HG1 & HG2 - Fieldpiece Instruments
Contents
1. system operating pressure with the filter installed and no TrueFlow grid This is the NSOP and is measured using the static pressure probe included with the TrueFlow plate Grid Size Default 14 inches Other selection 20 inches Choose the grid size you are using Grid Pressure This is the TFSOP and is measured using the TrueFlow plate GRANT If you are working under a grant you must add ad ditional information about the system to qualify for the grant In parts of the United States CheckMe is used to qualify for tax rebates and or financial incentives These programs have specific requirements that will be available in the HG2 Residential and commercial air conditioning con stitutes about 15 and 33 peak of the electricity con sumed in this country Utilities or regulatory commit tees often offer grants to motivate consumers to save energy In order to participate in these grants a technician will usually have to work through a third party verifier Contact your local utility to learn on how to become a grant participant Test Default Initial The other selection is After Re pair Grant Default None Other selections will be avail able as grants are included Some grants require dif ferent calculations securely seated with the sensor in contact with the suction line If working on a package unit make sure you are at least 6 inches away from the compressor LL Pressure liquid line press2. Actual Evap Exit DB Temp Actual Evaporator Exit Dry Bulb Temperature This is the measured temperature of the air in the supply The Actual Evap Exit DB Temp should be within 3 F of the Target Evap Exit DB Temp If the temperature is outside of this range the technician should make modifications to correct the problem An Actual Evap Exit DB Temp above the Target Evap Exit DB Temp usually indicates low capacity Occasionally airflow is higher than expected Look for causes of low capacity such as refrigerant mis charge or dirty condenser coil If the airflow is high correct by lowering the fan speed Because everything within the system is inter de pendent one adjustment can affect other parts of the system For example increasing airflow increases the superheat which may require adding refrigerant After modifications allow 15 minutes to stabilize and then retest Can be measured automatically with Fieldpiece accessory heads 59 Customer ID is useful for record keeping 325 0 Units can be changed to either English Units Enolish or Metric Figure 4 INPUT FORM for Target Evaporator Exit Temperature Into Evap Return Dry Bulb and Wet Bulb Take measurements as close to the inlet of the air handler as possible If the filter is just before the air handler the easiest way is to clip an ATWB1 and ATAI to the filter on the side facing the evaporator and take the measurements If the filter is not before
3. Transferring Tests From the PC to the HVAC Guide Tester 3 Ifyou want to change where the files are located on your PC press the Browse button Browse the PC 1 Press the Transfer arrow pointing left for a folder containing files for transfer the HVAC Guide tester and click Select Cur Dir to bring those files to the transfer screen HVAC Guide Main From Technician Adolfo Wurts Look in O Raw Data jobsite KI 4 technician My Recent JL 00 T010100000000 Documents 005H010100000000 SL 005700 10 100000000 8 L 00ET010100000000 ajx Desktop Data Transfer My Documents PL My Computer a File name 2 My Network Files of type All Files 2 2 Highlight the files you wish to transfer to the HVAC Guide tester and press Transfer to send O Files ar for transfer ro PC to HVAC Guide JETS Adolfo Wurts L DDETO10100000000 L000 SuperHeat 2001 01 00 Adolfo Wurts O0SHO10100000000 Files applicable for transfer from _ the destination folder on PC Other Operations with PC Software Editing Jobsite Information You will get to the Editing Jobsite screen when transferring data from the HVAC Guide tester to the PC when the Customer ID is not in the PC database You can also edit jobsite information in the data base by clicking on Setup the
4. Target SC Subcooling Indicates what the subcool ing should be from the manufacturer s specifications The HVAC Guide tester uses a built in conservative estimate when manufacturers specifications are not available Actual SC Subcooling Displays the subcooling calcu lated from the measured liquid line temperature and liquid line pressure Boiling Point This is the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the condenser coil It is one of the tem peratures from which subcooling is calculated The Actual SC subcooling should be within 3 F of the Target SC for correct refrigerant charge Tem peratures outside of this range indicate that you need to make adjustments Adding refrigerant increases your Actual SC Re covering refrigerant decreases your Actual SC The amount of refrigerant necessary to add or recover will vary based on the size of the system and the difference between the Actual and Target SC Because everything is inter dependent changes in one part of the system affect other parts of the system For ex ample increasing airflow decreases the subcooling which may require adding refrigerant After modifications allow 15 minutes for the system to stabilize and then retest Supply Plenum Figure 17 CO measurement of flue gas for the Combustion Test using an ACM3 Carbon Monoxide Head and the pump that s included with the AOX2 Combustion Check Head 4 1 Combustion Combustion Test helps
5. Battery AA x 6 Operating environment 0 C 32 F to 50 C 122 F at lt 70 R H Storage temperature 20 C 4 F to 60 C 140 F to 80 R H with battery removed from meter Dimensions 210mm 8 27in H x 80mm 3 15in W x 30mm 1 18in D Weight approx 400g 0 88lb including battery John Proctor and Title 24 John Proctor and Proctor Engineering have been working with Fieldpiece Instruments to create a better tool for the diagnosis of air conditioning systems in the real world Proctor s research exposed the need for tun ing air conditioners and prompted legislators to add the procedures to Title 24 John Proctor is a professional engineer 1965 gradu ate of MIT and wrote most of the residential cooling section of California s Title 24 This work was based on his close association with journeymen technicians work ing on air conditioners in residences and small commer cial buildings and his scientific research monitoring the actual performance of systems installed in homes and commercial buildings across North America Proctor s research confirmed that the vast majority of air conditioners were working well below their de signed efficiency were experiencing premature failures and were responsible for customer dissatisfaction and expensive call backs The cause was the widespread use of rules of thumb and incorrect adjustment techniques His research combined with others prompted regulators to add M
6. livering the proper heating 5 1002 Capacity unknown check capacity The TrueFlow inputs outdoor unit entering temperature return plenum temperature and supply plenum tem perature need to be measured before determining ca pacity 5 1003 Low capacity defrost outside coil or ad just charge and retest Verify that the outside coil is not frosted or iced Frost reduces the capacity of the heat pump If the unit is not frosted adjust the refrig erant charge per the manufacturer s specification 5 1004 High temp split make sure strip heat is NOT on Check amperage to the electric strip heat ers to verify they are turned off 5 802 Condensing unit amps unknown check condensing unit amps The outdoor unit amp draw was not measured 5 803 High outdoor amp draw probable exces sive compressor friction Check other possible causes of high amp draw low condenser airflow and refrigerant overcharge before condemning the com pressor Check that condenser coils and fins are clean aligned and free of nearby obstructions 5 804 Low outdoor amp draw possible com pressor valve or motor problem Check the re frigerant charge before condemning the compressor 5 9 Cooling Capacity The heat rejection at the outside unit is another mea surement that gives indication of the health of the com pressor as well as other potential problems 5 901 Condesner capacity OK The condenser is delivering the proper capacity 5 902 Low
7. or Geothermal Nom Ton Nominal tonnage of the A C system INDOOR UNIT All temperature and pressure measurements must be taken after the unit reaches steady state generally 15 minutes of continuous operation Metering Device Default TXV EXV Other selec tion Fixed ID Volt indoor unit voltage Default 120V 1 phase Other selections 240V 1 phase 240V 3 phase 460V 3 phase or 575V 3 phase Return DB dry bulb and Return WB wet bulb Take measurements very close or within the return air side of the inlet to the air handler not at the re turn grill since temperatures change by the time the air reaches the indoor coil Wet the wet bulb sen sor AT WB1 and insert it after 15 minutes of con tinuous running Insert the dry bulb sensor ATA1 through the same hole They can be clipped together on the downstream side of the filter if the filter is just before the air handler Watch the wet bulb temperature it will drop and then stabilize The wet bulb temperature is the sta bilized reading If the sensor starts to dry out the reading will rise and the wrong temperature will be recorded If the filter is not directly upstream of the air handler make small holes in the return plenum just big enough for the probes Seal any holes before leaving the jobsite TrueFlow Default NO If NO skip ahead to the Grant section Answering YES unlocks the inputs for this section Supply Plenum Press Without Grid TrueFlow
