CITYWIDE SOLUTIONS LLC- WE ARE OPEN

CITYWIDE SOLUTIONS LLC- WE ARE OPEN

by | May 17, 2020 | Maintenance, Service

In this growing time of uncertainty and being asked to stay at home, we at Citywide Solutions want to ensure that the time you spend at home is comfortable. This means ensuring that your furnace, fireplace, air conditioning, and ventilation systems are working properly and efficiently.

We understand the growing concerns everyone is facing and want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to ensure a safe and comfortable home while we are faced with the uncertainty that looms in front of us. For this reason, we are staying open, staying safe, and making sure we have taken every precaution to ensure our customers are safe as well.

All service techs are required to wear a mask, disposable gloves (replaced after each call), and disposable booties (replaced after each call) before entering any home. We are respecting the 6 ft. distancing rules that have been established and can accept credit cards which we will let you swipe if you choose. We have screen cleaners that we will use as well before you sign to ensure a sanitized surface.

As summer is just around the corner, we want to ensure that you can remain comfortable when it gets warm outside. We are offering our normally priced $139.00 AC tune-up (working units) for $99.00* – This includes:

  1. Inspect your filters
  2. Check the indoor evaporation coil
  3. Check the outdoor condenser coil
  4. Check voltage
  5. Control voltage
  6. Check the condensation drain
  7. Check the motors & capacitors
  8. Check the wiring connections
  9. Measure the temperature
  10. Check the overall safety of the unit
    *Additional parts and labor for services needed outside of basic tune-up not included, new customers, veterans, and seniors receive 10% off of regular prices and if a new unit is needed we can offer up to 50% off of MSRP. Offer valid through 6/29/2020

If you still need your heating needs met (it is Oregon after all), we are also offering a discount on our furnace check-up (working units) from our normal price of $149.00 for $99.00* which includes:

  • Cycle the furnace
  • Blower – inspect assembly
  • Clean or change filter (Customer supplied or purchased from Citywide Solutions)
  • Verify limit operations
  • Measure and record delta T
  • Measure and record amp draw to blower
  • Tighten electrical connections
  • Check resistant heating elements
  • Check sequencer relays
  • Check temperature rise
  • Check interlock safety controls
  • Check fuses
  • Inspect thermostat operations
  • Inspect high/low voltage wiring
  • Clean and cycle condensate pump (if applicable with heat pump service +$49)
  • Clean exterior
    *Additional parts and labor for services needed outside of basic tune-up not included, but remember that new customers, veterans, and seniors always receive 10% off of regular prices, and if a new unit is needed, we can offer up to 50% off of MSRP. Citywide Solutions wants to be your solution to all of your HVAC needs, hot or cold. Offer valid through 6/29/2020

What if it isn’t working?
Diagnostic check if your A/C, gas fireplace, or Furnace is not working $99.00*

We will inspect the unit to determine the root cause of the issue and offer suggestions based on your budget.
*Additional parts and labor not included, but remember that new customers, veterans, and seniors receive 10% off of regular prices and if a new unit is needed we can offer up to 50% off of MSRP. Offer valid through 6/29/2020

We are there when you need us and do our best to accommodate your schedule. We offer evening and weekend appointments as well as Emergency services. We look forward to earning your business and showing you that Citywide Solutions LLC is in this with you.

Please call today to schedule your appointment and see why Citywide Solutions should be your first call with your home HVAC needs. 503-217-9800.

Furnace Types

Furnace Types

by | Sep 14, 2019 | Furnace, Heating

Furnace Types

Furnaces can be classified into four general categories, based on efficiency and design.

Natural draft

The first category of furnaces are natural draft, atmospheric burner furnaces. These furnaces consist of cast-iron or riveted-steel heat exchangers built within an outer shell of brick, masonry, or steel. The heat exchangers are vented through brick or masonry chimneys. Air circulation depends on large, upwardly pitched pipes constructed of wood or metal. The pipes channel the warm air into floor or wall vents inside the home. This method of heating works because warm air rises.

