Efficiency Testing of Air Conditioning System

Testing the Capacity of Air Conditioning

Systems
Measuring system performance and paying
attention to capacity losses (associated with
the impact of airflow and refrigerant charge
problems) will forever change the way that
you look at air conditioning and system
performance. Study after study has shown
that airflow and charge problems plague the
majority of systems installed today providing
a tremendous amount of opportunity for
contractors and technicians to not
only generate otherwise overlooked revenue,
but also to dramatically increase customer
comfort and reduce callbacks and in-
warranty failures.
Why hasn't anyone shown you this process
before? Simple, until now we either did not
have access to accurate instrumentation or it
was to cost prohibitive to to buy the tools for
most technicians. This overview of this
TruTech Tools custom designed Fieldpiece
Kit will demonstrate the tools and techniques
required to complete this simple process, and
highlight the features of a few instruments
that will fit into any technician's budget. The
tools outlined here are what we view the
minimum tools required (or similar) for you
to be successful in the air conditioning and
heat-pump business.
Test in By Measuring Initial Capacity

For an existing system that you are going to

service, to start, do not change or adjust
anything before you test in! This means test in
before you change the filters, clean coils and
even before hooking up the gauges. Knowing
where you are starting is a powerful way to
show the customer the value of the service
that you provide. Testing in benchmarks the
system performance and allows you to
compare the test in to the test out and
definitively prove the value of the service
that you provide. Testing in is simple and
only requires two measurements and two
tools and can be done without even putting
your gauges on the system.
To test in you will need an initial airflow
measurement made with the
Fieldpiece STA2, and the change in enthalpy
across the coil using the
Fieldpiece SDP2 (One of the coolest tools I
have seen this year).
To calculate system capacity the standard air
formula has proved reasonably accurate and
easy to use. BTUh= 4.5 x CFM x h. (h =
change in enthalpy). There are also apps
available like PSYC IT from the Apple App
Store or the TruTech Tools version of
Psychart from Handsdown Software) that
will provide slightly more accurate results.
Most capacity problems (low BTUh output)
are refrigerant charge and airflow related,
which, on the airflow side, can also be
directly related to dirt accumulation on the
filter, evaporator or condenser coils.

Verify Acceptable Static Pressures (Optional)

If you have measured and set the required

airflow with the Fieldpiece STA2, in the big
picture you are in good shape, but you should
verify that the static pressures are lie within
the design range of the equipment to identify
opportunities for duct system improvements
in efficiency, operation, and air noise
reduction. Additionally, some equipment will
actually not perform correctly when the
static is out of range.
While you may be able to achieve airflow
requirements above design static you are
doing so at the sacrifice of efficiency of the
evaporator fan motor. High static can be
caused by something as simple as a
restrictive filter or as extensive as an
undersized duct system that would require
renovation to repair the problem. Checking
both return and supply static pressures
independently as well as the total external
static pressure (TESP) will tell you a lot
about where the opportunities for better
operation will lie. Achieving airflow is critical
to proper operation. As a general rule, and by
typical design, for straight cooling
applications 400 CFM per ton is
recommended, for heat pumps 450 CFM/Ton,
high sensible loads up to 525 CFM/Ton and
high latent load also 400 CFM/Ton. Reducing
airflow below 400 CFM/ton is not
recommended because the lower airflow will
cause problems with grill performance
(throw and spread), lower coil temperatures
and resulting lower efficiency and capacity,
chances of freezing the coil also increase at
typical indoor air temperatures.
 Tuning up the A/C System

Start with the basics for all systems:

1. If this is a new system being

commissioned, make sure the system
been properly installed and evacuated. A
proper evacuation is critical to proper
performance.
2. Clean the filters and the coils. You cannot
charge or check the charge on a system with
dirty coils, filters, or blower. The condenser
and the evaporator must be clean. The
blower must be capable of moving the
correct amount of air. Visual inspection of the
evaporator can be aided with the use of
a video scope by removing the high limit of
most furnaces and fishing the shaft up
through the heat exchanger to the bottom
side of the coil.
Adjust Airflow as Required