8. Combustion test built into the Other Operations with PC Software 61 HVAC Guide tester to determine if you have the right Air Conditioning Basics 2 64 air fuel mixture by analyzing the combustion products Combustion Basics 25 66 You can then make adjustments to make sure the equip Product Specifications 68 ment works as it should Limited Warranty 07 69 The CheckMe test model HG2 only is a much Obtaining Service eee S 70 more sophisticated air conditioner test procedure that Disclaimer 02 c geen ZI aaa 70 will help diagnose more complex problems by looking John Proctor and Title 24 7 2 3 ce BAL 71 at the air conditioning system as a whole Do it right the first time do it faster do it easier do it more completely and avoid call backs in the process Copyright Fieldpiece Instruments 2007 HVAC GUIDE Tester Controls Input Jacks Connect accessory heads here Input Button you to the INPUT EB waw 3 CONNECT ONLY TO ACCESSORY HEADS Dot Matrix LCD Display PC Cable Interface PC cable plugs into the bottom to transfer data Displays INPUT FORMS and OUTPUT FORMS Output Button Triggers calculations and takes you to the OUTPUT FORM Enter Button Makes a selection or enters data Battery Cover After POWER OFF clears unscrew the two screws to re
9. Information About Click on About from the Setup drop down menu to view the About screen The latest firmware and software will be available at www Fieldpiece com PC software version 0 33 Used 055 of 200 counts 72 memory remains on HVAC Guide Firmware version 0 29 Number of tests saved on the HVAC Guide tester 0 0 0 0 90 A il 4 Co n d i t 0 n n 6 3 6 5 is controlled by the throttle valve 0020001108 measure ments are taken on the liquid line between the condens er and TXV EXV Then the subcooled liquid enters the The Evaporator Condenser Restrictor Throttling restrictor and the cycle starts again valve and Compressor are the four basic components of an air conditioner Following one pound of refriger ant through the system shows the function of each com ponent Subcooled liquid refrigerant at high pressure enters the restrictor and is throttled to saturated refrigerant at a lower pressure The restrictor can be of either a fixed or TXV EXV type The fixed type must be charged to a tar get superheat that varies with indoor and outdoor con ditions The evaporator capacity varies with the indoor r raion heat load on a fixed restrictor The TXV EXV regulates ith AS the size of the restriction to maintain a constant super NP heat This essentially adjusts the capacity of the evapora Os tor responding to the indoor heat load TXV EXV sys
10. PC You will be taken to the Com Port Setup screen if there is any error in communicating with the HVAC Guide tester while starting the program l COM Port Setup Only attempt to manually select the COM port if the Auto Detect has failed and you are sure the meter is connected and ready Manual Selechon for communication The oa COM port used can be found in the hardware Figure 32 COM Port Setup Connect HVAC Guide and press AUTO DETECT recommended or select the COM port from the drop down menu wizard Reconnect the HVAC Guide tester select Com with PC press ENTER and press AUTO Detect to re establish the connection with the HVAC Guide tester You can look in the Windows Hardware Wizard to see if the HVAC Guide tester is communicating properly with the PC and to troubleshoot the driver if it is not Editing Technician Information You can edit technician information in the database by clicking on Setup then Edit Technician from the drop down menu Using the Name select drop down menu select tech nician from the list or Select to create a new technician Click to browse for company logo for technician Edit Technicain Name select Logo for the company v I Set this Defult C Documents and Settings Name Company Administrator My Documents HVAC Guide Yobsites Files Fieldpiece jpg Sj Logosize 68 165 Y fes i Fait Technican Figure 30 Editing Technician
11. The algorithms built into CheckMe are based on the real world servicing of over 150 000 air con ditioners The testing procedure and accuracy of the diagnosis have been refined over many years by Proc tor Engineering The CheckMe switch position is a real time saver because it can give you a more accurate diagnosis than looking at individual aspects of the air conditioner The CheckMe has 35 diagnoses which will help you pinpoint the problem with the air conditioning system In addition to giving you better diagnoses the CheckMe test will ensure that you have filled in the form completely and warns you if conditions are un likely to exist or impossible In these cases you will want to retake some measurements CheckMe will analyze the system with almost any amount of data The more information supplied to the program the more accurate and comprehensive the di agnosis CheckMe determines the current state of the equipment Therefore you can pretest equipment prior to any repairs 3 CheckMe is the registered trademark of Proctor Engineering Group Ltd Supply DB dry bulb leaving the indoor coil Mea sure in the center of the supply plenum Make a small hole in the supply plenum and insert a cali brated dry bulb thermocouple such as the ATA1 or ATB1 Determine the average air temperature in the supply plenum OUTDOOR UNIT Refrigerant Default R 22 Other selections R410A R 134A R 404A R 407C R 40
12. ay ne eee ASX14 to the liquid line service port Set the acces subcooling when available sory head to measure pressure and ensure the read ing stabilizes before locking in the reading Enter data manually if you want to get pressure from your gauges The analysis is only as good as the measure Figure 12 Subcooling Test INPUT FORM question ments The Fieldpiece ASX14 has better resolution than most gauge sets Target SC must be entered from the LL Temp liquid line temperature Measure near the INPUT FORM WITH same location LL Pressure was taken Use the ATCI Manufacturer s Data Refrigerant R 22 Can be measured automatically with ATC2 or ATC3 to get a good pipe temperature The Target SDi Fieldpiece accessory heads 1 h d b areal d LL Pressure clamp shou 6 perpendicular to the pipe an equipment specifications emp 106 2 Customer IDs JONES 23 Units can be changed to either English should be securely seated with the sensor in contact eS or Metric with the liquid line If working on a package unit make sure you are at least 6 inches away from the Figure 13 Subcooling Test INPUT FORM with Manufacturer s Data compressor Without manufacturer s recommended subcooling data the HVAC Guide tester makes a conservative Target SC estimate INPUT FORM WITHOUT Manufacturer s Data Refrigerant R 22 Can be measured automatically with FI Fieldpiece accessory heads Current time
13. exit temperature as outlined in CA title 24 Superheat For a fixed restrictor air conditioning sys tem the HVAC Guide tester uses the indoor wet bulb and outside dry bulb to calculate a target su perheat and uses the suction line temperature and pressure to calculate actual superheat Subcooling For a TXV EXV air conditioning system the HVAC Guide tester uses liquid line tempera ture and pressure to calculate actual subcooling If the manufacture s target subcooling is not available the HVAC Guide tester provides a conservative estimate Combustion For combustion equipment the HVAC Guide tester uses O flue temperature primary temperature and CO ppm to calculate CO Ex cess Air CO air free Net Temperature Standard Efficiency and Siegert Efficiency CheckMe model HG2 This is a more advanced test for determining the overall state of an air con ditioning system The CheckMe test will give you a diagnosis of the system in plain English and a list of potential problems in the system Read the OUTPUT FORM OUTPUT FORM Target SH SH Eoiling Pointi TEE Figure 2 OUTPUT FORM for the Superheat test To display the OUTPUT FORM fill in the INPUT FORM correctly and press the OUTPUT button or scroll down If the INPUT FORM is missing inputs the appropriate lines on the OUTPUT FORM will be blank If the data entered on the INPUT FORM is out of range or phy
14. is set within TIME switch Units Bobo Br feof2bu7 1 4 K position see page 52 Figure 14 Subcooling Test INPUT FORM without Manufacturer s Data Does the manufacturer have a recommended subcooling Default Yes Always answer YES if you have a manufacturers recommended subcooling Other selection NO will use a conservative estimate for Target SC Subcooling Figure 15 ATC1 pipe clamp thermocouple R attached to a pipe correctly Refrigerant Default R 22 Other selections R410A R 134A R 404A R 407C R 409A R 408A R 507A R 414B Hotshot R 422C Oneshot R 422B NU222B or R 12 Superheat and Subcooling FAQ Part 2 continued from page 21 Q What if my ACTUAIS are far different from my TARGETS but the system seems to be running properly A Many poor performing systems have actual super heat subcooling measurements well outside the tar get The system may be drastically overcharged or undercharged Comparing actual superheat subcool ing readings with the manufacturer s equipment spe cific target superheat subcooling often confirms the systems condition Sometimes there is something else wrong Make sure the system has been in operation for at least 15 minutes and is stable Make sure it continues to operate throughout the test Take your readings in as short of a time period as possible Things can change even for a system that appears stable Make sure your test equipmen
