ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Yu Chang Zhen is a full-time blogger and

owner of the information website
https://aircondlounge.com who lives in
Malaysia. He is a bachelor’s degree holder
majoring in mechanical engineering. Yu’s
speciality is heating, ventilation and air
conditioning (HVAC) as well as hot water
system.

Yu started his first full-time job as a project engineer in a small HVAC

construction company. At that time, he gain insights about HVAC
retrofit and district cooling plant systems. 2 years later, he join a
medium sized HVAC construction company and started working on
two high-end service apartments simultaneously. After 3 years, he
completed the project and acquired HVAC knowledge from design and
installation to commissioning and maintenance mainly on residential
split air conditioning system and mechanical ventilation systems for
active fire protection. While he was maintaining his previous project,
he also started on another high-end retail stores renovation project
that involves one of a kind VRF air conditioning systems.

After 5 years of HVAC, Yu took the challenge to manage the project

and service department of a trendy manufacturing company who
does residential water heaters and commercial heat pump systems.
Yu leveraged his HVAC and project management knowledge and gain
further insights on heat pumps which he believe will be the new
trend as the world is moving towards a sustainable future.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Do Air Conditioners Clean and Purify for Good Air Quality?........................................................ 6
Where is the Best Place to Install Split Air Conditioner in Bedroom? ........................................ 6
Is Air Conditioner Exhaust Harmful? ........................................................................................... 6
Why Copper Pipes Are Used in Air Conditioning? ....................................................................... 6
Do Air Conditioners Make the Air Too Dry and Cause Sick? ....................................................... 7
Do Air Conditioners Provide Oxygen & Prevent Suffocation? ..................................................... 7
When and What Setting is an Air Conditioner Most Efficient? ................................................... 7
Can Round Flexible Duct Be Used for HVAC Return Air? ............................................................ 7
Do Air Conditioners Use and Run on AC or DC Power? .............................................................. 8
Does Every Bedroom Need a Cold Air Return Vent & Duct? ...................................................... 8
Can You Put an Air Conditioner in the Kitchen? ......................................................................... 8
Can Air Conditioner Heat Room with Temperature Setting? ...................................................... 8
Do Air Conditioners Remove and Reduce Dust in Homes? ........................................................ 9
Do Air Conditioners Use and Connected to Water? .................................................................... 9
What is the Best Air Conditioner Position in Living Room? ........................................................ 9
Does Outside Temperature Affect Air Conditioner?.................................................................... 9
Why Air Conditioners are Placed at a Height Near Ceiling? ..................................................... 10
What is Split Air Conditioner? ................................................................................................... 10
What is Multi Split Air Conditioner? .......................................................................................... 10
Do Ventless Portable Air Conditioners Really Work? ................................................................ 10
Do AC Return Vents Need Filters to Reduce Dust? .................................................................. 11
How Air Conditioner Control Room Temperature? ................................................................... 11
How Oxygen Level is Maintained in AC Rooms?....................................................................... 11
How to Ventilate a Room with Air Conditioner? ........................................................................ 11
Do You Need to Tilt or Level Air Conditioners When Install? .................................................... 12
Why Nitrogen is Preferred to Use for Flush & Leak Test AC? ................................................... 12
Do Air Conditioners Emit Harmful Gases and Toxic Fumes? .................................................... 12
Do Air Conditioners Use A Lot of Electricity? ............................................................................ 12
Can Mosquitoes Come Through Air Conditioner Vents? ........................................................... 13
Do Mini Splits Work in Cold Weather Climate Effectively? ....................................................... 13
Do Mini Splits Need a Drain Line for Condensate Water?........................................................ 13
Do Mini Splits Use Propane and Natural Gas? ......................................................................... 13
Are Mini Splits Supposed to Run All the Time? ........................................................................ 14

2 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

Do Mini Splits Heat and Cool? .................................................................................................. 14
Do Mini Splits Bring in Fresh Air from Outside? ....................................................................... 14
Do Mini Splits Have Filters to Clean the Air? ............................................................................ 14
Do Mini Splits Dehumidify and Remove Moisture? .................................................................. 15
Is a Mini Split Good for a Garage? ............................................................................................ 15
What is High Delta T Chilled Water Systems? .......................................................................... 15
What is a Hybrid Chiller? ........................................................................................................... 15
Do Air Purifiers Produce Oxygen? ............................................................................................. 16
How Does a Heat Pump Work in Winter? ................................................................................. 16
What is the Standard Chilled Water Temperature? .................................................................. 16
How Increasing the Chilled Water Supply Temperature Affects Chiller Performance?............ 16
Why Increasing the Chilled Water Supply Temperature is Causing Mold Problems? .............. 17
How Reducing Cooling Tower Fan Speed Affects Chiller Performance? .................................. 17
Reduce Condenser Water Return Temperature can Increase Chiller Performance? .............. 17
How Reducing Condenser Water Pump Speed Affects Chiller Performance? ......................... 17
How Dirty Condenser Tube Affect Chiller Performance? .......................................................... 18
How Dirty Cooling Coils Affect Chiller Performance?................................................................ 18
How Improper Chilled Water Flow Control Affects Chiller Performance? ................................. 18
What is Chiller Approach?......................................................................................................... 18
What is the Normal Chiller Evaporator Approach? ................................................................... 18
What is the Normal Chiller Condenser Approach? ................................................................... 19
What is Cooling Tower Approach? ............................................................................................ 19
What is an Air-to-Water Heat Pump? ........................................................................................ 19
What is PLC in HVAC? ............................................................................................................... 19
What is a Chilled Water Fan Coil Unit? ..................................................................................... 20
What is PAU in HVAC? ............................................................................................................... 20
What is ACMV? .......................................................................................................................... 20
Why HVAC Ducts Are Sweating? ............................................................................................... 20
How HVAC Relays Work? .......................................................................................................... 20
How Solar Air Conditioners Work? ............................................................................................ 21
How Hotel Air Conditioners Work? ............................................................................................ 21
Is Mini Split Good for Sunroom? ............................................................................................... 21
What is Net Positive Suction Head? ......................................................................................... 21
What are Differential Pressure Sensors in HVAC? ................................................................... 22
What is Reverse Return Piping? ............................................................................................... 22

