Author: AC Truth

First Class, Air Conditioning™ is a family-owned and operated air conditioning company founded in 1977. First Class™ has created ACTruth.com™ to help inform and educate homeowners about air conditioning in Southwest Florida. Avoid making a huge and costly mistake... visit ACTruth today! Knowledge is POWER.

How to Properly “Charge” your AC System

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The following is a quick overview of procedures needed to properly charge your air conditioning system:

Refrigerant charging might be the least understood practice in the air conditioning industry next to the number one problem–airflow!

Tools needed to do the proper job:

  • Magnahelic Differential Pressure Gauge (to verify the correct airflow)
  • Refrigerant gauges (that have been calibrated)
  • Accurate thermostat probes (that have been calibrated)
  • Superheat charging charts
  • Temperature split charts

The following procedures are a MUST:

  • All coils, filters and blower wheel must be clean
  • Airflow must be known within manufacturer’s specifications
  • Outdoor temperature must be above 60 degrees and indoor above 70 degrees
  • Indoor wet bulb temperature must be known
  • Once the charge has been adjusted, waiting 15 minutes to verify accuracy of adjustments

 

Air Conditioning Sized for Your Home

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There are three specific pieces of engineering data that are required when sizing the air conditioning system for your home:

1) ACCA Manual J8- “Load calculation”
2) Manufacturer’s Expanded Performance Data
3) ACCA Manual S- Heating and Cooling Equipment Sizing

Summarized Detail:

  • 1. An ACCA Manual J8 load calculation must be performed. This calculates the amount of BTU’s that enters your home in the summer and exits in the winter. Your load calculation’s “Design Conditions” are based on your LOCAL weather station data. Design conditions for Southwest Florida are 93 degrees outdoor temperature with an indoor temperature of 75 degrees and 50% relative humidity ratio (63% wet bulb–moisture content) in your home.
  • 2. The Manufacturer’s Expanded Engineering Data- manufacturers publish engineering data for all “Design Conditions”. Your Consultant must retrieve from the manufacturer this engineering data, in order to choose the proper size of equipment for your home. Your Consultant must never use the AHRI rated BTU output; this is against the Building Code. The AHRI data is a nominal, rating-test based on 95 degree outdoor- 80 degree indoor with a 67 degree wet bulb (moisture content). These parameters are only used to compare all brands of equipment. This is similar to the mileage sticker on the window of new car–not accurate and good for comparison only.
  • 3. An ACCA Manual S computerized report must be generated while your Consultant is in your home. The Consultant will use the above collected data to generate this report. Only now will the Consultant know if this equipment is an approved match for your home. This completed report will be submitted to your Building Department in order to pull your replacement permit.

  

Greater Detail:

#1

#1: ACCA Manual J8 – load calculation

Why is this so important? Your system must NEVER be over sized. If it is, you will never be able to control the humidity and comfort level in your home. Click on personal comfort for the comfort table.

FACT: Today’s high efficient air conditioning systems have LESS ability to control your home’s humidity. The truth is they have lost approximately 30% of their dehumidification ability, compared to your existing system, due to Government regulations. Over-sized systems only compound the problem. Visit this site for more information. (Proper design information from ACCA)

There are only two methods to obtain the information that is necessary to perform an ACCURATE Load Calculation:

Method 1: A full set of blueprints for YOUR HOME, with all necessary details, including the following:

  • Square footage of the home being air conditioned
  • Ceiling insulation value R-? value
  • Wall insulation R-? value
  • Linear square footage of exterior walls
  • All glass windows, orientation, size, shading, eave protrusion and drop and patio over hang
  • All exterior doors and construction material
  • Skylights, if any
  • Number of occupants
  • Infiltration – how “tight” is the construction?
  • Quantity of appliances
  • Air distribution loss factor, if duct work is in attic
  • Ventilation, fresh air, or code requirements

Method 2:
The air conditioning company representative must do thorough measurements at your home in order to gather all the information that is required and listed in Method 1.

NOTE: The Building Code does not allow designer safety factors, provisions for future expansion or other factors which effect equipment sizing.

BEWARE: Garbage Information IN Equals Garbage Information OUT!

ACCA WARNING: Homeowners beware of inappropriate load calculation software! Only software that is based on ACCA Manual J8 (J8 is the latest version available) should be used in the load calculation for your home. The following exclusive ACCA-approved system design software programs have earned the right to be recognized by the following term–Powered by ACCA Manual J®:

  • RHVC Residential Load Calculation from Elite Software
  • Right-J from Wrightsoft
  • AccuLoads from Adtek Software Company
  • EnergyGuage from the Florida Solar Energy Center
  • Carmelsoft Residential Load Calculation

Special Note: There are Load Calculation Software Programs that are being utilized every day in Southwest Florida that constantly oversize your home BTU’s requirements.    