15. not taken with an accessory head by pressing the RIGHT arrow and then character by character use the UP DOWN arrows and the RIGHT arrow to type in the value When finished press ENTER Tar get Evaporator Exit Temperature test has no system data to enter How to Connect an Accessory Head ATH4 on HVAC Guide tester What Accessory Heads Do 7 Refer to the chart below to find the recommend ed accessory head and thermocouple for each mea surement Automatically input measurements with Fieldpiece accessory heads for maximum accuracy or ee input from non 7 test ae E N dace TEST MEASUREMENT 4 6 6 z Target PUNDE TA SASA Return WerBulble fel Supply DryBulble jel Superheat OD Dry Bulo e IDWetBulo fef e stPressure sttemp je fel Subcooling Heese ittemp je fel Combustion SA 62000000 mem cod fe TT Wa Tle LLL Le Check Me Return DryBulble 0 mode Return Wet Bulble fe Supply Dry Bulble fe Sup Plen Pres fe RetPlen Press lef st Pressure Je SLTemp fet fel itPressure fe iitemp fe fel TEE Enter Temp With optional aspirator pump model AOXP2 included with the AOX2 head 6 Thermocouple is included with recommended head Included with the HVAC Guide teste
16. one of the primary CheckMe 0 7 34 reasons for call backs It can cause compressor noise Advanced Operations Mes SAA 50 shorten compressor life and lower capacity Using the 6 J a a 20 built in Superheat and Subcooling tests the HVAC Memory MEM 4 a 22 ee 50 Guide tester leads the technician through a step by Units 5 5 0 ye 51 step procedure to determine if the refrigerant charge Customer ID 3 51 is correct With the proper accessory heads no calcula Clearing a single input or INPUT FORM 52 tions charts or data entry are needed Saving Data serer Miadi oe Wa aaa aaa 52 Improper airflow can cause customers to complain Recalling Saved Tests m 200 KUUBANA 53 that they are too hot or too cold Once you ve checked Contrast Adjustment 53 the duct system for restrictions and leaks adjust the air PC Softwares ias Mace EA 54 flow with the Target Evaporator Exit Temperature pro Installing the PC Software RA a eee 54 cedure thats built into the HVAC Guide tester Communicating witha PC ee 55 An improperly adjusted furnace or water heater will Transfer Tests from the HVAC Guide Tester to a PC 56 cause your customers to call you and complain about Transfer Tests From the PC to the HVAC Guide Tester 58 the temperature being too cold or the hot water not be Looking at Downloaded Data 60 ing hot enough Use the
17. tems must be charged to subcooling After the restrictor refrigerant enters the evaporator at a low temperature and pressure and boils evaporates into a gas by absorbing heat from the indoor air The re frigerant stays at the same temperature and pressure un til all the refrigerant evaporates into a gas After the re frigerant becomes a gas it will become superheated and the temperature will change The superheat measure ment is the best indication of refrigerant charge level in a fixed restrictor system and a TXV EXV system will keep the superheat constant There must be superheat present to ensure liquid does not flood the compressor Superheat measurements are taken on the suction line between the evaporator and compressor CONDENSER EVAPORATOR The compressor takes this low temperature low pressure slightly superheated refrigerant and compress es it into a much higher temperature and pressure The highly superheated gas enters the condenser 5 and rejects heat into the outside air The refrigerant condenses back into a liquid Once all of the gas is con densed into a liquid then additional removal of heat s causes a temperature drop known as subcooling TXV Figure 33 The Refrigeration Diamond EXV systems are charged to subcooling since superheat COMPRESSOR Supply A Plenum Figure 34 Entering the CO measurement for the Combustion Test us ing an ACM3 Carbon Monoxide Head and the pump
18. that s included with the AOX2 Combustion Check Head Below is Fig 4 9 from the book Combustion Analy sis and Fuel Efficiency Erik Rasmussen ESCO Press 2007 Orygen Increase Carbon Dioxide Increase Excess Air Increase Combustion Basics Combustion is the rapid ozidation of fuel Ozygen from air 20 9 oxygen amp 79 1 Nitrogen is used to burn fuel producing heat The appliances installed and serviced by technicians rely on clean efficient flames to produce the energy needed to heat homes and hot water etc Combustion testing is necessary to maximize the ef ficiency of the combustion systems and to minimize the harmful emissions produced Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions are products of combustion Proper tuning of the combustion pro cess by combustion testing will reduce the production of harmful carbon monoxide and decrease the amount of fuel burned through the increase in efficiency Combustion efficiency can typically be increased by creating a more balanced Air to Fuel ratio The ratio of air to fuel determines how much CO is produced and how efficient the flame is Tuning of the O3 CO excess air stack temperature and temperature rise to match the appliance manufac turers specifications will increase the efficiency and help to maximize the performance and life expectancy of the equipment A properly tuned atmospheric natural gas or pro pane fired appliance will have approxi
19. turn DB and Return WB sections for detailed instruc tions on how to take these measurements properly 5 5 Refrigerant Charge Incorrect refrigerant charge is the most common problem with air conditioners and heat pumps There are widespread poor practices and misinformation regarding refrigerant levels The primary method specified by major manufactur ers for non TXV fixed metering device systems is su perheat The superheat needs to be matched to the target superheat which changes with indoor and outdoor condi tions The optimum refrigerant charge as indicated by su perheat is affected by the airflow across both coils Repair any airflow problems before setting the final refrigerant charge The primary method for TXV or EXV systems is subcooling The subcooling needs to be matched to the target subcooling The target subcooling is usually on the manufacturer s ID plate along with the model and serial numbers For heat pumps it is best to set the refrigerant levels in the summer in the cooling mode The HG2 can also check the capacity of heat pumps in the winter as an indi cator of correct refrigerant charge 5 514 Overcharged remove refrigerant until actual superheat reaches target superheat There is too much refrigerant in the system The amount of refrigerant necessary to recover will vary based on the size of the system and the difference be tween Target and Actual superheat 5 515 Possible low evaporator capacity
20. with test data The time cannot be altered once data is taken therefore setting up the time before tak ing data is important to maintain records in the correct order The TIME is shown on the bottom of the LCD on most INPUT FORMs e Rotate the dial to the TIME switch position e Press RIGHT arrow to change time if needed e LEFT and RIGHT arrows cycle through month day year military clock and minutes e UPand DOWN arrows adjusts e Press ENTER to set time Memory MEM From the Memory switch position you can delete a single test entire customer file or all data You can also check your version of firmware to see if you are up to date and your memory status to see how much memory you have left You can also communicate with the PC and transfer data to and from with the Com with PC option See page 56 for more details PLT LE Brace 5 single Test Erase CustomerID Check 4 Status Clear all Data lersion cabout Com mith 7 Figure Screenshot of Memory MEM switch Recalling Saved Tests While in the desired test press the RECALL but ton to access previously saved test data Highlight the Customer ID from the list and press ENTER and then highlight the date and time of the test you wish to recall and press ENTER again The INPUT FORM for that switch position will then be populated with the previous tests data No Outputs are saved on the HVAC Guide tester they are simply recalculated from th
21. 12 HVAC GUIDE i7 Uif g a 4 GUIDED PROBE TESTER 2 re inn 6 m WA T 2 ui ro rs oe 9 ae _ F PF rT HVAC GUIDE Tester Table of Contents Field Manual ae HG1 8 HG2 Table of Content ta HVAC Guide Tester Controls 4 ate Select the Test Switch Positions 6 Do it right the first time Fill in the INPUT FORM wa 4 001 ace 8 Read the OUTPUT ae een 9 Minimize call backs Reduce testing and diagno What Accessory Heads Do Need 10 sis time Improve the technicians technical capability How to Connect an Accessory Head 11 Minimize reliance on outside technical help The HVAC TEStS cc cece cee ee ec Boa aah Okc 12 Guide Guided Probe Tester can do all that and more Target Evaporator Exit Temperature 12 The display leads the technician step by step through Superheat 7 16 the most common HVAC tests It then makes a diagno Superheat and Subcooling FAQ part 1 21 sis and recommends action The HVAC Guide tester Subcooling 08 en 22 makes the service call or installation faster easier clean Superheat and Subcooling FAQ part 2 27 er and more complete Combustion 02 Siesese gt 28 Improper refrigerant charge is
