10 Tips from AERCO for HVAC Technicians

HVAC Technicians play a critical role in our industry to keep things safe, efficient, and cost-effective. This takes a lot of practical knowledge, mechanical skill, and continual training. Our manufacturing friends at AERCO are making it a little easy for all of the hardworking technicians out there by sharing a quick tip every Tuesday. These tips can be quick little reminders or even new tricks that a technician can put in their sleeve. Either way, these tips are a great way to help our technicians keep our systems at optimal performance throughout the year.

Here are 10 quick tips from AERCO for HVAC Technicians:

To avoid flame loss and air flow faults, ensure the condensate trap on your commercial boiler is not plugged or restricted.
To maintain peak performance and the highest possible efficiency, ensure that annual maintenance is performed on your condensing boiler.  Annual maintenance is extremely crucial for the efficiency of your equipment. You can easily plan for this according to AERCO’s equipment maintenance kit.
Avoid short circuits on your condensing boiler. When in doubt, always double-check the wiring diagram for your unit.
Ensure your condensing boiler has adequate air supply to avoid incomplete combustion and potentially hazardous operational issues. According to AERCO, air supply is a direct requirement of ANSI 223.1, NFPA-54, CSA B149.1 and local codes. These codes should be consulted before a permanent design is determined.
To ensure hot water is instantly available to distant fixtures, use a building recirculation loop as part of your water heater system.
To achieve proper combustion performance and avoid faults, ensure the gas pressure to your condensing unit is within the manufacturer's acceptable limits.  The max gas pressure specifications can usually be found on your equipment’s technical data sheet.
To ensure optimal system efficiency and reduce operating costs, always reevaluate system piping when replacing boilers and other equipment in retrofit projects.
To help ensure optimal efficiency, perform combustion calibration seasonally on your condensing water heater. 
AERCO has a Combustion Analyzer available that can measure, calibrate and record your combustion calibrations. This portable analyzer is a great tool to ensure optimal efficiency for your condensing water heater.
To avoid lime-scale buildup and to ensure the highest possible efficiency, drain and inspect your condensing water heater on an annual basis.
Ensure the pitch is correct when installing your venting to allow for proper drainage of condensate, which may collect in the flue. Notices to ensure the pitch is correct can be found in the Install-Startup Manual for your equipment. The flue vent system must be pitched back towards the unit a minimum of ¼ inch per foot.

Hopefully some of these tips help in the future to keep your equipment operating at optimal performance. Be sure to check out AERCO’s LinkedIn page to see their new Tech Tip every Tuesday.

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to your local Aerco representative.