Vol. 5: Issue #12: Letter #87 (Previous newsletters available in archives on web site)

Testing Your HVAC IQ
Dealing with a heating or cooling system is not an everyday occurrence for most people. By taking this HVAC test of 20 questions, you can quickly and easily find out how much (or how little) you know about the most expensive appliance in your home (and maybe save yourself some time and money too).
       
  1. HVAC stands for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning.
       
      a. True
      b. False
       
  2. A HVAC system consumes approximately what % of your total annual energy bill?
       
      a. 10-15%
      b. 20-25%
      c. 30-40%
      d. 45-55%
       
  3. The most important thing to consider when purchasing a new HVAC system is:
       
      a. Get the best price.
b. Get a system with the highest efficiency.
c. Select a contractor you can trust.
d. Select Name Brand equipment.
       
  4. In our area, the most popular types of systems used to heat & cool residences are:
       
      a. Forced warm air furnaces with ductwork.
b. Hot water systems (baseboard or radiators).
c. Heat Pumps.
d. Space heating (floor furnaces, wall furnaces, heaters).
e. All of the above
     

 

  5. Which of the above (a,b,c,d,e) does not require a vent to remove the products of combustion?
       
     

a. Forced warm air furnaces with ductwork.
b. Hot water systems (baseboard or radiators).
c. Heat Pumps.
d. Space heating (floor furnaces, wall furnaces,
heaters).
e. All of the above

       
  6. AFUE refers to the efficiency rating of:
       
      a. Furnaces/Boilers
b. Air Conditioners
c. Heat Pumps
       
  7. SEER refers to the efficiency rating of:
       
      a. Furnaces/Boilers
b. Air Conditioners & Heat Pump Cooling
       
  8. HSPF refers to the efficiency rating of:
       
      a. Furnaces/Boilers
b. Air Conditioner Cooling
c. Heat Pump Heating
       
  9. IAQ stands for:
       
      a. A government Secret Service group
b. Indoor Air Quality
c. Abbreviation for IRAQ
     


  10. A split system means:
       
      a. The system is cracked.
b. Condenser, fan, and/or coil can be separated and connected with tubing.
       
  11. Relative humidity means:
     


      a. Wet relatives
b. The amount of water in the air compared with the amount of water the air could hold at a specific temperature.
     


  12. Insufficient moisture (Dry Air) inside your house can cause:
       
      a. Dry, itchy skin
b. Clogged sinuses
c. Increased risk of bacteria infection
d. Gaps in woodwork
e. Aggravated asthma & allergy symptoms
f. All of the above
       
  13. The advantages of a programmable thermostat are:
       
      a. Reduces energy costs
b. Monitors system
c. Advises routine maintenance
d. All of the above.
       
  14.

Zoning a HVAC system means:

       
      a. You have obtained the proper permits.
b. The City has approved the location of your system.
c. Controlling temperatures to suit lifestyle requirements.
     


  15. Steam coming from the outdoor section of the heat pump accompanied sometimes by a loud noise means:
       
     

a. There is a serious problem
b. The unit needs additional refrigerant
c. The unit is in the normal defrost mode; the sound is that of the reversing valve shifting.

       
  16. It is normal for the outside coil of a heat pump to have white frost or light ice on it in winter.
       
     

a. True
b. False
c. Don’t know

       
  17. When a heat pump’s ability to extract the exact amount of heat from the outside temperature that the house requires, it has reached its “balancing point”.
       
     

a. True
b. False

       
  18. Heat Pumps produce heat by:
       
     

a. Combustion
b. Absorption

       
  19. Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps cool your house by:
       
      a. Bringing cooler air into the house
b. Extracting heat from within your house
c. Neither one
       
  20. 20. A cracked heat exchanger on a furnace causes the:
       
     

a. Flame to burn poorly.
b. Flame to produce soot.
c. Flame to produce Carbon Monoxide.
d. Mandatory, immediate shut down of system.
e. All of the above.

       
I hope this little exercise has provided additional insight for the most expensive appliance in your house. To see if you passed the test, Click here for answers.


Climatemakers Ltd.

Merry Sherman, President
2nd Generation President
Phone #: 757-468-5800
Fax #: 757-468-5805
email: comfort@climatemakers.com
Web site: http://www.climatemakers.com
"Your family's indoor comfort is our family's business"

     P.S. Our website is constantly being updated to add content and to make it easier to navigate…so that you can find answers to your questions about HVAC, quicker than ever before.

     P.P.S. Remember, if you have any questions about the HVAC system in your house; how we can be of better service to you, or about our web site, please email them to me. I'd like to hear from you. Our newest web page, "Y'all Come"…A Pictorial Journey, has just been posted. You are especially invited to visit it by clicking here .

     Programmable Thermostat. Automatically regulates the heating/cooling in your house to suit your lifestyle. Click here to find out how.

     Electronic Air Cleaner. Removes dirt, dust and pollen to improve your health. Click Here to find out how.

     Humidifiers. Adds moisture to the air in the winter. Click here to find out how.

     Zoning System. Saves even more energy as it increases or decreases the heating/cooling in those rooms where and when it is not needed. Click here to find out how.

     To see our whole web site at a glance, Click here.

     
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