3 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

What is a Plenum Box? ............................................................................................................. 22
What is Sensible Cooling Capacity? .......................................................................................... 22
Can You Run Mini Split Refrigerant Lines in Walls? ................................................................. 23
Is Radiant Cooling Efficient? ..................................................................................................... 23
What is VAV in HVAC? ............................................................................................................... 23
Why Condo Air Conditioners Not Cooling? ................................................................................ 23
How to Improve Air Quality in Homes? ..................................................................................... 23
Why HVAC Air Vents are Noisy and How to Fix Them?.............................................................. 24
How VFDs Work in HVAC? ......................................................................................................... 24
What is Chiller Lift? ................................................................................................................... 24
How Cooling Towers Work? ....................................................................................................... 24
Why Do Cooling Towers Have a Blowdown Valve? ................................................................... 24
What is a Mini Split? ................................................................................................................. 25
What is an Air Source Heat Pump?........................................................................................... 25
What Type of Duct to Use for a Bathroom Ventilation Fan? ..................................................... 25
Do Air Conditioners Take Air from Outside? ............................................................................. 25
What Type of Engineering is HVAC?.......................................................................................... 26
What is a Good Noise Level for an Air Conditioner? ................................................................. 26
Is It Better to Leave the AC On When Not Home? .................................................................... 26
Can Portable Air Conditioners Use Extension Cords? ............................................................... 26
Why Portable Air Conditioners Need to Be Vented? ................................................................. 27
How to Calculate Chilled Water Pump Head? ........................................................................... 27
What is the COP of Heat Pumps?.............................................................................................. 27
How Air Conditioning Works in Aircraft? ................................................................................... 27
How to Measure Airflow in HVAC? ............................................................................................ 28
How to Calculate Chiller kW/Ton? ............................................................................................ 28
What is COP in HVAC? ............................................................................................................... 28
What is SEER in HVAC? ............................................................................................................. 28
What is EER in HVAC? ............................................................................................................... 28
What is kW/Ton in HVAC? ......................................................................................................... 29
What is CEER in HVAC? ............................................................................................................. 29
What is HSPF in HVAC? ............................................................................................................. 29
What is BTU, HP, Ton & kW in HVAC? ....................................................................................... 29

4 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

INTRODUCTION
THIS EBOOK IS DEDICATED TO FRESH GRADUATES, JUNIOR ENGINEERS,
BEGINNERS AND BASICALLY ANYONE WHO JUST GETTING STARTED ON
HVAC. THE GOAL OF THIS EBOOK IS TO GIVE READERS QUICK ANSWER ON
HVAC QUESTIONS FROM BASICS TO TECHNICALS AND SPECIALS.

I DESIGN, STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN THESE ANSWERS ORIGINALLY. MOST

OF THE ANSWERS PROVIDE A DIRECTION FOR YOU. HOWEVER, MOST OF
THEM REQUIRE YOU TO READ FURTHER IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE
CONTEXT OF THE ANSWER. FOR EACH QUESTION, I HAVE A FULL BLOG
ARTICLE AVAILABLE ON MY WEBSITE. YOU CAN SEARCH THE EXACT
QUESTION TO LEARN THE ANSWER IN DETAIL. ALL OF THE 101 QUESTIONS
LISTED HERE ARE NOT SORTED IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER. THIS FREE
EBOOK SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPEN YOUR MIND INTO THE WORLD OF HVAC.

LET’S GET STARTED!

5 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

DO AIR CONDITIONERS CLEAN AND PURIFY FOR
GOOD AIR QUALITY?
Air conditioners do clean air. Typical home air conditioners filter air by
channeling the air through plastic mesh filters. Premium home air
conditioners perform better with PM2.5 filters. Commercial air
conditioners use pocket filters and HEPA filters to remove finer
particles such as smoke and bacteria.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO INSTALL SPLIT AIR

CONDITIONER IN BEDROOM?
The best place to install a split air conditioner in bedroom is directly
above the bedhead or on the side of the bed where the air conditioner
does not blow directly onto the bed which can cause you dry lips and
headache.