22. 9A R 408A R 507A R 414B Hotshot R 422C Oneshot R 422B NU222B or R 12 Rated Amps Rated amperage of the outside unit This can be found on the nameplate along with the outdoor voltage and the refrigerant OD Volts outdoor unit voltage Default 240V 1 phase Other selections 120V 1 phase 240V 3 phase 460V 3 phase or 575V 3 phase Target Subcool Manufacturers recommended subcooling for TXV EXV systems This varies by manufacturer and may also change depending on weather conditions Always charge to the equip ment manufacturer s specifications when available If no target subcooling is available then the HVAC Guide tester will make a conservative estimate SL Pressure suction line pressure Connect the ASX14 to the suction side service port Select pres sure mode on the ASX14 head The system must be stabilized before taking the measurements Enter data manually if you want to get pressure from your gauges The analysis is only as good as the measure ments The Fieldpiece ASX14 has better resolution than most gauge sets SL Temp suction line temperature Measure near SL service port within 6 inches Use the ATC1 ATC2 or ATC3 to get a good pipe temperature The clamp should be perpendicular to the pipe and should be CheckMe INPUT FORM Sys Type System Type Default AC Air Condition ing Other selections H Pump Heat heat pump in heating mode H Pump Cool heat pump in cool ing mode
23. Proctor Engineering Proctor Engineering Phone 415 451 2480 Fax 415 451 2491 418 Mission Avenue San Rafael CA 94901 For Help with the PC Software or general How to Use questions as well as Warranty Repair Issues contact Fieldpiece Instruments www fieldpiece com Disclaimer Neither this book nor the HVAC Guide tester makes you an expert in HVAC The purpose of the HVAC Guide tester and this manual is to make the necessary tests to optimize an air conditioner easier and to refresh your memory on how to perform those tests This book and the HVAC Guide tester by no means replace experience or completion of an HVAC program from a school Standard 1 2 mis igi TIT Fpa ds Ti oN EA zik JONES1z cr i a ee TEL
24. SSOR SES ee 3 1 Subcooling Subcooling is the temperature decrease below the boiling point same as the condensing point in the con denser Too high and refrigerant condenses too early in the condenser and wastes most of the capacity of the condenser Too low and a mixture of gas and liquid can be delivered to the expansion valve reducing efficiency Subcooling is the best way to obtain proper refriger ant charge fora TXV EXV system If the air conditioner is in good working order and the airflow is adjusted properly comparing the actual and target subcooling will tell you if refrigerant needs to be added or recovered ensure the pressure never ex ceeds the manufacturer s maximum overload pressure guidelines In a properly working TXV EXV system the super heat is held constant Ensure the TXV EXV bulb is in stalled properly there is proper refrigerant to obtain tar get subcooling and there are no liquid line restrictions Adjust refrigerant charge so that the actual subcooling is within 3 F of target subcooling Figure 11 Using the ASX14 Superheat Subcooling Head to gather iquid ine temperature and pressure for the HVAC Guide tester Subcooling Test 3 2 Subcooling INPUT FORM Target SC WITH Manufacturer s Data Man ually input the manufacturer s target subcooling Answering Yes or No takes you toa LL Pressure liquid line pressure Connect the different INPUT FORM Always use e eee
25. The evaporator is suspected of being unable to deliver the cooling load necessary to maintain the desired indoor conditions Check the refrigerant charge most com mon clean the evaporator and or condenser coils and verify that the indoor airflow is correct 5 516 Probable oversized metering orifice con sult manufacturer s specifications The me tering orifice is probably letting too much refriger ant through Check that the orifice is sized properly Find the metering device part number and obtain the orifice size from the manufacturer or distributor and verify the size is appropriate for the air conditioner 5 517 Probable undercharge add refrigerant There is probably insufficient refrigerant in the sys tem The amount of refrigerant necessary to add will vary based on the size of the system and the difference between Target and Actual superheat sub cooling 5 518 Superheat too high for TXV check liquid line for restriction If there is a liquid line restric tion then the TXV EXV will be unable to maintain a proper superheat Make sure the service shut off valves are open Check the liquid line for kinks or sections that may have been stepped on or crushed Check for a large temperature difference between the liquid line at the compressor and at the metering device 5 519 Superheat too low for TXV check TXV to ensure proper functioning If the TXV EXV is not set properly then the TXV EXV will be unable to maintain a prope
26. anufacturer approved procedures to Califor nia s Title 24 During the course of Proctor s work with techni cians it became apparent that a straightforward system to support and assist technicians in correctly imple menting these techniques in the real world was needed This spawned the CheckMe program the first third party computerized expert system for technicians CheckMe is based on data collected from over 150 000 real world residential and commercial air conditioning systems over 1 000 laboratory tests on a wide variety of makes and models and thousands of hours of data from monitored units operating in the field and over 18 years of continous refinement In 1989 John Proctor founded Proctor Engineering Group to focus on methods of improving air condition ers The company is based in San Rafael California and is in continual contact with CheckMe certified techni cians from coast to coast Obtaining Service Prior to sending the meter in for repair try tak ing the batteries out and reinstalling them or replacing them Send the meter freight prepaid to Fieldpiece Instru ments For warranty service send proof of date and lo cation of purchase For out of warranty service send 100 check or money order The meter will be repaired or replaced at the option of Fieldpiece and returned via same shipping service speed as shipped to Fieldpiece For Help with the CheckMe switch position mod el HG2 contact
27. asmussen continues to stay current on all tech nologies and procedures through the operation of his own service organization Stack Temperature _ 90 140 F The following tables show acceptable results from the Combustion Test for different types of equipment For all combustion equipment ANSI Manufacturing Standards recommends carbon monoxide CO should be below 400PPM in the flue Technical Standards and Safety Authority recommends repair above 100PPM in the flue Oxygen 02 Stack Temperature Oxygen 02 Stack Temperature 90 140 F Oxygen 02 Stack Temperature 275 500 F Oxygen 02 Stack Temperature 325500 Oxygen 02 Stack Temperature _400 600 F Oxygen 02 2 From Carbon Monoxide a Clear and Present Danger Third Edition Dwyer Leatherman Manclark Kimball Rasmussen ESCO Press 2003 5 2 CheckMe INPUT FORM Overview THPUT FORM EPERE AC oF General iets type of om Ton ATon 0 CHET system and the nominal tonnage Meter Device AUER ID Unlts 126U 1 phase Return DBs 58 3 Can be measured automatically with eh Jat Fieldpiece accessory heads OUTDOOR UNIT Retri oe ated Ame 1 1 1 phase Target Subcool 15 6 F SL Pressure 64 2psiq 41 8 F True Flow The measurements are Supply Plenum Press only visible if you select Yes for True Without Grid 8 7 IWC Flow These are manual inputs Grid Size Customer ID is useful for record
28. condenser capacity check charge retest This unit is rejecting less heat than expected Check the refrigerant charge repair if needed and re test 5 903 Low condenser capacity check compres sor amps and coil saturation temperatures Full diagnosis of this situation requires a complete set of data including compressor amps high and low side pressures and liquid and suction line temperatures Units On every INPUT FORM there is a Units line The default is English units Metric units can be used by pressing the RIGHT arrow when Units is highlighted Scroll Up or DOWN to toggle between English and Metric units Press ENTER to lock in your selection The HVAC Guide tester will convert any measurements you have taken when units are changed mid test CUSTOMER ID On every INPUT FORM there is a Customer ID line used for record keeping and long term customer tracking Press ENTER when CUSTOMER ID is high lighted to select a previously saved Customer ID To enter a new unsaved Customer ID press the RIGHT arrow when CUSTOMER ID is highlighted Now adjust the value character by character using the UP DOWN arrows and the RIGHT arrow When fin ished press ENTER to input the new Customer ID CUS TOMERIDS H Sia Harom BE Braxton Brextonm Hz Chris HE Figure 23 Selecting a previously saved Customer ID Advanced Operations Time The internal clock is the basis for the time stamps saved
29. d return plenum static pressures can be used to diagnose the causes of low airflow 5 406 Low capacity or possible high airflow measure airflow directly The temperature split is low This usually means that the capacity of the system has been reduced due to incorrect refrig erant charge Higher than expected airflow is rare but does occur occasionally Measuring the airflow directly would identify if high airflow is the cause of the low temperature split OUTPUT FORM arge The dia charge of likeli aus are displayed in order ood Low airflow increase airflow until actual temp split matches target temp split Actual temp split is iS F and target temp split is 10 F Possible ovarcharae possibly remove refrigerant Condenser airflow OF Qutdeor amp draw OF ane Shows you where in this manual See Sections 3 583 you can get more information about 2 584 3 089 5 781 1 what the diagnosis means and how 0 001 for more details to correct the problems Figure 21 CheckMe QUTPUT FORM Press the OUTPUT for the CheckMe OUTPUT FORM The diagnoses and recommendations are listed in order with the most likely diagnosis first Because all parts of an A C system are inter depen dent changes made to one part of the system can af fect other parts of the system For example increasing airflow may increase the superheat which may require adding refrigerant To be effic