#3

#3: ACCA Manual S – Equipment Sizing            

Information Detailed on the ACCA Manual S form:

Box 1-  Customer name and address

Box 2-  Design Information for Southwest Florida

            OUTDOOR Design Temperature – 93 degrees     summer

            INDOOR Design Temperature     –  75 degrees     summer

            INDOOR Design %RH                     –  50 %         summer

            OUTDOOR Design Temperature –  47 degrees     winter

Box 3-  Proposed Equipment to be Installed.

#2

            This information comes from Manufacturers Expanded Performance Data

            Manufacturer            Brand Name

            Outdoor Unit             Model Number

            Indoor Unit                Model Number

            System Cooling          SEER Rating

            System Heating          HSPF Rating (Heat Pump Information)

Box 4-  Manual J – Load Calculation Information

            This information is from the ACCA Manual J8 load calculation form

            Heating Load Calculation – BTU’s

            Cooling Load Calculation   – BTU’s sensible (ability to lower temperature)

-BTU’s latent (ability to remove moisture) 

Box 7-   Manufacturers Cooling Performance      Expanded Engineering Data

This information is from the Manufacturers Expanded Performance Data.

             Equipment Capacity at design conditions – BTU’s sensible

             Equipment Capacity at design conditions – BTU’s latent

            Equipment Capacity as a % of Design – (maximum over sizing allowed is 15%)

WARNING:        If an air conditioning company representative is at your home and fails to provide you with a replacement quote following Method #1 or Method #2 above and doesn’t utilize an approved Heat Load Calculation software program, save yourself from making a FIFTEEN YEAR mistake. SHOW the REPRESENTATIVE the door; this person lacks knowledge to be designing your replacement air conditioning system.  

How to Properly Size a Duct System

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ACCA Manual D is the recommended method to size your duct system. Before you can start to size your duct system, your home’s air conditioning equipment size must be known. This will require a load calculation (ACCA Manual J) to be performed on your home. Once you know the sizing requirements, you will know the air flow (CFM) that is required to make your system perform to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Fact is, most duct systems have been grossly undersized by most installers, leaving the system under performing and causing serious damage to the rest of your system. This includes premature rusting of the air handler, air handler motor failure, compressor failure and excessive power bills.

Air conditioning contractors have been using duct sizing calculators that are designed for sheet metal duct work.

Today’s fiberglass duct systems combined with flex duct are very restrictive in comparison to metal duct work, causing your fiberglass duct system to be undersized by approximately 12% and your flex duct system to be undersized by approximately 30%. Plus, in most cases, the flex duct system loss is much higher due to the fact of poor installation.

Filtration

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No filter… bad idea. You just turned your evaporator coil into an amazing “filter.” The evaporator coil is wet and without a filter installed, all the dust and dirt (even in the cleanest of homes) is being circulated and collecting on the coil–which in turn will cause the coil to be restricted and result in system malfunction.

Second requirement is for the health and well-being of occupants. A higher efficiency filter will provide cleaner air but will your system support the higher air flow restriction put on your system?

Your existing indoor unit (air handler) in most situations is already struggling and under-performing due to an undersized duct system. So, with good intentions, you install a pleated filter that is now making a bad situation worse.

What’s it all about?

Most pleated filters are a disaster. They require close to 50% of your air handler’s ability to move the proper quantity of air (CFM). Therefore, destroying your energy costs and premature failure of your air conditioning system.

In order for the homeowner to know what filter their air conditioning system can support, have your air conditioning technician test your system to find the total static pressure that your system creates without a filter. The difference between the manufacturer’s listed maximum static and the total static test that was just performed will tell you what filter to install.

Tip: Install a low efficient low static filter and spray it with cooking spray, such as “Pam.”

Cooling

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Air conditioning is a mechanical method to provide you, the homeowner, with indoor cooling comfort. Efficiency of an air conditioning system will range between the minimum allowed in Florida of 14 SEER to approximately 24 SEER. Since your Florida home is in the cooling mode, approximately 2800 hours of run time per year, you can see where the higher efficiency products make financial sense. The high efficiency products that are also two speeds really provide your home with superior comfort, humidity control, quietness and energy savings.

What is a SEER?
The SEER rating of a unit is the cooling output in BTU’s during a typical cooling-season divided by the total electric energy input in watt-hours during the same period. The higher the unit’s SEER rating, the more energy efficient it is.

Heating

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There are two main and popular methods of providing you with heating comfort during our heating season. Southwest Florida’s heating season has varied degrees of need. Some seasons are quite short while other seasons can be long and expensive.