IS AIR CONDITIONER EXHAUST HARMFUL?

The exhaust air from the outdoor unit of the air conditioner is not
harmful. The exhaust does not produce any harmful chemical or gas.
In fact, the exhaust air is merely atmospheric air at a higher
temperature. However, dust will build up at the outdoor unit and the
exhaust air can become dirty if the outdoor unit is not cleaned
regularly.

WHY COPPER PIPES ARE USED IN AIR

CONDITIONING?
Copper pipes are widely used in air conditioning because: 1) Copper is
an excellent thermal conductor. 2) Copper pipes are strong and easy
to solder. 3) Copper is more economical than other metals with
similar properties. 4) Copper is very good at resisting corrosion.

6 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

DO AIR CONDITIONERS MAKE THE AIR TOO DRY
AND CAUSE SICK?
It turns out air conditioner does make air dry. An air conditioner
reduces air moisture to a relative humidity of 40% to 60%. Air
condenses and forms water droplets when in contact with the
evaporator of the air conditioner. Water is extracted from the air
during this process. Thus, drying the air.

DO AIR CONDITIONERS PROVIDE OXYGEN &

PREVENT SUFFOCATION?
Air conditioners do not provide oxygen. The air conditioner itself does
not produce oxygen. However, an air conditioner can attach a duct to
introduce fresh air or outside air and supply oxygen into a room or
building. Residential air conditioners often don't require fresh air
while commercial buildings usually have fresh air in their air
conditioning system.

WHEN AND WHAT SETTING IS AN AIR CONDITIONER

MOST EFFICIENT?
An air conditioner is more efficient at night because the outside air
temperature is colder. The air conditioner uses outside air to reject
heat. Colder air rejects more heat and increases the cooling capacity
of the air conditioner while maintaining its power consumption.

CAN ROUND FLEXIBLE DUCT BE USED FOR HVAC

RETURN AIR?
Flex duct is widely used for return air in commercial air conditioning
systems. Flex duct is able to withstand a certain negative pressure of
return air. When installed properly, a flex duct is a reliable and
convenient ductwork solution.

7 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

DO AIR CONDITIONERS USE AND RUN ON AC OR DC
POWER?
Most air conditioners use AC instead of DC. Air conditioners' main
power supply requires AC or alternating current to operate. Some air
conditioners do use DC or direct current but, they are usually for low
power applications.

DOES EVERY BEDROOM NEED A COLD AIR RETURN

VENT & DUCT?
It turns out that every room should have a return vent so that the air
conditioner is able to sense the mixed return air temperature and
adjust the supply air temperature accordingly to prevent overcooling
or undercooling at certain rooms.

CAN YOU PUT AN AIR CONDITIONER IN THE

KITCHEN?
It is ok to put an air conditioner in a home kitchen. The refrigerants
used for a typical home air conditioner is not flammable under normal
condition, thus it is safe to put an air conditioner in the kitchen.
However, the power consumption and maintenance cost of the air
conditioner in the kitchen is higher.

CAN AIR CONDITIONER HEAT ROOM WITH

TEMPERATURE SETTING?
Cooling only air conditioners can't heat a room by simply setting the
temperature higher. An air conditioner must have a heat mode or
heating function in order to heat a room. Such an air conditioner is
called a heat pump.

8 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

DO AIR CONDITIONERS REMOVE AND REDUCE
DUST IN HOMES?
Air conditioners reduce dust in the house by circulating the air
through the air filter inside the air conditioner. The air filter remove
the dust from the air every time the air passes through it. Dust is
collected on the air filter and regular washing of the air filter is
essential to maintain the performance of the air filter.

DO AIR CONDITIONERS USE AND CONNECTED TO

WATER?
Air-cooled air conditioners don't need water to operate as they draw
outside air to cool their condenser. On the other hand, water-cooled
air conditioners rely on water to cool their condenser and thus, they
consume water due to the evaporation at the cooling tower.

WHAT IS THE BEST AIR CONDITIONER POSITION IN

LIVING ROOM?
The best position for an air conditioner in the living room is at the side
of the sofa where the air conditioner is not blowing cold air directly
onto the sofa which can cause you dry lips and headache. Putting the
air conditioner above the TV should be avoided as having direct cold
air to the body can be harmful.

DOES OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AFFECT AIR

CONDITIONER?
Air conditioners consume more power when the outside temperature
is high. Air Conditioners are depending on the ambient air to remove
heat. When the outside temperature is high, the air conditioner can't
remove heat effectively. Thus, the air conditioner may struggle to
provide sufficient cooling.

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WHY AIR CONDITIONERS ARE PLACED AT A HEIGHT
NEAR CEILING?
Air conditioners are placed at a height because warm air naturally
stays above cold air and the air conditioners need to be able to sense
the warm air so that the air conditioners can provide equal and
sufficient cooling to the room.

WHAT IS SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER?

Split air conditioner is a direct expansion air conditioning system that
consists of an evaporator and a condenser that is installed indoor and
outdoor respectively and separately. The evaporator and the
condenser are connected by thermally insulated copper pipes filled
with refrigerant to transfer the heat from indoor to outdoor.

