Heating System School & Furnace Repair Training Opportunities

Heating and climate control systems are installed in virtually every residential and commercial building in the United States, and as the population grows, so will the number of Heating and climate control systems in use. This is one of the major reasons that the US Department of Labor list the HVAC job field as one of the fastest growing job markets in the United States through 2014.

With major heating system technician job market expansion comes a greater demand for trained heating service people. Heating System Training courses, which can be taken to become a Certified Heating System service person are quite cost effective and can be completed in as few as a few months. Many technical schools and trade schools offer heating repair training and heating installation classes. It is important that you choose the right heating school for your needs. It is suggested that you research your heating school training options and find a school that offers all of the following services:

• Hands on heating system and furnace training
• On site heating repair training
• Credits acknowledged by University of Phoenix and many other universities and technical/trade schools
• An experienced faculty and staff with industry experience
• Financial aid assistance
• Graduate placement assistance programs

Courtesy The Refrigeration School Inc Learn More About Heating System Schools

Both residential and commercial buildings are serviced by heating mechanics that must carry out installations, service the systems, and provide the needed repairs. Furnace installers, other wise known as heating equipment technicians, use the blueprints and specs to put in oil, gas, electric, solid-fuel, and multiple-fuel heating systems. Once the central equipment is set up, technicians will also put in fuel and water lines, ducts and vents for air, and pumps along with other parts as needed. Technicians will ensure that the system is performing properly, as well as making the proper connections between wires and their controls. A combustion test using carbon dioxide or oxygen testers will be used to check that the system is indeed working as desired.

In addition to furnace installations, heating techs will maintain and repair maintenance and the system as needed to make sure it is functioning properly. For example, technicians will make adjustments on the burners and blowers during the fall and winter because they are used the most during those seasons. When a system is failing, the thermostat, burner nozzle, and controls will be inspected in an attempt to identify the problem.

Whether this is your first job, a career change to a better job or the ability to upgrade your current job, The Refrigeration School, Inc (RSI) iof Phoenix AZ s an essential stepping-stone in your career path. RSI does not offer a simple "job placement" service but instead, we help you develop your career and give you the tools and strategies you need to take advantage of career opportunities.

The Refrigeration School, Inc or RSI trains you in the technical services that are needed today including Heating Repair training and Heating System school. RSI offers not only HVAC training but also assistance in seeking financial aid and our Placement Assistance staff works with each graduate to find the right employment.

Tips For Home Furnace Maintenance

Tips For Maintaining Furnaces

As always most furnace manufactures and heating contractors will recommend having your home furnace checked by a qualified service technician prior to each heating season. A qualified hvac service man will have the experience and proper test interments to check things that you as a home owner may not, there for if you can afford it I agree this should be done.

This article is simply some tips that your average home owner can do to prevent problems though out the heating season. Any time your dealing with a furnace and natural or propane gas extreme caution must be taken. One important thing to remember is not to do anything to your furnace unless you have the power and gas shut off to it. Testing the furnace while it is running should only be done by qualified heating service technician.

First and the most apparent is replacing the air filter. I recommend using a quality pleated type filter. You may have to cross the type of filter you have to find a equivalent replacement. Most type of filters should at least be inspected monthly, some higher quality filters may last much longer depending on the type of atmosphere and the type of filter.

All high efficiency furnaces will have some type of drain trap and drain hose. Blockage in the furnaces drain system is one of the more common reasons for no heat calls. Try to remove and clean the drain trap and blow out all drain lines. House hold bleach can be poured through the drain lines to kill bacteria that will grow into a slime and restrict condensate flow.

Inspect the intake and exhaust pvc furnace pipes out side the house to be sure trees and shrubs have not over grown into them. If possible remove the air intake and exhaust pipe at the furnace and check for leaves or other things that may have gotten into these pipes. This is another very common problem that occurs in many heating systems.

Visually inspect wire connections for being lose or shorted. Inspect factory plug harness connections to be sure they are securely plugged together. You can vacuum out the inside burner and blower compartments to prevent this dirt from getting into your burners and blower motor. Some blower motors require oiling and some do not. Oiling both sides of the blower motor may need to be done by a technician as the blower assembly typically needs to be removed.

As far as cleaning the burners and inspecting the heat exchanger I again recommend having a qualified service technician do this. You will also want to have him clean the flame sensor. Many people mistake the Igniter for the flame sensor and end up breaking it. Your service technician should also check safeties such as limit controls and pressure switches.

There may not seem like a lot you can do your self but being educated on your heating system may save you a service call some day. When you do have a technician at your home be sure and ask as many questions about your system as possible. Knowing how your system is supposed to function may keep you from having to call someone next time there is a problem.

Information by Terry Manlick at HVAC Maintenance & Supplies www.mainsupplies.com

This artical and other hvac maintenace related articals can be read at HVAC Maintenance & Supplies. HVAC Maintenance related products such as air filters,V-belts, humidifier filters and coil cleaners can be purchased online at http://www.mainsupplies.com

Got Trees? An Outdoor Wood Furnace Will Cut Your Energy Bills Down To Size

If you live in a suburban or rural area near a source of cheap wood, you could heat your home for the entire season for the cost of one month’s electric heat bill. An outdoor furnace requires less tending, eliminates respiratory problems caused by burning wood indoors, and keeps the wood burning mess outside.

There are a surprising number of outdoor furnace manufacturers with a wide range of styles and designs to accommodate different heating capacities and fuel sources. Some of these furnaces have the capacity (500k Btu) for commercial applications.