The most prevalent method is strip heat, which is incorporated in the indoor unit (air handler) portion of your air conditioning system. This will do the job over most heating seasons, but it can be quite costly to operate if the season is cooler or longer than normal, also some owners are not physically comfortable due to the drying effect from the strip heat on their skin.

For the most comfort on your body and your pocket book is a heat pump system or, also referred to as a reverse-cycle system. This is the process  for your system to provide cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. Initial cost is more but you will save the money back through power bill savings. Fact is, a heat pump is approximately four times more efficient than electric strip heat.

Mold and Your Air Conditioning System

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A well trained air conditioning contractor is your indoor air quality (IAQ) specialist when addressing cooling, basic filtration and ventilation for your home. But when it comes to air particle testing, taking mold samples, biological identification, mold remediation or health issues, you should look to a specialist for help. These tests are outside the licensing and expertise of a typical air conditioning contractor.

At what point can mold become a threat? Mold has been called “Mother Nature’s reclaiming process.” Mold spores are literally everywhere. A typical healthy house is host to tens of thousands of mold spores. The problem begins when mold spores find an environment where they can reproduce exponentially. Mold needs moisture to grow. Control the moisture and you can control mold growth. Good housekeeping keeps it in check, the problem is often easily cleaned up.

In rare cases mold can be caused by your air conditioning system due to lack of maintenance, clogged or leaking drain lines etc. These air conditioning related causes can usually be corrected by a qualified air conditioning contractor.

Beware of scare tactics from a service person when he/she tells you how ‘mold infested’ your system is. This is referred to by air conditioning contractors as “black gold.” (Money-makers!)

Air Conditioning’s Biggest Winners & Losers

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Your goal of living in sub-tropical paradise Southwest Florida should be to live in the most comfortable home environment possible, at the least monthly cost to you.

How to be the BIGGEST WINNER:

  • Check with friends and neighbors (good starting point!)
  • Choose a company that follows the guidelines of this website.
  • Find an air conditioning company with the most integrity and knowledge. Find this through BBB.
  • The homeowner who now knows that it’s the cost to own (purchase cost, monthly energy cost, service repair cost, and personal comfort) VS. the cost to buy.

How to be the BIGGEST LOSER:

  • You purchased a 20 SEER system from a “10 SEER company.”

Why was this site developed?

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To educate and inform “Homeowners of Southwest Florida” before they make a huge mistake. A mistake happens when you are uninformed or uneducated about air conditioning. We want to fix that problem so you do not make any mistakes. A purchase of a new air conditioning system is a fifteen year commitment, so you better have a good idea of what you are buying. Unfortunately, not all HVAC contractors have you, the homeowner, as their #1 priority.

Contacting a consumer help-hotline or the Better Business Bureau AFTER the fact is too late!

Basic knowledge contained on this website include:

“The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from the memory.”

Also included are some inside trade secrets:

Consumer protection help is available through BBB . Check  BBB reviews for added knowledge and peace of mind.

Warranty Nightmares

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Trying to make sense of your air conditioning system warranty?

The basic facts about most system warranties are as follows:

Base Limited Warranty
Typical “manufacturer” warranties have:

  • 1 year parts
  • 5 year compressor

Some may offer

  • 5 year parts
  • 5 year compressor

In most cases, this warranty coverage stays with the product, disregarding ownership.

Registered Warranty

Typical “manufacturer” registered limited warranties have:

  • 10 year parts
  • 10 year compressor
  • Must be registered within a certain amount of days after installation date.
  • Homeowners are responsible to register their AC system.

Note: Registered warranty as of July 2024, is now based on property location not home owner status. (If you purchase a system and sell property. The registered warranty is still in effect for the new home owners.)

Some manufacturers will not allow your installing contractor to complete registration for you. If a contractor says they have provided this service for you, make sure you receive and keep any documentation or registration certificates.

Note: The above warranties cover “parts” only.

We have provided you with a list of specific brands for you to look up or register your equipment HERE.

Extended Labor Warranty

Most manufacturers have additional warranties that are available. This optional purchased extended labor warranty is designed to cover all the “not covered” items, such as:

  • Labor
  • Freight charges
  • Refrigerant
  • Handling fees

How do you register equipment?

You can register equipment online. A confirmation email will be sent to your e-mail address that is provided during registration.

What information do you need to register your equipment?

  • Model number of each unit (indoor & outdoor models)
  • Serial number of each unit (indoor & outdoor models)
  • Date of installation
  • Your name & address (where equipment is installed)
  • Contractor’s name, address & phone number
  • Confirmation of your e-mail address

Warranty Lookup and Registration

We have provided you with a list of specific brands for you
to look up or register your equipment ABOVE.