WHAT IS MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER?

Multi-split air conditioner is a direct expansion air conditioning system
that consists of multiple evaporators and a single condenser. A typical
multi-split condenser can have up to 5 ports that connect to individual
evaporators. All evaporators and the condenser are interlinked and
thus, any refrigerant leakages can cause the entire multi-split system
to stop functioning.

DO VENTLESS PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS

REALLY WORK?
Ventless portable air conditioners are not effective when using in
humid places due to the nature of evaporative cooling. The higher the
relative humidity, the lower the cooling effect of the ventless portable
air conditioners. Conversely, ventless portable air conditioners are
very effective when using in humid places such as Chile, Mexico,
Saudi Arabia and west United States.

10 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

DO AC RETURN VENTS NEED FILTERS TO REDUCE
DUST?
AC return vents do not need filters. Putting extra filters on air
conditioning return vents will reduce the performance and lifespan of
the air conditioner. The filters will reduce the airflow and put stress on
the AC fan motor. The air conditioner already has a filter right before
its cooling coil and thus, additional return vent filters are
unnecessary.

HOW AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL ROOM

TEMPERATURE?
Most air conditioners control the room temperature using a
thermostat. When a thermostat senses the room temperature
reached the set temperature, it gives a signal to stop the air
conditioner. Then, the thermostat sends another signal to run the air
conditioner when the room temperature drop below the set
temperature and the cycle repeat.

HOW OXYGEN LEVEL IS MAINTAINED IN AC ROOMS?

Oxygen level can be maintained in air-conditioned rooms by
introducing a fresh air system. Air conditioners can be attached with a
fresh air duct to draw outside fresh air into the air conditioner. The
outside air must be filtered, cooled and dehumidified by the air
conditioner before it can be supplied to an air-conditioned room.

HOW TO VENTILATE A ROOM WITH AIR

CONDITIONER?
To ventilate an air-conditioned room, you need to install a fresh air
duct that connects your air conditioner to the external wall of your
house so that the air conditioner can draw in outside fresh air and
supply it to your room.

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DO YOU NEED TO TILT OR LEVEL AIR
CONDITIONERS WHEN INSTALL?
It turns out that most air conditioners are designed to drain properly
when leveled and thus, you don't need to tilt the air conditioner.
Besides, a window air conditioner is already tilted when installed
properly and so, you don't need to tilt the window air conditioner
anymore.

WHY NITROGEN IS PREFERRED TO USE FOR FLUSH

& LEAK TEST AC?
Nitrogen is used in air conditioning to purge oxygen out of the copper
tube to prevent the formation of scales on the inner surface of the
copper tube due to oxidation that can cause damage to the air
conditioner during operation.

DO AIR CONDITIONERS EMIT HARMFUL GASES AND

TOXIC FUMES?
The truth is air conditioners do not emit any gases during operation.
However, if the air conditioning copper pipe is not brazed properly, the
refrigerant flowing inside the copper pipe can leak to the
surrounding through brazing cracks. The refrigerant is harmful to both
humans and the environment.

DO AIR CONDITIONERS USE A LOT OF ELECTRICITY?

First of all, how much electricity do air conditioners use? In 2016,
cooling alone accounted for 18.5% of total electricity used in
buildings. Globally, electricity use by air conditioners for cooling
reached about 10% of total electricity consumed in all sectors in the
year 2016, according to International Energy Agency.

12 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

CAN MOSQUITOES COME THROUGH AIR
CONDITIONER VENTS?
Mosquitoes can come through vents. Mosquitoes can enter through
the fresh air vent of air conditioners and the exhaust vent of
ventilation fans. However, an insect screen can be installed behind a
vent to block mosquitoes and prevent them from entering through the
vent into a house or building. All vents on the exterior wall should
always have an insect screen to protect against insects' intrusion.

DO MINI SPLITS WORK IN COLD WEATHER CLIMATE

EFFECTIVELY?
Mini splits do work in cold weather. Most mini splits are able to
maintain operation at an ambient temperature as low as 5°F (-15°C).
However, they gradually lose their heating capacity when the ambient
temperature drops below 47°F (8°C).

DO MINI SPLITS NEED A DRAIN LINE FOR

CONDENSATE WATER?
Mini splits do need a drain. Mini splits need to connect a drain pipe at
the indoor unit to discharge the condensate water to the nearest
plumbing pipe. The outdoor unit of mini splits usually doesn't need a
drain because the small amount of condensate water will evaporate
by itself.

DO MINI SPLITS USE PROPANE AND NATURAL GAS?

Mini splits do not use propane gas to generate heat. Instead, mini
splits are powered by electricity. Mini splits use electricity to move
their components such as the compressor, expansion valve and fans
to transfer heat from outdoor to indoor.

13 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

ARE MINI SPLITS SUPPOSED TO RUN ALL THE
TIME?
Most mini splits are designed to run all the time. Mini splits have
inverter technology that keep them running at a certain percentage of
their capacity based on the cooling load requirement. Mini splits that
run constantly are more efficient.

DO MINI SPLITS HEAT AND COOL?

