, the most extensive testing I had done was a visual inspection […]

The Legend Eric Kaiser at The TruTech Tools Booth

Brand New Probe Sets at the JB Industries Booth

Vacuum Pumps Just Got Better at the JB Industries Booth

Zoomlocks & More at the Parker Sporlan Booth!

Skills Competition at the NAVAC Booth

Recovery Machines at the NAVAC Booth

Everybody’s Favorite Tool at the INFICON Booth

INFICON – Innovative & Disruptive: Here’s What’s New at the INFICON Booth

Quick, Easy, and Efficient at the NAVAC Booth

Vacuum and Recovery in an A2L World with Jesse Stewart

In this podcast, Bryan Orr interviews Jesse Stewart from NAVAC about A2L refrigerants and compatible tools and safety procedures. They discuss how NAVAC has a full line of A2L-compatible tools for evacuation and recovery, including the new NR7 and upgraded models of the NRDDF and NRDD. Jesse explains key features that make tools A2L […]

The VCRT redesigned + More w/ Fieldpiece

In this podcast, Bryan chats with Tony Gonzalez of Fieldpiece about their latest innovations for service tools, including the redesigned VCRT, as well as the training resources they offer. They start off discussing Fieldpiece's philosophy of developing solutions for technicians' real pain points, not just making products. Understanding workflows and obstacles lets them design better tools. […]

Combustion Analysis: Easier, Faster, and Better

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Tool and Instrumentation Selection

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30 Minutes or Less and You Only Have…

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How to Evacuate an AC system, Full Vacuum Procedure

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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.

Bryan Orr and Steve Rogers dive deep into measuring power consumption in HVAC blower motors, particularly focusing on the differences between PSC (Permanent Split Capacitor) and ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor) technologies. The discussion stems from a question raised at an educators’ conference about the accuracy of clamp-on meters in measuring blower motor watt draw, as specified in the ACCA Standard 310.

Steve shares insights from extensive testing conducted with different types of motors and power meters. The tests compared PSC motors with constant torque and constant airflow ECM motors across various static pressure conditions. One key finding was that two out of three field-available clamp-on meters tested were capable of accurately measuring true power at levels expected in residential blower motors. However, one meter showed significant inaccuracy at low power levels, highlighting the importance of carefully reviewing meter specifications before use.

The conversation delves into the concept of power factor and its crucial role in understanding the true power consumption of ECM motors. Steve explains that ECM motors often have a low power factor (around 0.6), which can lead to misconceptions about their efficiency if only the current draw is measured. The discussion emphasizes the need for proper measurement techniques, including simultaneous voltage and current readings with the blower door on, to accurately assess motor efficiency.

Key topics covered in the podcast:

Differences between PSC and ECM motor technologies
Importance of power factor in measuring true power consumption
Accuracy of field-available clamp-on meters for power measurement
Impact of static pressure on motor performance and efficiency
Misconceptions about ECM motor efficiency and longevity
Proper measurement techniques for assessing blower motor watt draw
Relationship between duct system design and motor efficiency
Implications of ACCA Standard 310 for HVAC installations
Challenges in comparing constant torque and constant airflow ECM motors
The role of control algorithms in ECM motor performance
Importance of understanding meter specifications for accurate measurements

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.