30. de tester is detected If not click Au to Detect on the Data Transfer screen Click the red arrow pointing to the PC in order to transfer data to the PC Click on desired files to transfer to the PC and click the Transfer to PC button Close window when transfer is complete To open the files go to My Documents HVAC Guide Jobsite Files The files will be listed by their Customer IDs 5 10 11 Installing the PC Software To install the HVAC Guide tester software onto your PC insert the CD into the CD ROM drive The installation window should pop up automatically If not manually open the CD contents through My Computer Click the grey button next to Install PC Software Follow the on screen instructions For your PC to recognize the HVAC Guide tester a driver must be installed Click on the grey but ton next to Install USB Driver from the installa tion window No new window will pop up on your screen Exit out of the installation screen 1 Communicating with a PC Make sure the HVAC Guide tester is off Plug the IR2 USB cable into the bottom of the HVAC Guide tester Plug the USB end of the IR2 USB cable into a USB port of your PC Turn the dial to MEM on the HVAC Guide tes ter Scroll down to Com with PC and press ENTER 1 Transferring Tests from the HVAC Guide Tester to a PC 3 If you want to change where the files are saved to press the B
31. e saved inputs CUS TOMERID H HE Haron HA Braxton HA raston Hs Chris Figure 27 Selecting which test time to Recall Contrast Adjustment To adjust the contrast level of the display hold the BACKLIGHT button until the Contrast Adjustment Screen shows Press UP and DOWN arrows to adjust and ENTER to set Clearing a single input or INPUT FORM Press CLEAR when an input is highlighted to erase a single input Hold the CLEAR button for three seconds and select Yes to clear an entire INPUT FORM CLEAR Superheat Form TRE Figure 24 Deleting the entire INPUT FORM of a Superheat Test Saving Data Press the SAVE button and press ENTER while Yes is highlighted when in an INPUT FORM to save test data Test data is saved along with Customer ID and a time stamp You will be prompted to input a Customer ID before saving SHUE Superhest Analysis Data Fori CustomerID 1 Time l 1 1 2007 3 PC Software Communicating with a PC continued Launch the HVAC Guide tester software from your Desktop or the Start menu on your PC Ww pp HP Photosmart Installing gt FR CorelDRAW 10 FR Upgrade FG4619 VO 1 REFPROP Windows XP Media Center Edition _ The New Technician screen will pop up Fill out the screen Click save This information will be printed on work orders you generate The Data Transfer screen is displayed when the HVAC Gui
32. e taken when the system is in a steady state Typically a resi dential system will be in a steady state after 10 15 min utes Turn the system on and set the thermostat low to ensure that the system doesnt turn off during your testing Once the system s temperatures and pressures are not fluctuating the system is in a steady state Wet bulb temperature outdoor dry bulb suction line pressure and suction line temperature must be taken within a short time period to ensure valid results Conditions that affect your target superheat and tar get subcooling can change by the minute Q What do I do with my ACTUAL superheat or ACTUAL subcooling measurements A Compare actual readings against the target superheat subcooling As a general rule if superheat is too high add refrigerant If too low remove refrigerant If sub cooling is too low remove refrigerant If subcooling is too high add refrigerant Consult the manufacturer s specifications before adding or recovering refrigerant as further diagnostic tests may be needed Continued on page 27 2 3 Superheat OUTPUT FORM If Target SH and Actual SH are more than 5 F apart as in this example you need to make adjustments to the system Boiling point is used to calculate Superheat Sections of manual with more information about this test QUTPUT FORM Target SH Actual SH be Boiling Point See 2 1 2 2 3 Figure 10 Superheat Test OUTPUT FORM Press OUTPUT f
33. he sensor in contact with the suction line If working on a package unit make sure you are at least 6 inches away from the compressor Refrigerant Default R 22 Other selections R 410A R 134A R 404A R 407C R 409A R 408A R 507A R 414B Hotshot R 422C Oneshot R 422B NU222B or R 12 OD Dry Bulb outdoor dry bulb Standard SH Ta ble Clip a calibrated ATA1 to the inlet of the con denser fins typically on the side of the condenser in the shade if possible Note that the temperature of the air entering the outdoor coil can be considerably different than the ambient temperature due to recir culation of air exiting the unit Determine the aver age temperature of the air entering the condenser ID Wet Bulb indoor wet bulb Standard SH Table Take measurements very close or within the return air side of the inlet to the air handler not at the re turn grill since temperatures change by the time the Superheat and Subcooling FAQ Q How do superheat subcooling tools work A Superheat tools measure suction line pressure and suction line temperature and calculate the actual su perheat Subcooling tools measure the liquid line pres sure and liquid line temperature and calculate actual subcooling The refrigerant charts for calculations are incorporated into the software of the HVAC Guide tester Q When should I take my actual and target superheat subcooling A Superheat and subcooling readings must b
34. ient continually check the superheat and or subcooling as you make refrigerant charge adjustments After final modifications allow 15 minutes to stabilize before your final test 5 4 Indoor Coil Airflow Low airflow across the inside coil is one of the most common problems and should be corrected before final decisions are made about refrigerant charge or many other issues Airflows in moist and wet climates should usually be between 300 to 350 cfm per ton Airflows in Dry climates are limited by the rapidly increasing watt draw of the fan motor at higher airflows 5 501 Charge OK Refrigerant charge was tested us ing the appropriate method and it is OK 5 502 Possible OK charge The primary indicator of refrigerant charge subcooling for TXV EXV or su perheat for non TXV indicates the refrigerant level was OK However a secondary indicator reduces the confidence in that diagnosis Check out any other po tential problems indicated 5 503 Charge unknown check charge The mea surements are insufficient to diagnose the refrigerant charge For best results measure both the suction line temperature and pressure as well as the liquid line temperature and pressure and press the OUTPUT button again 5 504 Possible undercharge possibly add re frigerant If no other conditions are triggered con sider adding refrigerant to correct There is possibly insufficient refrigerant in the system The amount of refrigerant necessary to add w
35. ill be obtained and perfor mance will suffer A thermostatic expansion valve TXV only works when the sensing bulb is in solid contact with the suc tion line and only senses the temperature of the suction line Therefore it must be well insulated from surround ing air The TXV is designed to maintain a constant su perheat 5 601 Possible oversized metering orifice consult manufacturer s specifications The metering orifice is suspected of letting too much refrigerant through Check that the orifice is sized properly Find the metering device part number and obtain the orifice size from the manufacturer or dis tributor and verify the size is appropriate for the air conditioner 5 602 Probable oversized metering orifice consult manufacturer s specifications The metering orifice lets too much refrigerant through Check that the orifice is sized properly Find the metering device part number and obtain the orifice size from the manufacturer or distributor and verify the size is appropriate for the air conditioner 5 10 Heat Pump in Heating Test the refrigerant charge for a heat pump in the sum mer in the cooling mode if possible This procedure checks the heating capacity of the heat pump against the expected capacity for the test conditions In order to determine the capacity of a heat pump the airflow through the inside coil must be directly measured with the TrueFlow 5 1001 Heating Capacity OK The heat pump is de
36. ill vary based on the size of the system and the difference between Target and Actual superheat subcooling 5 505 Probable undercharge add refrigerant It is very likely that there is insufficient refrigerant in the system Add refrigerant to bring the superheat or subcooling to within the target 5 506 Undercharged add refrigerant until ac tual superheat reaches target superheat This non TXV system is low on refrigerant Add refriger ant until the superheat is within the proper range usually 5 F of the target superheat The closer the superheat is to the target the better 5 507 Undercharged add refrigerant to obtain 6 F 01 superheat This non TXV system is low on refrigerant Since the test conditions are hot outside dry inside or both the exact target superheat cannot be determined Because the superheat is greater than 6 F the unit is undercharged Add refrigerant until the superheat is 6 F 5 407 High airflow possibly reduce airflow The indoor coil airflow was directly measured using the TrueFlow grid and is higher than expected Consider reducing the airflow particularly if the unit is in a damp climate In heat pumps high airflow causes un comfortably low delivery temperatures 5 408 Possible plenum temperature measure ment error retake plenum temperatures The reported wet and dry bulb temperature readings from the return and supply plenums are unlikely Re take the measurements in the INPUT FORM See Re