Mini splits are able to provide both heating and cooling. When cooling,
they work just like a normal air conditioner. When heating is needed,
they can reverse the flow of refrigerant and change from cooling to
heating. Such mini splits are also known as heat pumps.

DO MINI SPLITS BRING IN FRESH AIR FROM

OUTSIDE?
Most mini splits do not bring in fresh air. The mini split indoor and
outdoor units are connected by refrigerant pipes that circulate a
refrigerant. Thus, outside fresh air does not come through the outdoor
unit of the mini split. However, certain types of mini split indoor units
can attach a duct to bring in fresh air from outside.

DO MINI SPLITS HAVE FILTERS TO CLEAN THE AIR?

Mini splits do have filters. Typical wall-mounted mini splits have two
washable plastic mesh filters inside the indoor unit. Other types of
mini splits such as the ceiling cassette and the ceiling concealed have
synthetic fiber filters that are washable for 3-4 times before they need
to be replaced.

14 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

DO MINI SPLITS DEHUMIDIFY AND REMOVE
MOISTURE?
Mini splits do dehumidify. All mini splits are able to remove moisture
from the air through the condensation process and discharge the
condensate water via a drain pipe. A 12,000 BTU mini split is capable
of dehumidifying the air from 75% relative humidity down to 45%
relative humidity in one hour for a 170 square feet room.

IS A MINI SPLIT GOOD FOR A GARAGE?

It turns out that a mini split air conditioner is an excellent choice for
heating and cooling a garage. Mini splits are very efficient and they
operate incredibly quiet. Mini splits are a space saver because they
don't require ducts and they are mounted up high on the wall. If you
install it by yourself, a mini split is a very cost-effective heating and
cooling solution for your garage.

WHAT IS HIGH DELTA T CHILLED WATER SYSTEMS?

High delta T chilled water systems have a temperature difference of
about 15°F (8°C) between the chilled water supply and return while
standard chilled water systems have a temperature difference of
about 10°F (5.5°C) only. High delta T chilled water systems are more
efficient.

WHAT IS A HYBRID CHILLER?

A hybrid chiller is an evaporative air-cooled chiller that uses
evaporative cooling for heat rejection to lower the refrigerant
condensing temperature and achieve higher efficiency. A hybrid chiller
is the combination of an air-cooled chiller and a cooling tower.

15 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

DO AIR PURIFIERS PRODUCE OXYGEN?
Air purifiers do not produce oxygen. Air purifiers only make the air
cleaner by filtering the air with high-grade filters. Most air purifiers are
not capable of introducing any fresh air from outside. Hence, a
separate fresh air system is required to maintain a good indoor
oxygen level.

HOW DOES A HEAT PUMP WORK IN WINTER?

Heat pumps are able to make their refrigerant colder than the
ambient air which allows the refrigerant to absorb heat from the
ambient air. Then, the refrigerant goes into the heat pump condenser
unit which is located inside your house to provide warm air and heat
up your house.

WHAT IS THE STANDARD CHILLED WATER

TEMPERATURE?
Standard chilled water temperature is 6.7°C (44°F) for supply and
12.2°C (54°F) for return. Standard condenser water temperature is
35°C (95°F) for the supply and 30°C (86°F) for the return based on
outdoor 35°C (95°F) dry bulb and 27.8°C (82°F) wet bulb
temperature.

HOW INCREASING THE CHILLED WATER SUPPLY

TEMPERATURE AFFECTS CHILLER PERFORMANCE?
Increasing the chilled water supply temperature will increase the
refrigerant evaporating pressure thereby increasing chiller efficiency
and reducing chiller power consumption.

16 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHY INCREASING THE CHILLED WATER SUPPLY
TEMPERATURE IS CAUSING MOLD PROBLEMS?
Increasing the chilled water supply temperature can cause high
humidity problems because the dehumidification capability of the air
handling units decreased, especially in humid countries such as
Malaysia and Singapore. Therefore, high chilled water supply
temperature often is the root cause of long-term mold and fungus
growth problems in commercial buildings.

HOW REDUCING COOLING TOWER FAN SPEED

AFFECTS CHILLER PERFORMANCE?
Reducing cooling tower fan speed will increase the condenser water
return temperature thereby decreasing chiller efficiency and
increasing chiller power consumption.

REDUCE CONDENSER WATER RETURN

TEMPERATURE CAN INCREASE CHILLER
PERFORMANCE?
It is true that decreasing the condensing water return temperature will
increase chiller efficiency. However, decreasing the condenser water
return temperature is not a good energy-saving solution in humid
countries because the ambient wet bulb temperature is relatively
high.

HOW REDUCING CONDENSER WATER PUMP SPEED

AFFECTS CHILLER PERFORMANCE?
Reducing condenser water pump speed will increase the condenser
water return temperature thereby increasing chiller power
consumption.

17 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

HOW DIRTY CONDENSER TUBE AFFECT CHILLER
PERFORMANCE?
Not cleaning the chiller condenser tube regularly will increase the
refrigerant condensing pressure thereby lowering chiller efficiency.

HOW DIRTY COOLING COILS AFFECT CHILLER

PERFORMANCE?
Not cleaning the air handling units and fan coil units cooling coil
regularly will lead to low chilled water return temperature thereby
increasing chiller power consumption.