The system is simple, has few controls, a single automatic gas valve, and no blower. These furnaces were originally made to work with any fuel simply by adapting the burner area. They have been operated with wood, coal, trash, paper, natural gas, or fuel oil. Furnaces that use solid fuels require daily maintenance to remove ash and “clinkers” that accumulate in the bottom of the burner area. These furnaces have been adapted with electric blowers to aid air distribution and speed moving heat into the home. Gas and oil-fired systems are usually controlled by a thermostat inside the home, while most wood and coal-fired furnaces have no electrical connection and are controlled by the amount of fuel in the burner and position of the fresh-air damper on the burner access door.

Forced air

The second category of furnace is the forced-air, atmospheric burner style with a cast-iron or sectional steel heat exchanger. The heated air is moved by blowers which are belt driven and designed for a wide range of speeds. These furnaces were still big and bulky compared to modern furnaces,and had heavy-steel exteriors with bolt-on removable panels. This style furnace still uses large, masonry or brick chimneys for flues and eventually designed to accommodate air-conditioning systems.

Forced draft

The third category of furnace is the forced draft, mid-efficiency furnace with a steel heat exchanger and multi-speed blower. These furnaces are physically much more compact than previous styles. They are equipped with combustion air blowers that pulls air through the heat exchanger. This greatly increases fuel efficiency while allowing the heat exchangers to become smaller. These furnaces may have multi-speed blowers and are designed to work with central air-conditioning systems.

Condensing furnace

The fourth category of furnace is the high-efficiency, or condensing furnace. High-efficiency furnaces can achieve from 89% to 98% fuel efficiency. This style of furnace includes a sealed combustion area, combustion draft inducer and a secondary heat exchanger. Because the heat exchanger removes most of the heat from the exhaust gas, it actually condenses water vapor and other chemicals (which form a mild acid) as it operates. The vent pipes are normally installed with PVC pipe versus metal vent pipe to prevent corrosion. The draft inducer allows for the exhaust piping to be routed vertically or horizontally as it exits the structure. The most efficient arrangement for high-efficiency furnaces include PVC piping that brings fresh combustion air from the outside of the home directly to the furnace. Normally the combustion air (fresh air) PVC is routed alongside the exhaust PVC during installation and the pipes exit through a sidewall of the home in the same location.

Single stage

A single-stage furnace has only one stage of operation, it is either on or off. This means that it is relatively noisy, always running at the highest speed, and always pumping out the hottest air at the highest velocity.

One of the benefits to a single-stage furnace is typically the cost for installation. Single-stage furnaces are relatively inexpensive since the technology is rather simple.

Two stage

A two-stage furnace has to do two stage full speed and half (or reduced) speed. Depending on the demanded heat, they can run at a lower speed most of the time. They can be quieter, move the air at less velocity, and will better keep the desired temperature in the house.

Modulating

A modulating furnace can modulate the heat output and air velocity nearly continuously, depending on the demanded heat and outside temperature. This means that it only works as much as necessary and therefore saves energy.

Heat distribution

The furnace transfers heat to the living space of the building through an intermediary distribution system. If the distribution is through hot water (or other fluid) or through steam, then the furnace is more commonly called a boiler. One advantage of a boiler is that the furnace can provide hot water for bathing and washing dishes, rather than requiring a separate water heater. One disadvantage to this type of application is when the boiler breaks down, neither heating nor domestic hot water are available.

“Octopus” furnace with oil burner.

Air convection heating systems have been in use for over a century. Older systems rely on a passive air circulation system where the greater density of cooler air causes it to sink into the furnace area below, through air return registers in the floor, and the lesser density of warmed air causes it to rise in the ductwork; the two forces acting together to drive air circulation in a system termed ‘gravity-fed’. The layout of these ‘octopus’ furnaces and their duct systems is optimized with various diameters of large dampered ducts.

Forced-air gas furnace

By comparison, most modern “warm air” furnaces typically use a fan to circulate air to the rooms of house and pull cooler air back to the furnace for reheating; this is called forced-air heat. Because the fan easily overcomes the resistance of the ductwork, the arrangement of ducts can be far more flexible than the octopus of old. Separate ducts collect cool air to be returned to the furnace. At the furnace, cool air passes into the furnace, usually through an air filter, through the blower, then through the heat exchanger of the furnace, when it is blown throughout the building. One major advantage of this type of system is that it also enables easy installation of central air conditioning, simply by adding a cooling coil at the outlet of the furnace.