37. keeping ol Grid Pressure 8 SIUC Grant These are all manual inputs Sup Plen Pres Ret Plen Pres which are used for record keeping CustomerID JONESI 2 GRANT Grant Fieldpiece Test Initia Outdoor Model No SSTRUB3SE Qutdoor Year 2002 Qutdoor Serial Ho SAHSI Indoor Model Ho 1 Furnace Model No 1 D 1 295 Harmony ID 2 Graton 1 4 Ee Foolish Units can be changed to either 10 42 English or Metric Figure 20 CheckMe INPUT FORM when in a grant program or third party verification The quickest way to an optimized system will be to clean coils and filters prior to the initial test Then com pletely fill out the the CheckMe INPUT FORM for a more comprehensive and accurate diagnosis of the sys tem 5 1 CheckMe HG2 Only CheckMe is the most advanced real world method for troubleshooting A C systems It looks at the big picture to diagnose problems Superheat Subcooling and Target Evaporator Exit Temperature tests look at in dividual performance indicators to determine if they are within proper range CheckMe looks at the system as a whole to give a more complete diagnosis CheckMe saves time and money by quickly diagnosing a range of problems or even multiple problems CheckMe rec ommends actions to tune the air conditioning system to its optimum with minimal retests This leads to even fewer call backs
38. lect accident unauthorized repair al teration or unreasonable use of the instrument Any implied warranties arising from the sale of a Fieldpiece product including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particu lar purpose are limited to the above Fieldpiece shall not be liable for loss of use of the instrument or other incidental or consequential damages expenses or eco nomic loss or for any claim of such damage expenses or economic loss State laws vary The above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you Product Specifications Features Dot matrix display mode 128 x 64 dot Scrolling display USB RS 323 232 amp PC dual way transmission Input setting drop down menu signal automatic in put manual input Display Contrast adjustment Firmware program amp Table data update through PC software PC operation management output report in Excel Blue Backlight Test Data Diagnosis Target Evaporator Exit Temperature Superheat Analysis Subcooling Analysis Combustion Analysis CheckMe Analysis model HG2 Data Record Customer I D Time Time Date Time Setting Accessing Saved Tests Clear Saved Data Specifications Display 21 characters X 8 rows Low battery indication fs is displayed when the battery voltage drops below the operating level To prevent data corruption wait until Power Off is cleared from the display before removing batteries
39. mately 6 to 9 O in the flue gases Fuel oil appliances with flame retention burners will have approximately 3 to 7 O in the flue gases For a more detailed breakdown see the chart on page 32 Testing and adjustment to the combustion process ensures that the highest combustion efficiency is safely achieved thereby reducing the overall amount of fuel used in producing the energy needed It is still necessary to test and adjust the appliance to the manufacturers specification for airflow in the duct system temperature rise across the heat exchanger and anything else that may need testing Testing and balancing of appliances to meet manufacturers specifications helps to ensure maximum system efficiency and equipment longevity gt Combustion testing does not take into account start up losses standby losses cabinet boiler body losses or distribution losses in ducts or piping 5 Content adapted from Erik Rasmussen s book Combustion Analysis and Fuel Efficiency Accessory Head Input Voltage Range 500mV DC 5VDC auto Accuracy 0 5 rdg 2dgts Input protection Max 30VDC 24VAC 0 1mV 1 count on 500mV range ImV 1 count on 5V range Limited Warranty This meter is warranted against defects in material or workmanship for one year from date of purchase Fieldpiece will replace or repair the defective unit at its option subject to verification of the defect This warranty does not apply to defects resulting from abuse neg
40. mparing the actual and target superheat will tell you if refrigerant needs to be added or recovered Ensure the pressure never ex ceeds the manufacturer s maximum overload pressure guidelines On a fixed restrictor system the target superheat is determined based upon the indoor wet bulb and out 7 TEES door dry bulb temperatures Proper superheat ensures CONDENSER Liquid EVAPORATOR the compressor doesn t flood under a low indoor load and and that the maximum efficiency and capacity are main tained Vapor ATC1 Pipe Clamp l K type Thermocouple included with ASX14 sz i COMPRESSOR Figure 6 Using the ASX14 Superheat Subcooling Head to gather suction line temperature and pressure for the HVAC Guide tester Superheat Test 2 2 Superheat INPUT FORM Standard table uses the Title 24 target superheat table Can be measured automatically with Fieldpiece accessory heads air reaches the indoor coil Wet the wet bulb sensor ATWB1 and insert it after 15 minutes of continu ous running Clip downstream of the filter if the filter is just before the air handler Clip on the side facing the evaporator and take the measurements If the filter is not before the evaporator make small holes in the return plenum just big enough for the probes Seal any holes before leaving the jobsite INPUT FORM Figure 7 INPUT FORM for Standard Table Superheat Test Custom table allows you to enter your own ta
41. n Edit Jobsite from the drop down menu Edit Jobsite x Click to cancel without saving changes Customer ID is linked to Jobsite information Saves changes to a jobsite Deletes a jobsite Figure 29 New jobsite entered Technician information Looking at Downloaded Data Locate the HVAC Guide tester files on your PC with Windows Explorer or My Computer The files will be located in the directory you specified them to be transferred to when you clicked the Browse button on the Transfer to PC screen You must have a program that opens xls spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel Open the file s by double clicking The Filename is the cus tomer ID followed by the test type and the time stamp in the following format XXxxxxxxxxwwY YMMDDhhmmss xls Where x s rep resent the Customer ID and ww represents the abrevia tion of the test performed ET Target Evaporator Exit Temperature SH Superheat SC Subcooling CA Combustion Analysis CM CheckMe Once you have opened the file you can print it from your PC 2 Fieldpiece Measurements and results of test Bena CA SEE Uni 2 Drea CA The Finkipeoe HVAC Guide was eed to perfor test of your system The resula ae reported beira Kihadas DOA aa i eain Perkame Eme 2 20 re Data Ras birge YA Lia Tete cs techies Figure 28 lest Data on PC ule Problems Communicating with
42. obe to the AOX2 Set the AOX2 on TEMP and measure the temperature of the combustion products in the flue stack 18 inches from the start of the flue CO Connect the ACM3 and take a sample of the com bustion products in the flue stack in the same location as the O2 measurement within 18 from the start of the flue Primary Temp Measure the temperature of the air being introduced to the combustion process Measure the air temperature as close as possible to the entry point of the appliance Erik Rasmussen Erik Rasmussen has been an expert in the com bustion analysis field for over 20 years Rasmussen has helped Fieldpiece in providing much of the tables and contents of the combustion section in this manual to reflect the best real world practices and knowledge of today Rasmussen has also authored and coauthored several books on combustion analysis which go into much greater depth on the fundamentals of the opera tion and diagnosis of combustion equipment e Sixteen 16 years as a service and installation specialist of Natural gas Propane Oil heat Air conditioning e Contractor e HVACR Instructor Co author Carbon Monoxide A Clear and Pres ent Danger ESCO Press e Author Combustion Analysis and Fuel Efficien cy ESCO Bicis e International Programs Director for COSA the Carbon Monoxide Safety Association Board Member HVAC Excellence e President of ESCO press international Canada e R
43. or the Superheat OUTPUT FORM Target SH Superheat Indicates what the superheat should be as calculated from outdoor dry bulb and indoor wet bulb Actual SH Superheat Shows the superheat calculated from the measured suction line temperature and suc tion line pressure Boiling Point This is the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator coil It is one of the tem peratures from which superheat is calculated The Actual SH superheat should be within 5 F of the Target SH to ensure optimum performance If the ac tual SH is outside this range modifications to the charge or adjustments to the restrictor TXV are necessary Adding refrigerant lowers your Actual SH Recover ing refrigerant increases your Actual SH The amount of refrigerant necessary to add or recover will vary based on the size of the system and the difference between the Ac tual and Target SH Because everything within the system is inter depen dent one adjustment can affect other parts of the system For example increasing airflow increases the superheat which may require adding refrigerant After modifica tions allow 15 minutes to stabilize and then retest uu ne ania io ak X Toy N 2 T Ki fa ii Liguid CONDENSER and EVAPORATOR Vapor COMPRE