HOW IMPROPER CHILLED WATER FLOW CONTROL

AFFECTS CHILLER PERFORMANCE?
Not controlling the chilled water flow to AHUs and FCUs properly will
lead to low chilled water return temperature thereby decreasing
chiller efficiency.

WHAT IS CHILLER APPROACH?

Chiller approach is the temperature difference between the water and
the refrigerant. The temperature difference between the chilled
supply water and the evaporating refrigerant is called evaporator
approach. The temperature difference between the condenser water
supply and the condensing refrigerant is called condenser approach.

WHAT IS THE NORMAL CHILLER EVAPORATOR

APPROACH?
The normal chiller evaporator approach is below 1°C (1.8°F) for new
chillers. Hence, if the chilled water supply temperature is 6.7°C
(44°F), the evaporating refrigerant temperature is around 6°C
(42.8°F).

18 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHAT IS THE NORMAL CHILLER CONDENSER
APPROACH?
The normal chiller condenser approach is below 4°C (7.2°F) for new
chillers. Hence, if the condenser water supply temperature is 38°C
(100.4°F), the condensing refrigerant temperature is around 41.7°C
(107°F).

WHAT IS COOLING TOWER APPROACH?

Cooling tower approach is the difference between the condenser
water return temperature and the ambient wet bulb temperature.
Usually, cooling tower approach is designed at below 2.8°C
(5°F). Hence, if the ambient wet bulb temperature is around 27.8°C
(82°F), the condenser water return temperature is around 30°C
(86°F).

WHAT IS AN AIR-TO-WATER HEAT PUMP?

Air-to-water heat pumps use the refrigeration cycle to harvest heat
energy from the ambient air and transfer it to cold water thereby
producing hot water. Because the ambient air is free of charge, air-to-
water heat pumps produce hot water at a fraction of the cost of
traditional immersion heaters.

WHAT IS PLC IN HVAC?

PLC stands for programmable logic controller. Generally, PLC is the
core of the control system of the HVAC system. Usually, PLC is located
inside the main switchboard of the chilled water system or a
dedicated HVAC control panel.

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WHAT IS A CHILLED WATER FAN COIL UNIT?
Generally, a chilled water fan coil unit is a relatively smaller form of air
conditioning unit that uses chilled water to transfer heat from indoor
to outdoor. It controls its cooling capacity by regulating the amount of
chilled water flowing inside its cooling coil.

WHAT IS PAU IN HVAC?

PAU stands for pre-cool air handling unit or primary air handling unit.
PAU is also known as PAHU. PAU or PAHU is used to treat the high
humidity outdoor air and supply it to the building's air handling units
to achieve the desired humidity control, especially in humid climates.

WHAT IS ACMV?
ACMV stands for air conditioning and mechanical ventilation. The
acronym ACMV is mostly used by people living in Southeast Asia. In
countries like Singapore and Malaysia, heating is often not required
and hence, people rarely use the term HVAC.

WHY HVAC DUCTS ARE SWEATING?

HVAC ducts sweat because the temperature of the external surface of
the ducts is lower than the dew point temperature of the air inside the
room. When the water vapor in the air contacts with the cold surface
of the ducts, it turns into liquid water droplets until they can't hold
themselves together, they start to drip, replicating sweat.

HOW HVAC RELAYS WORK?

It turns out that HVAC relays usually use either 24Vdc or 240Vac
signals. When an HVAC relay receives a signal, the magnetic coil
within the relay gets energized, causing the open contact relay to
close its contact thereby allowing electrical current to flow through for
control purposes.

20 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

HOW SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS WORK?
Generally, there are two types of solar air conditioners; a) hybrid solar
air conditioners and b) pure solar air conditioners. Hybrid solar air
conditioners partially replace their power from the grid with the power
generated by their solar panels to reduce the electricity
cost. Meanwhile, pure solar air conditioners only use the power
generated by their solar panels to operate during the day while
charging their batteries for night use, resulting in zero electricity cost.

HOW HOTEL AIR CONDITIONERS WORK?

Most hotel air conditioners are concealed above the ceiling. They use
chilled water produced by centralized chillers for air conditioning.
Concealed hotel air conditioners use ducts to distribute air through
their respective supply air diffusers that can be seen on the hotel
ceiling.

IS MINI SPLIT GOOD FOR SUNROOM?

It turns out that a mini split is an excellent choice for cooling and
heating a sunroom. A ductless mini split ceiling cassette air
conditioning unit can be hung conveniently at the center of a sunroom
to distribute air evenly throughout the sunroom while maintaining the
aesthetic of the sunroom.

WHAT IS NET POSITIVE SUCTION HEAD?

Net positive suction head (NPSH) is the final water pressure at the
inlet of a centrifugal pump. Every centrifugal pump has a required
suction pressure and the water pressure at the inlet of the pump
must be more than the pump's required suction pressure in order for
the pump to run properly.

21 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHAT ARE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE SENSORS IN
HVAC?
In HVAC, differential pressure sensors are used to measure the
pressure difference between two separate compartments. The most
common place where a differential pressure sensor can be found is in
the staircase pressurization system.