Air is circulated through ductwork, which may be made of sheet metal or plastic “flex” duct, and is insulated or uninsulated. Unless the ducts and plenum have been sealed using mastic or foil duct tape, the ductwork is likely to have a high leakage of conditioned air, possibly into unconditioned spaces. Another cause of wasted energy is the installation of ductwork in unheated areas, such as attics and crawl spaces; or ductwork of air conditioning systems in attics in warm climates.

Central heating

A home furnace is a major appliance that is permanently installed to provide heat to an interior space through intermediary fluid movement, which may be air, steam, or hot water. Heating appliances that use steam or hot water are normally referred to as a residential steam boiler or residential hot water boiler.

The most common fuel source for modern furnaces is natural gas; other common fuel sources include LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), fuel oil and in rare cases coal or wood. In some areas electrical resistance heating is used, especially where the cost of electricity is low or the primary purpose is for air conditioning.

Modern high-efficiency furnaces can be up to 98% efficient and operate without a chimney, with a typical gas furnace being about 80% efficient. Waste gas and heat are mechanically ventilated through PVC pipes that can be vented through the side or roof of the house. Fuel efficiency in a gas furnace is measured in AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency).

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Types of air conditioning units. Which is right for you?

Types of air conditioning units. Which is right for you?

by | Jun 9, 2019 | Air Conditioning

Types of air conditioning units. Which is right for you?

 

Window unit and packaged terminal

Window unit air conditioners are exactly what they sound like. They are installed in an open window. The interior air is cooled as a fan blows it over the evaporator. On the exterior the heat drawn from the interior is dissipated into the environment as a second fan blows outside air over the condenser. A large house may have several of these units,which allows each room to be cooled individually.

Packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC) systems are also known as wall-split air conditioning systems.These are ductless systems. PTACs, which are frequently used in hotels, have two separate units (terminal packages), the evaporative unit on the interior and the condensing unit on the exterior, with an opening passing through the wall and connecting them. This minimizes the interior system footprint and allows each room to be adjusted independently.

PTAC systems may be adapted to provide heating in cold weather, either directly by using an electric strip, gas, or other heater, or by reversing the refrigerant flow to heat the interior and draw heat from the exterior air, converting the air conditioner into a heat pump. While room air conditioning provides maximum flexibility, when used to cool many rooms at a time it is generally more expensive than central air conditioning.

Split systems

Split-system air conditioners come in two forms: mini-split and central systems. In both types, the inside-environment (evaporative) heat exchanger is separated by some distance from the outside-environment (condensing unit) heat exchanger.

Mini-split (ductless) system

A mini-split system typically supplies air conditioned and heated air to a single or a few rooms of a home. Multi-zone systems are a common application of ductless systems and allow up to 8 rooms to be conditioned from a single outdoor unit. Multi-zone systems typically offer a variety of indoor unit styles including wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, ceiling recessed, and horizontal ducted. Mini-split systems typically produce 9,000 to 36,000 Btu (9,500–38,000 kJ) per hour of cooling. Multi-zone systems provide extended cooling and heating capacity up to 60,000 Btu’s. Large systems are known as VRF (Variable refrigerant flow) systems.

Advantages of the ductless system include smaller size and flexibility for heating and cooling individual rooms. This means the inside wall space required is significantly reduced. Also, the compressor and heat exchanger can be located farther away from the inside space, rather than only on the other side of the same unit as in a PTAC or window air conditioner. Flexible exterior hoses lead from the outside unit to the interior one(s); these are often enclosed with metal to look like common drainpipes from the roof. In addition, ductless systems offer higher efficiency, reaching above 30 SEER.(The SEER measures air conditioning and heat pump cooling efficiency, which is calculated by the cooling output for a typical cooling season divided by the total electric energy input during the same time frame. A SEER rating is a maximum efficiency rating, similar to the miles per gallon for your car.)

A possible disadvantage is that the cost of installing mini splits can be higher than some systems. However, lower operating costs, rebates, or other financial incentives offered in some areas can help offset the initial expense.