44. ow condenser airflow 5 703 Low condenser airflow clean condens er check condenser fan motor bearings There is insufficient airflow going across the con denser for the needed heat transfer Check that the condenser coils and fins are clean aligned and free of nearby obstructions Check the fan motor bear ings to ensure that the fan is rotating freely 5 8 Outdoor Unit Amp Draw The outdoor unit amp draw gives indications of the health of the compressor as well as overcharge and con denser coil performance 5 801 Outdoor amp draw OK The outdoor unit is running at the proper amperage for the current conditions 5 6 Refrigerant Lines and Metering Devices Research has shown that refrigerant line restric tions incorrect orifice sizes and TXVs improperly in stalled are far more common than originally thought All of these problems can lead to premature compressor failure If there are restrictions in the refrigerant lines pinches dirty filter driers the charge measurements will provide contradictory information and getting proper performance will not be possible Similarly if the orifice of the metering device is too small or partially blocked by foreign material in the refrigerant such as chips and flakes from improper brazing technique the unit will not perform to specifications If a fixed orifice is too large not matched to the in side coil the refrigerant will not meter properly con tradictory measurements w
45. place the 6AA batteries Save Button Saves the current INPUT FORM Inputs are saved with Customer ID and Time Stamp See Saving Data section for details Recall Button Recalls previous tests within each switch position Previous tests can only be accessed through the switch position in which they were performed and are sorted by Customer ID and Time Stamp Bottom View INPUT FORM Inte Evap Return Dry Bulbs ro EF heh 2 rape he Qut of Evap Supply Dry Bulbs 3 2 Customer IDs JONESI 23 Units English HVACAGUIDE Fieldpiece naz Backlight Button Turns on the backlight for 30 sec Arrow Buttons Navigate within FORMS and screens Switch Position Dial Rotate to select test Clear Button Clears a single input or the entire INPUT FORM by holding for 3 seconds Select the Test Switch Positions MEM Erase a single test an entire customer s set of tests or all data MEM also allows you to check memory status firmware version and communi cate with a PC for data transfer TIME Set current time and date for internal clock All tests are time stamped and cannot be changed later Target Evaporator Exit Temperature By mea suring the return wet bulb and dry bulb the HVAC Guide tester calculates a target evaporator exit temperature To ensure that the A C system has the proper airflow per tonnage the actual evaporator exit temperature must be within 3 F of the target evaporator
46. r 6 Recommended accessorv head Dry Bulb T C k p Fan Direction of Airflow a Dry Bulb and Wet Bulb T C Filter g Figure 3 Setting up the ATH4 and HVAC Guide tester to measure dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures between filter and coil Tests 1 1 Target Evaporator Exit Temperature For given return plenum air conditions Target Evaporator Exit Temperature gives you an indication of the proper indoor airflow This test can be easily per formed simultaneously with superheat or subcooling tests If actual evaporator exit temperature is more than 3 F above or below the Target Evaporator Exit Tempera ture an airflow problem may exist Ensure that filters are clear dampers are adjusted properly and the fan speed is set correctly if it can be varied The Target Evapora tor Exit Temperature switch position uses the table from California Title 24 1 2 Target Evaporator Exit Temperature INPUT FORM 1 3 Target Evaporator Exit Temperature OUTPUT FORM If Target and Actual are more than 3 F apart a modification is needed Sections of manual with more information about this test Figure 5 OUTPUT FORM for Target Evaporator Exit Temperature Press OUTPUT for the Target Evaporator Exit Tem perature OUTPUT FORM Target Evap Exit DB Temp Target Evaporator Exit Dry Bulb Temperature This is the target exit temperature based on the measured indoor condi tions
47. r superheat Check that the TXV EXV bulb is adjusted to the proper superheat and is in good contact with the suction line and insulated from the environment 5 508 Charge unknown raise indoor tempera ture to obtain a target superheat gt 5 F and retest Since the test conditions are hot outside dry inside or both the exact target superheat cannot be determined This non TXV system may be correctly charged or overcharged It may be possible to open windows or run the furnace to change the indoor conditions enough to obtain a target superheat 5 509 Possible overcharge possibly remove re frigerant If no other conditions are triggered con sider recovering refrigerant to correct The amount of refrigerant necessary to recover will vary based on the size of the system and the difference between Tar get and Actual superheat subcooling 5 510 Overcharged remove refrigerant until superheat reaches target superheat There is too much refrigerant in this non TXV system Re move refrigerant until the superheat is within 5 F of the target superheat The closer the superheat is to the target the better 5 511 Overcharged remove refrigerant until subcooling reaches target subcooling There is too much refrigerant in this TXV EXV system Re move refrigerant until the subcooling is within 3 F of the target subcooling The closer the subcooling is to the target the better 5 512 Undercharged add refrigerant until sub cooling
48. reaches target subcooling This TXV EXV system is low on refrigerant Add refrigerant until the subcooling is 3 F of the target subcooling The closer the subcooling is to the target the better 5 513 Overcharged remove refrigerant until actual subcooling reaches target subcool ing There is too much refrigerant in the system The amount of refrigerant necessary to recover will vary based on the size of the system and the difference be tween Target and Actual subcooling 5 603 Check TXV to ensure proper function ing This TXV is not maintaining proper superheat Check that the TXV bulb is adjusted properly and in continuous contact with the suction line and well insulated from the surrounding air 5 604 Probable liquid line restriction check liquid line Make sure the service shut off valves are open Check the liquid line for kinks tight bends or sections that may have been stepped on or crushed Check for a large temperature difference between the liquid line at the compressor and at the metering device 5 7 Condenser Coil Performance 5 701 Condenser airflow OK The condenser air flow and capacity indications are OK 5 702 Condenser approach unknown check condenser approach Liquid line temperature and liquid line pressure measurements need to be taken at the condenser approach These measure ments give indications of the performance of the air conditioner including diagnoses of compressor problems low capacity and l
49. rflow directly via a grid installed in place of the filter or other location that has all the indoor unit airflow through it 4 TrueHow is the registered trademark of The Energy Conservatory 5 3 CheckMe OUTPUT FORM Overview 5 401 Airflow OK The indoor coil airflow was di rectly measured using the TrueFlow grid and is OK 5 402 Probable OK airflow The indoor coil air flow was tested by an indirect means temperature split and is probably OK 5 403 Airflow unknown check airflow The measurements are insufficient to diagnose the in door coil airflow Either measure the Return Ple num Dry Bulb Wet Bulb and Supply Plenum Dry Bulb or use a True Flow Plate 5 404 Low airflow increase airflow until actu al temp split matches target temp split The indoor coil airflow is low based on the temperature split Check the filter and coil inspect for any re strictions and blockages Make sure all registers are open If the airflow remains low consider increased blower speed and duct system modifications Sup ply and return plenum static pressures can be used to diagnose the causes of low airflow 5 405 Low airflow increase airflow The indoor coil airflow was directly measured using the True Flow grid and is low Check the filter and coil in spect for any restrictions and blockages Make sure all registers are open If the airflow remains low consider increased blower speed and duct system modifications Supply an
50. rget superheat value SH Table Custom ee eee 4 Can be measured automatically with cH gees Target SH bh AI reading will rise and the wrong temperature will be Sa o4 2psicl recorded iL lemps 41 Watch the wet bulb temperature it will drop and then stabilize The wet bulb temperature is the sta INPUT FORM bilized reading If the sensor starts to dry out the Lore Units can be changed to either English or Metric Figure 8 INPUT FORM for Custom Table Superheat Test SL Pressure suction line pressure Connect the ASX14 to the suction side service port Select pres sure mode on the ASX14 head The system must be SH Table Default Standard uses the target super stabilized before taking the measurements Enter data manually if you want to get pressure from your gauges The analysis is only as good as the measure ments The Fieldpiece ASX14 has better resolution than most gauge sets heat table from Title 24 for fixed restrictor systems Other selection Custom allows you to enter your own target superheat by displaying the Target SH input Target SH Custom SH Table Change the SH Ta ble to Custom and enter the manufacturer s recom mended superheat in the Target SH input SL Temp suction line temperature Measure near SL service port within 6 inches Use the ATC1 ATC2 or ATC3 to get a good pipe temperature The clamp should be perpendicular to the pipe and should be securely seated with t