Airflow is one one of the least understood

and least performed measurements in the
HVAC industry. However it's most important
for achieving designed capacity and creature
comfort. You cannot charge a system without
correct airflow. After the system is confirmed
to be clean, the airflow must be set to the
manufacturer's recommended settings.
Typically this is 400 CFM/Ton +/- 10%.
Measuring airflow with the
Fieldpiece STA2 is a quick and easy process.
Because it is such a cost effective solution it is
simply one tool no technician can be without.
The video below demonstrates how easy it is
to quickly get an accurate airflow
measurement in any ducted system.
Determine Proper Refrigerant Charge and
Adjust as Necessary

Digital gauges are not only faster, more

accurate and more fun to use, but they also in
case of the Fieldpiece SMAN460 combined
with the Fieldpiece SDP2, dramatically
increase your productivity and charging
accuracy when it comes to charging fixed
orifice systems. Load (the heat that is
removed from the home) is a dynamic thing.
The amount of load and the percentage of
sensible to latent load (heat to humidity) can
and will dramatically impact the target
superheat requirements.
The SDP2 communicates wirelessly with
the SMAN460 to deliver the target superheat
requirements. saving you steps, time and
providing increased accuracy. Due to high
accuracy design (capacitive humidity sensor
coupled with a thermistor for high
temperature accuracy) you can be assured of
levels of accuracy and performance never
before possible in the field. Previously, you
would need expensive a lab-accurate or
custom measurement solution.
Charge the system using the superheat and or
sub-cooling method.

Test Out to Verify Final Capacity

It is first important to understand that rated

capacity and efficiency (SEER) is only
achieved and measured under a specific set
of conditions. Capacity can increase or
decrease with factors like indoor load,
outdoor air temperature, line set length and
lift, and supply voltage. The changes are
small, but they are cumulative, and almost
always result in capacity losses. Very few if
any systems will ever test in at rated capacity
(under full load) unless the charge and the
airflow are correct, the line set meets design
requirements and the system is well
maintained. Many times what we are looking
for as much as the absolute output is the
change in capacity that is achieved under
similar load conditions. Typically this is
considered a field capacity or field EER
(energy efficiency ratio) but no less a
valuable piece of information which shows
the technician and the homeowner what they
need to see which is the actual work that the
air conditioning or heat pump system is
doing. If we consider the electrical
consumption (watts) including both those
from the condenser and the evaporator fan,
we can then show the work and the efficiency
or the change in efficiency at which it is done.
The reason we also want to consider the
electrical energy is two fold.
A system can and will increase in amp draw if
it is moving more BTU's. Moving heat energy
is the work that is being done. What is
important to remember is the ratio of BTU's
moved to that of the watts used is what will
dramatically change.
A system operating under less than full load
can still operate with full capacity but at an
electrical consumption disadvantage.
Consider something like a dirty condenser,
the evaporator may still be operating at its
full capacity and the system able to reject the
heat at a higher then normal head pressure
on an 80 deg F day, not exhibiting a loss of
performance until the outdoor air
temperature is closer to design. Cleaning the
condenser coil on that 80 deg F day may
result in no increase and maybe even a slight
decrease in capacity but, but a huge increase
in EER as the ratio of power consumed due to
the lower head pressure per BTU moved is
significantly increased. A technician only
looking at capacity and not efficiency may
miss or even be perplexed at the outcome if
only the capacity is considered.
Look at the Final Performance Indicators

Before you remove the

Fieldpiece SDP2 probes from the duct, verify
the TEET (Target Evaporator Exit
Temperature) and or ?T (temperature drop
across the coil) across the evaporator are
correct. The SDP2 will not only show you
what they should be, it also calculates how
far away from the target you are. Verifying
that these are in line assures you that the
system measurements, specifically
evaporator performance and airflow are
optimal. The evaporator exit temperature
and the temperature drop will vary with the
ratio of sensible to latent load, and the
Fieldpiece SDP2 will consider this and
provide you far more accurate results then
looking for about a 20 deg. F drop.
Evaporator temperature drop can vary from
16-24 degrees F with ease, and the only way
to know when it should be is a look up chart,
manufacturer's table or to simply read it
from your SDP2.

MANUEL S. ENVERGA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

ME LAB 3

(Efficiency Test of Air-conditioning

System)
OBIAS, CHERRY MAE V.

BSME-V

PROF. Philip D. Acabado