Burns Best makes a corn or wood pellet version. Taylor Waterstoves has a multi-fuel model that burns coal or wood. Hardy Manufacturing makes an all stainless steel furnace with a built in hot water exchanger.

One of the selling points of an outdoor furnace is the convenience of locating it near the wood fuel source. Since the water heated by the furnace is pumped to your home through insulated, underground piping, the furnace can be set up as close as 2 feet, or as much as 500 feet from your house.

All outdoor furnaces are designed to work with any existing heating system and can be thermostatically controlled. If you have a forced air system, you can use the existing duct work but you will need to install a water-to-air heat exchanger in your furnace. Your furnace is still available as a back up.

If you already have radiant floor heating, you would connect the underground feed from the outdoor furnace to the existing circulating pump.

For radiant baseboard heat, you can connect the piping directly to an existing boiler or install a water-to-water heat exchanger. By adding the water-to-water exchanger, you receive the added benefit of free hot water while the existing furnace functions as back up.

An outdoor boiler can even be used to heat your swimming pool, driveway, work shop, greenhouse, or multiple buildings.

The firebox designs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but all are constructed from stainless or carbon steel. Although each manufacturer claims to be using a grade of stainless steel superior to the competition, they all agree that heat transfer efficiency is almost 3 times better with 16 gauge stainless steel than with 3/8" carbon steel. An all stainless steel firebox also resists rusting and burnout that occur in standard carbon steel.

Some fire boxes are large enough to accommodate a 30” diameter by 72” log. The problem I would have is getting a log that size into the firebox. Normally, outdoor furnaces are loaded twice a day. Burn times per load vary from 12 to 96 hours depending on what you’re heating, the outside temperature and how well your house is insulated.

One trait all outdoor furnaces have in common is versatility. What ever your heating needs are or the type of fuel you burn, it’s possible to design a system for any heating scheme you can imagine.

Alternative-Heating-Info.com offers a unique look into geothermal heating and cooling, radiant heating, solar heating systems and pellet burning stoves

Furnace Humidifiers - What Are the Benefits

One of the most common health issues that plague our society is dehydration. Most of the tissue in the body is composed of water. If it loses the water, the tissue dries up. It's elasticity goes, and with it function declines. Besides dry skin, the symptoms of dehydration include chronic joint and muscle pain, raspy throat, sore eyes and lack of mental concentration.

There are two ways to combat dehydration, and both are essential; drink a lot of water, and maintain the relative humidity in the home and office at comfortable levels with the use of a furnace humidifier.

How does humidity AFFECT our health?

Conditioning the amount of moisture in the air with a furnace humidifier is necessary for your family's health. Dry air in your home can make your throat feel dry, and cause or aggravate respiratory ailments.

Inadequate humidification during cold weather is one of the major causes of respiratory infections. The heating seasons causes people to begin having repeated attacks of winter colds. Winter is blamed for these problems, but the actual cause is dryness, which develops in the membranes of the nose, throat and bronchial tubes. Relative humidity also has a significant effect on controlling the occurrence of airborne infections.

The one thing we can do about alleviating some of the discomfort of colds, dry noses and dehydrated skin is to install a humdifier in the home, where we spend most of our time. Actually, for many, dry air is an air-quality issue. Dry air promotes the growth of some bacteria, viruses and respiratory irritants that in sensitive individuals cause conditions worse than dry skin. Adequate moisture enables the body's immune system to defend better against indoor respiratory pollutants and irritants.

How will a furnace humidifier affect your comfort?

Humidity in the home will affect your comfort. Since the air in your home is always trying to reach its saturation point, it will absorb water wherever it's found, that means it is stealing moisture from the bodies of you and your children, your pets, your furniture and even your house plants. By giving up moisture to the air, your skin, throat and nasal passages dry out and crack leading to various physical discomfort. That's why many doctors recommend furnace humidifiers for allergy and asthma sufferers.

How does humidity AFFECT my house?

Virtually everything in your home made from wood contains some moisture. As dry air sucks that moisture out, the wood shrinks and cracks. Hardwood floors separate at the seams, furniture shrinks and cracks, and doors warp and no longer fit their frames as the moisture is drawn off.

Also, perhaps the most annoying effect of dry indoor air is static shock. How many times have you shuffled across the carpet, only to be rudely surprised by the crackle of static as you reach for the light switch! It's no fun when it happens to you, and even less so when you reach out and "zap" a loved one. With the capacity to hold a static charge up to 20,000 volts, your body can also wreak havoc on home computers and other sensitive electronic devices. By maintaining indoor relative humidity at 35 percent or higher with the use of a humidifier, static shocks are greatly reduced.

Are there any other BENEFITS to installimg a furnace humidifier in the home?

Yes! Proper relative humidity helps you save energy costs. Warm, humid summer air feels hotter than it actually is because of the moisture it contains. That same principle applies to your home in the winter. By keeping the relative humidity inside your home at an ideal level, you can turn your thermostat down a few degrees and still feel comfortable. Dialing down your thermostat just three degrees can reduce your heating bill by as much as 5%.

Pat Johnson - President of Enviro-Pure Air Care Duct Cleaning and Furnace Humidifier installations, located in Ottawa

Visit their humdifier page at: Furnace Humidifiers Ottawa

Pat has many years experience in the Duct Cleaning Industry and has written numerous articles about Duct Cleaning and the importance of proper humidity levels.