WHAT IS REVERSE RETURN PIPING?

Reverse return piping is a hydronic balancing method that equalizes
the differential pressure across all HVAC units by rearranging the
return water pipe such that the first unit that provides supply water be
the last unit to receive return water thereby eliminating the need for
balancing valves.

WHAT IS A PLENUM BOX?

A plenum box is usually a galvanized iron box installed before the
cooling coil of a fan coil unit to reduce the velocity of the return air
such that the face velocity of the cooling coil is not more than 2.5
m/s. Besides, a plenum box also serves the purpose to mix the fresh
air with the return air.

WHAT IS SENSIBLE COOLING CAPACITY?

Sensible cooling capacity determines the temperature reduction
capability of the air conditioner. Usually, it is about 80% of the total
cooling capacity of the air conditioner. Meanwhile, the remaining is
the latent cooling capacity which determines the moisture extraction
capability of air conditioners.

22 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

CAN YOU RUN MINI SPLIT REFRIGERANT LINES IN
WALLS?
Mini split refrigerant lines can be run in walls. It is a common practice
to hide the refrigerant pipes of mini splits in dry walls for aesthetic
purposes. Apart from being more difficult to repair, concealing the
refrigerant lines in walls have no impact on the performance of the
mini splits.

IS RADIANT COOLING EFFICIENT?

When properly designed, a radiant cooling system can be 10% more
efficient than a conventional water-cooled chilled water system that
has variable speed drives and variable air volume boxes.
Fundamentally, radiant cooling systems move heat from indoor to
outdoor more efficiently.

WHAT IS VAV IN HVAC?

VAV stands for variable air volume. VAV is also known as VAV box
which the full form is variable air volume box. VAV is used to maintain
a more precise room temperature by regulating the amount of airflow
supplied to the room.

WHY CONDO AIR CONDITIONERS NOT COOLING?

The most common cause of condo air conditioners not cooling is a
faulty motorized on/off valve. A faulty motorized on/off valve may not
open properly to allow chilled water flows through a condo air
conditioner thereby causing the condo air conditioner not cooling.

HOW TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY IN HOMES?

It turns out that in order to improve home air quality, we need to keep
the level of PM2.5 pollutants below 5 μg/m most of the time.
3

Furthermore, the concentration of CO must be kept at below 1000

2

ppm to ensure that we have sufficient oxygen at all times.

23 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHY HVAC AIR VENTS ARE NOISY AND HOW TO FIX
THEM?
The two most common causes of loud HVAC air vent noise are high air
velocity and too short of a return air duct. High air velocity is caused
by too small of a duct and a short return air duct will lead to effective
transmission of loud fan noise through the return air duct.

HOW VFDS WORK IN HVAC?

The power supply of HVAC units such as compressors, pumps and
fans can be connected to a VFD for variable speed control. The speed
of these HVAC units is directly proportional to the electrical frequency
(Hz) of the VFD. So, increasing the Hz will increase the speed and vice
versa.

WHAT IS CHILLER LIFT?

Chiller lift is the difference between the refrigerant evaporating and
condensing pressure. Since pressure is directly proportional to
temperature, the difference between the chilled water and condenser
water temperature can also be used to refer to chiller lift.

HOW COOLING TOWERS WORK?

Cooling towers work by spreading condenser water onto a large
surface area and forcing the ambient air to flow through the
condenser water so that the temperature of the condenser water can
be reduced effectively through evaporative cooling.

WHY DO COOLING TOWERS HAVE A BLOWDOWN

VALVE?
The blowdown valve of cooling towers is used to automatically
discharge a small amount of condenser water at the bottom of
the cooling tower basin periodically in order to remove excess
minerals that cause scaling and corrosion.

24 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHAT IS A MINI SPLIT?
A mini-split is a decentralized heating and cooling system that
enables houses to have independent room temperature controls.
Since the capacity of a single mini-split unit is relatively lower, a
single-family house usually needs about 4-6 mini-splits for adequate
heating and cooling. However, mini-splits often save more electricity
costs than other heating and cooling systems.

WHAT IS AN AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP?

An air source heat pump is the most common type of heat pump that
sources heat energy from the outdoor ambient air for indoor heating.
When needed, it can reverse its process to provide cooling. Air source
heat pumps also can produce hot water for shower and sinks.

WHAT TYPE OF DUCT TO USE FOR A BATHROOM

VENTILATION FAN?
Generally, there are 3 types of ducts you can use to vent a bathroom
fan; a) rigid metal duct, b) round flexible duct and c) round PVC duct.
However, the most common way to vent a bathroom fan is using rigid
ducts as the main duct and a short length of flexible duct to connect
the bathroom fan to the main duct.

DO AIR CONDITIONERS TAKE AIR FROM OUTSIDE?

It turns out that air conditioners usually don't take air from outside
unless they have a fresh air intake vent. Air conditioners that come
with a fresh air intake vent can permanently bring in a small amount
of fresh air from outside to keep you stay refreshed.

