HVAC Pulse - Issue #6
If You Read/Watch One Thing
ERVs are a great way to introduce fresh outside air and recover heat/energy at the same time. I’m not afraid to admit that for the longest time, I didn’t know how they worked. This is a great video explaining how ERVs/HRVs work.
Fundamentals of Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) - YouTube
Not sure how an ERV actually works? It seems magical, but it actually fairly simple. Join Ryan Hoger as he walks us through one.Music by www.bensound.com
Quick Links
📝 Heat Pumps Are Having A Breakthrough. They Have One Issue: The Wrong Name. Apple News+ Link
But “heat pump” sounds industrial, noisy, and well, hot. “There are some people that think that heat pumps only do heating — because they’re called heat pumps,” said Andy Frank, the founder and president of Sealed, a company that helps homeowners insulate and electrify their homes. In a 2020 survey that his company conducted, about half of the respondents had no idea what a heat pump was, and many others did not understand that the device both heats and cools.
Heat pumps are neat because they can cool AND heat. Neat pumps.
🏡 As the Climate Changes, Pressure Is Growing to Make Buildings More Efficient
In 2017 Mr. Haller, realizing that the process of erecting a single house was fragmented between carpenters, electricians, plumbers and builders, began exploring construction technology in a bid to offer a more efficient way to build a home.
At his company’s factory outside San Francisco, he creates prefabricated closed walls with electrical, piping and heating and cooling elements already inside and delivers them to single-family home builders in Texas and California. Like life-size Lego pieces, they arrive ready to be assembled, cutting carbon emissions during the building process by as much as 50 percent.
⚡How To Electrify On A 100 Amp Panel
Smart splitters (like the splitters from DryerBuddy, SplitVolt, or NeoCharge) are quite simple and low-cost ($400-$700). Some are plug-based and DIY, while others are hard-wired and require an electrician to install. These are best when you are nearly able to fit everything on your existing panel and just need some support for that last device. For example, if your clothes dryer is near where you park your car, you can use a smart splitter to share a circuit between your clothes dryer and EV charger. How often do you need to dry a load of laundry and charge your car at exactly the same time?
I currently use a NeoCharge to split my dryer outlet to charge my EV. It works as advertised.
🔥❄️ Heat Pumps Yesterday and Today
Generally, we understand an air conditioner will produce air that has a difference, or delta, of approximately 20°F cooler than the air in the room. In the summertime, we take advantage of that air movement or draft due to the sensation we are cooler than the temperature indicates. Air moving across the skin gives the benefit of evaporation.
That same principle of a 20° delta in the summer means something totally different in the winter. If the temperature set point for winter is 68°, that 20° delta will provide air at 88° exiting the vent. If the vent is a conventional, three-way, stamped grille, 88° air is going to feel cold on 98° skin. The room is heating, but comfort suffers.
Heat pump adoption is going to increase in the coming years. A lot of those installations will be swap outs of existing gas furnaces. Unless proper steps are taken beforehand, the end user may be disappointed. The article lists a few steps to help with the conversion.
Thanks for reading! Whenever you're ready, here are ways I can help you.
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Online VRF Boot Camp - An online course designed to give you the fundamentals to understanding VRF and its applications from a sales perspective.
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Lunch and Learns - If you're in California, I'd love to come out and speak on VRF, heat pumps, and electrification.
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YouTube Channel - You can find all my video content at my YouTube channel.
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Consultations - Are you looking to use heat pumps or VRF on your next project? Let's talk.
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Buy me a coffee - Want to support what I do? Buy me a coffee