51. rowse Desination button Browse your PC for a folder in which you would like to save the 1 Press the Transfer arrow pointing to the right files from the HVAC Guide tester and press Select Cur Dir to assign 1 HVAC Guide Main From Destination folder Click if you want to create a new folder setup Technician Adolfo Wurts Look in Raw Data Data Transfer x KI technician My Recent L o0ero10100000000 Documents 1 00sH010100000000 a L 00SHO10100000000 ajx f SL 00ET010100000000 ajx My Documents 20 My Computer File name D My Network Files of type All Files 7 7 Select Cur Dit 2 Highlight the files you wish to transfer to the desti nation folder on your PC and press the Transfer to PC button to transfer eae 8 Click on headers to sort ee 3 be transfera from aoe Guide Destination Folder in PC enel z 90 2000 01 12 z 2001 01 00 Adolfo Wurts O0ETO10 100000000 a oe 2000 01 06 z SuperHeat 2001 01 00 Adolfo Wurts 005H0 10 100000000 E 2000 01 06 lt lt Phil een 2000 02 27 Phil 0001000227081456 xls ACE 2000 03 01 ACE 1003000301115827 xls Coo Ee 2000 02 27 AAz 0001000227091132 xs 2000 01 12 0000 05000112063706 xls 0 TEET 82 01000102214841 xls ae 2000 01 05 01000105090421 xls 00 TEE 5 01000105090431 xls 0 5 01000105114533 xls
52. sically impossible an error message is displayed The OUTPUT FORM displays the results of the calcula tions e The See Sec at the bottom of the OUTPUT FORM tells you what section in the manual has more infor mation about how to perform the specific test and what the results mean e To ensure that your changes have optimized the sys tem retest after the system is stabilized The CheckMe test model HG2 has a more de tailed OUTPUT FORM If everything on the INPUT FORM is filled out properly the CheckMe OUTPUT FORM will rank the possible problems in order of likeli hood and describe how to fix them If you havent taken all the necessary measurements the first line will tell you what you need to do for a complete diagnosis Fillin the INPUT FORM FORM SH Table Standard Refrigerant Ezi Dru Bulbs Th er Bilis SL Pressure aL Temps Ff wstomer 105 107151 Figure 1 INPUT FORM for the Superheat test The INPUT FORM lists parameters in the order of expected entry Three ways to enter data 1 Automatic Attach appropriate head select ap propriate line with the UP DOWN arrows press ENTER to start measuring and press ENTER again to lock in the value 2 Drop down menu To change a parameter that has a default press RIGHT arrow or ENTER use UP DOWN arrows to scroll through the drop down list and press ENTER again 3 Manual Enter system data or to enter test data
53. t is calibrated Refer to the manual of the accessory head for calibration in structions Make certain the unit selected corresponds to the reading you are taking For superheat on ac cessory heads ASX14 ASX24 make certain the large switch on the face of the head is switched to super heat and small switch is in the SH position Make certain that you are testing for superheat subcooling at the proper location in the system Test the evapora tor suction line side of the system for superheat Test the condenser high side of the system for subcooling If you still get readings that don t seem right you can perform a manual test using your gauges a wet sock for wet bulb ATWB1 wet bulb thermocouple ther mometer refrigerant chart and manufacturer s target superheat chart If it still appears your unit is reading superheat subcooling incorrectly call Fieldpiece tech nical support Q Where can I find more info on Superheat and Subcooling A Visit www fieldpiece com 3 3 Subcooling OUTPUT FORM If Target SC and Actual SC are more than 3 F apart as in this example you need to make adjustments to the system Output Form Target SC 12 6 F Actual SC 49 F HSF ponte P a APRE Sac AGS 3 4 2 2 23 Boiling point is used to calculate Subcooling Sections of manual with more information about this test Figure 16 Subcooling Test OUTPUT FORM Press OUTPUT for the Subcooling OUTPUT FORM
54. the evapo rator make small holes in the return plenum just big enough for the probes Seal any holes before leaving the jobsite Out of Evap Supply DB dry bulb temp leaving the evaporator Measure in the center of the supply plenum Punch a small hole in the supply plenum and insert a calibrated dry bulb thermocouple such as the ATA1 or ATB1 Make sure the thermocouple is in the center of the plenum cross section Seal the hole when finished An Actual Evap Exit DB Temp below the Target Evap Exit DB Temp indicates low airflow Increasing airflow can be accomplished by elimi nating restrictions in the duct system increasing blower speed cleaning filters or opening registers After cor rective measures are taken repeat measurement proce dures as often as necessary to establish adequate airflow range Allow system to stabilize for 15 minutes before repeating measurement procedure 1 2005 Residential ACM Manual Page RD 5 5 7 2 1 Superheat Superheat is the temperature rise above the boiling point of the refrigerant after the evaporator Too high and the refrigerant boils off early in the evaporator and wastes most of the capacity of the evaporator Too low and you risk liquid going into the compressor Using superheat is the best way to obtain proper refrigerant charge for a fixed restrictor metering device system If the air conditioner is in good working order and the airflow is adjusted properly co
55. ure Connect the ASX14 to the liquid line service port Set the acces sory head to measure pressure and ensure the read ing stabilizes before locking in the reading Enter data manually if you want to get pressure from your gauges The analysis is only as good as the measure ments The Fieldpiece ASX14 has better resolution than most gauge sets LL Temp liquid line temperature Measure near the same location LL Pressure was taken Use the ATC1 ATC2 or ATC3 to get a good pipe temperature The clamp should be perpendicular to the pipe and should be securely seated with the sensor in contact with the liquid line If working on a package unit make sure you are at least 6 inches away from the compressor Condenser Air Enter Temp Condenser Air En tering Temperature Clip a calibrated ATA1 to the inlet of the condenser fins typically on the side of the condenser in the shade if possible Note that the temperature of the air entering the outdoor coil can be considerably different than the ambient tem perature due to recirculation of air exiting the unit Determine the average temperature of the air enter ing the condenser Cond Amps Draw Condensing unit amp draw Actual amperage of the outdoor unit For a package system this will be the total amp draw of the unit This measurement must be taken with another me ter with an AC Amp clamp such as the SC77 and then input manually TrueFlow The TrueFlow meter measures the ai
56. uropean standard for combustion efficiency 4 2 Combustion INPUT FORM Overview Select the Fuel and what type of INPUT FORM equipment you are working on Fuel Natural Gas Type Condensing es ae 5 Ja Can be measured automatically with ye Temp Fieldpiece accessory heads Customer ID is useful for record keeping FF Primary Temp A F Customer ID J ONES123 Figure 18 Combustion Test INPUT FORM Combustion gases should be sampled close to the exit from the heat exchanger within an area where all gasses would be well mixed and before dilution air enters the venting systems i e draft hoods barometric dampers etc Testing within 18 inches of the breech is a typical location for most oil fired equipment If the appliance is an atmo spheric gas with a draft hood the test would be taken in the top flue passage prior to mixing with dilution air After testing is complete the hole in the flue stack must be patched with temperature silicone or a compa rable plug Fuel Select Natural Gas Oil 2 or Propane for the fuel type of the system or appliance Type Default Condensing Other selection Non Con densing The presence of a condensate line indicates a condensing unit otherwise it is a non condensing unit O Connect the AOX2 with the switch on O and take a sample of the combustion products in the flue stack within 18 inches from the start of the flue Flue Temp Connect the ATRI temperature pr
57. you determine the effective ness of the combustion by analysis of combustion prod ucts and temperature The Combustion Test will only tell you about com bustion and does not take into account any losses from poor insulation or cycling and standby losses It does not measure any losses in the distribution system such as uninsulated hydronic piping air duct leakage or in sulation levels Properly tuned gas combustion equipment will produce little or no carbon monoxide no soot and will consume less fuel 4 3 Combustion OUTPUT FORM Overview Modify combustion equipment to bring these calculations to the manufacturer s specifications Sections of manual with more information about this test Seigert Eff See Sec 4 41 4 2 4 3 Figure 19 Combustion Test OUTPUT FORM Press OUTPUT for the Combustion OUTPUT FORM COQ The CO in the combustion products Excess Q The amount of O above the minimum theoretical amount needed for complete combus tion For complete and efficient combustion excess O must be adjusted to manufacturer s specifica tions COAF carbon monoxide air free The amount of CO in the combustion products taking into account the dilution effect of excess O3 Net Temp The stack vent temperature minus the primary air temperature Standard Eff Efficiency The actual efficiency of the combustion equipment calculated by analyzing the losses up the exhaust Siegert Eff Efficiency The E
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