25 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHAT TYPE OF ENGINEERING IS HVAC?
Based on the principle used, the type of engineering for heating,
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) is mechanical engineering.
Principles such as heat transfer, thermodynamics and fluid
mechanics are the core principles of HVAC and thus, HVAC is part of
mechanical engineering.

WHAT IS A GOOD NOISE LEVEL FOR AN AIR

CONDITIONER?
A good noise level for an air conditioner is below 40 dB because it
does not affect our sleep and health. An air conditioner starts to
disturb our sleep when its noise level at above 40 dB. Most people
are highly-annoyed and sleep-disturbed when the noise level of an air
conditioner is above 55 dB.

IS IT BETTER TO LEAVE THE AC ON WHEN NOT

HOME?
The truth is, if you don't need cooling, you should turn the air
conditioner off. The energy usage of air conditioners is based on their
operating hours. The longer the air conditioner runs, the more power
it consumes. Therefore, unless you need to maintain a certain indoor
condition, you should always turn the air conditioner off when you're
not home.

CAN PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS USE EXTENSION

CORDS?
As long as the extension cord has an electrical current rating that is
able to cater to the maximum current of the portable air
conditioner and has a ground wire, it is safe for a portable air
conditioner to use an extension cord.

26 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHY PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS NEED TO BE
VENTED?
Portable air conditioners need to be vented because they provide
cooling by extracting the heat within the room and discharging it in a
form of hot air outside through a hose. An unvented portable air
conditioner is not extracting heat out of the room and therefore, does
not provide cooling.

HOW TO CALCULATE CHILLED WATER PUMP HEAD?

To calculate chilled water pump head, first determine the total water
flow required. Then, identify the farthest equipment on the piping
system. Next, find the total head loss of the longest piping loop.
Finally, calculate the required pump head using the Hazen-Williams
Equation.

WHAT IS THE COP OF HEAT PUMPS?

The COP of a heat pump is measured by dividing the heating output of
the heat pump (in kW) by the power input of the heat pump (in kW) at
a given operating condition. The resulted COP is a unitless number.
The higher the COP of a heat pump, the higher the energy efficiency of
the heat pump.

HOW AIR CONDITIONING WORKS IN AIRCRAFT?

It turns out that air conditioning in aircraft works by taking a small
amount of sterilized air from the jet engine and compressing it. Then,
the air is cooled by the ambient air via a heat exchanger. Next, the
cooled air is expanded by an expansion turbine, causing its
temperature to drop further. Finally, water vapor in the cold air is
extracted before the cold air is sent to the aircraft cabin.

27 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

HOW TO MEASURE AIRFLOW IN HVAC?
To measure airflow in HVAC, place an anemometer near the register
to get the air velocity reading. After that, measure the register neck
size and calculate the neck area. Finally, multiply the air velocity by
the register neck size to obtain the airflow of the register.

HOW TO CALCULATE CHILLER KW/TON?

To calculate chiller kW/Ton, divide the power input of the chiller in kW
by the cooling capacity of the chiller in refrigeration tonnage or RT.
Alternatively, divide 3.5 by the COP of the chiller to get the chiller
efficiency in kW/Ton.

WHAT IS COP IN HVAC?

COP stands for coefficient of performance. The unit of measurement
for COP is kW/kW. To calculate the COP of an air conditioner, divide
the cooling output (in kW) by the power input (in kW). The higher the
COP value, the higher the efficiency of the air conditioner.

WHAT IS SEER IN HVAC?

SEER stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio. The unit of
measurement for SEER is BTU/Watt. The SEER value of an air
conditioner is calculated based on different outdoor conditions. The
higher the SEER value, the higher the efficiency of the air conditioner.

WHAT IS EER IN HVAC?

EER stands for energy efficiency ratio. The unit of measurement for
EER is also BTU/Watt. To calculate the EER value of an air
conditioner, divide the cooling output (in BTU) by the power input (in
Watt). The higher the EER value, the higher the efficiency of the air
conditioner.

28 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

WHAT IS KW/TON IN HVAC?
The full form of kW/Ton is kilowatt per refrigerant tonnages (RT). To
calculate the kW/Ton of an air conditioner, divide the power input (in
kW) by the cooling output (in RT). The LOWER the kW/Ton value, the
higher the efficiency of the air conditioner.

WHAT IS CEER IN HVAC?

CEER stands for combined energy efficiency ratio. The unit of
measurement for CEER is BTU/Watt. To calculate the CEER value of a
window air conditioner, divide the cooling output of an air conditioner
(in BTU) by the total power input including standby power (in kW). The
higher the CEER value, the higher the efficiency of the window air
conditioner.

WHAT IS HSPF IN HVAC?

HSPF stands for heating seasonal performance factor. HSPF is the
opposite of SEER. HSPF accounts for different outdoor conditions.
Hence, the higher the HSPF value, the higher the energy efficiency of
an air conditioner.

WHAT IS BTU, HP, TON & KW IN HVAC?

BTU, Ton, HP, and kW are the different units of measurement for the
cooling capacity of an air conditioner. Most people refer to the cooling
capacity of an air conditioner as BTU and Ton while some people
prefer to use HP and kW when referring to the cooling capacity of an
air conditioner.

END.

29 HVAC 101 | aircondlounge.com

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