Multi-split system

A multi-split system is a conventional split system, which is divided into two parts (evaporator and condenser) and allows cooling or heating of several rooms with one external unit. In the outdoor unit of this air conditioner there is a more powerful compressor, ports for connecting several traces and automation with locking valves for regulating the volume of refrigerant supplied to the indoor units located in the room.

A large Multi Split System is called a Variable refrigerant flow system and can be used instead of a central air conditioner system, as it allows for higher energy efficiency but it is more expensive to purchase and install.

Its unique feature is the presence of one main external unit that is connected to several indoor units. Such systems might be the right solution for maintaining the microclimate in several offices, shops, and large living spaces.The main external unit can be connected to several different indoor types: floor, ceiling, cassette, etc.

Multi-split system installation considerations

Before selecting the installation location of the air conditioner, several factors need to be considered. First of all, the direction of air flow from the indoor units should not fall on the place of rest or a work area. Secondly, there should not be any obstacles on the way of the airflow that might prevent it from covering the space of the premises as much as possible. The outdoor unit must also be located in an open space, otherwise the heat from the house will not be effectively discharged outside and the productivity of the entire system will drop sharply. It is highly advisable to install the air conditioner units in easily accessible places for further maintenance during operation.

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The selection of indoor units has one restriction: their total power should not exceed the capacity of the outdoor unit. In practice, however, it is very common to see a multi-split system with a total capacity of indoor units greater than the outdoor capacity by at least 20%. However, it is wrong to expect better performance when all indoor units are turned on at the same time, since the total capacity of the whole system is limited by the capacity of the outdoor unit. Simply put, the outdoor unit will distribute all its power to all operating indoor units in such a way that some of the rooms may not have a very comfortable temperature level.

Air-only central air conditioning

Central ducted A/C provides temperature control and ventilation to an area by conditioning air within an air handler and distributing it to one or more zones. The temperature of individual zones can be controlled by varying the airflow to each zone and/or reheating the air.

Portable units

A portable air conditioner can be easily transported inside a home or office. They are currently available with capacities of about 5,000–60,000 BTU/h (1,500–18,000 W) and with or without electric-resistance heaters. Portable air conditioners are either evaporative or refrigerative.

The compressor-based refrigerant systems are air-cooled, meaning they use air to exchange heat, in the same way as a car radiator or typical household air conditioner does. Such a system dehumidifies the air as it cools it. It collects water condensed from the cooled air and produces hot air which must be vented outside the cooled area; doing so transfers heat from the air in the cooled area to the outside air.

Portable split system

A portable system has an indoor unit on wheels connected to an outdoor unit via flexible pipes, similar to a permanently fixed installed unit.The portable units draw indoor air and expel it outdoors through a single duct. Many portable air conditioners come with heat as well as a de humidification function.

Portable hose system

Hose systems, which can be mono-block or air-to-air, are vented to the outside via air ducts. The mono-block type collects the water in a bucket or tray and stops when full. The air-to-air type re-evaporates the water and discharges it through the ducted hose and can run continuously.

A single-hose unit uses air from within the room to cool its condenser, and then vents it outside. This air is replaced by hot air from outside or other rooms (due to the negative pressure inside the room), thus reducing the unit’s overall efficiency.

Modern units might have a coefficient of performance of approximately 3 kw of cooling (i.e., 1 kW of electricity will produce 3 kW of cooling). A dual-hose unit draws air to cool its condenser from outside instead of from inside the room, and thus is more effective than most single-hose units. These units create no negative pressure in the room.

Portable evaporative system

Evaporative coolers, sometimes called “swamp coolers”, do not have a compressor or condenser. Liquid water is evaporated on the cooling fins, releasing the vapor into the cooled area. Evaporating water absorbs a significant amount of heat, thus cooling the air. Humans and animals use the same mechanism to cool themselves by sweating.

Evaporative coolers have the advantage of needing no hoses to vent heat outside the cooled area, making them truly portable. They are also very cheap to install and use less energy than refrigerative air conditioners.

Conclusion

The best way to find out what type of system your home would benefit from is to call in an HVAC professional. They will be able to look at all of the variables and recommend the most efficient unit for your home’s size and needs.

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