HVAC

Feature Story The proper procedures need to be followed when checking oil burner pumps By George Lanthier Well, it’s time to go back to B&B Mechanical and check in with our old pals, Bruce and Bubba. The boys have been very busy, so Bruce decided to hire another guy. B&B’s coming along pretty good and with a January thaw Bruce ...

Feature Story Know the basic rules when checking a domestic hot water systemBy George Lanthier In this article we are going to take a look at basic rules for troubleshooting domestic hot water heaters. Most of this information is from the book The Hot Water Handbook by Bob Suffredini and myself and many thanks for the orders; that always seems ...

Feature Story Proper testing of system anti-freeze will help prevent problems down the roadBy George Lanthier In many of my seminars, especially those about hydronics and cold-weather servicing of heating systems, an issue comes up that always surprises me that people don’t know about: how non-toxic or inhibited propylene glycol solutions, or system anti-freeze, can go bad and you may ...

Feature Story REHAU radiant heating and cooling system facilitates energy efficiency at Earth Rangers Centre A REHAU radiant heating and cooling system was recently installed in one of Canada’s most innovative and energy-efficient buildings, the Earth Rangers Centre in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. The 60,000-square-foot facility, which officially opened in October 2004, functions as a wildlife refuge and hospital and as ...

Feature Story Figure1 Using the ‘Lanthier Scale” can simplify burner setup By George Lanthier Many of us have heard of setting up a burner by eye. This procedure ranks right up there in the annals of dumb with so many other backwards and antiquated ways of doing things that only those grouped in the clan of the criminally stupid still ...

Feature Story Improve defroster performance by making sure your truck’s air-conditioning unit is ready for winterBy Stephen Petit Seasonal HVAC maintenance is quick, simple and relatively inexpensive to do, according to Red Dot’s Gary Hansen. It’s been a cold night and you’re hot to get rolling. But your defroster is taking forever to clear the windscreen.‘You may not realize it, ...

Feature Story Understanding vacuum and pressure can improve the operation of your oil pumpsBy George Lanthier Figure 1 In my travels on the Internet, in seminars and just talking to so many people in this industry, it never seems to amaze me how many people have problems with oil lines, fuel pumps and, specifically, vacuum. When I was thinking about ...

Feature Story Energy efficiency can be improved with combination boiler/hot-water heater The selection of a residential heating system is an investment that the homeowner will have to live with for a very long time. Those who have owned all-electric homes, advertised as an advanced and integrated solution to power and fuel needs, know firsthand how technologies and energy costs can ...

Feature Story There aren’t any ‘magic bullets” when testing electrical componentsBy George Lanthier Figure 1 If you travel the Internet, you will see dozens of postings about component failures and guys going nuts over these failures and the testing of both conventional and solid-state ignition systems. When you cut through all of this stuff you quickly see that what everyone ...

Feature Story In protecting against scalding, the manufacturer and installer must ensure a safe installation By George Lanthier Figure 1 A few years ago, 1998 to be exact, a good friend of mine, Bob Suffredini of Therma Flow/Everhot, and I put a book together on domestic hot water. Although it contains just about everything you would ever want to know ...