Winter in Calgary

Winter in Calgary can Sting

Poetry in Motion

How cold does winter in Calgary get?

Occasionally it can get very cold in Calgary, temperatures have been known to dip to -30 degrees Celsius! However, usually the average temperature in Calgary during winter is between -5 and -10°C. In general, January is the coldest month in Calgary.

Surprisingly enough, when the Chinook Winds blows temperatures can suddenly increase with as much as 15°C! Furthermore, while it’s cold in winter, Calgary is the sunniest large city in Canada. And nothing beats being outside on a cold and sunny day…

Is winter in Calgary colder than Toronto or Ottawa?

Yes, winter in Calgary is generally colder than in cities on the East coast of Canada. However, locals describe the cold as a ‘dry cold‘ making it easier to cope with than with the ‘wet cold‘ of the east.

And, as mentioned above, Calgary is also the sunniest Canadian city so on many winter days going outside is still very enjoyable.

WHAT TO DO IN CALGARY IN WINTER

There are many places to visit in Calgary in winter, which isn’t surprising for a city that experiences winter for almost six to seven months a year. While the Calgary Stampede is the biggest draw when visiting Calgary in summer, the Calgary winter season has no shortage of festivals and celebrations either.

From the High-Performance Rodeo (Calgary’s international art festival) to the BIG Winter Classic (music, arts, and local craft beer) and Glow (a family-friendly Winter Light Festival held in downtown Calgary), there are lots of Calgary winter events.

What can wrong when Winter hits

School is in full swing, the leaves are changing color, and that pumpkin spice latte just isn’t enough to stave off the morning chill. It’s time to switch your HVAC system over to Heat. Check the following list to be sure your furnace is ready for the coming winter.

1. Turn on the thermostat.

Switch from cooling to heating and set the temperature a couple of degrees higher than the current room temperature. If you don’t hear the heat kick on within a minute, pull off the cover and make sure the wire connections are secure (if you feel comfortable doing so). If the connections are snug, make sure the power source to the HVAC system is turned on. If it’s still not working, you could check the furnace fan, blower or heat pump — but it likely makes better sense to call in a professional.

2. Change the air filters.

You probably have air filters behind a vent grill in the wall or ceiling, or a single filter in the HVAC system itself. Change these filters every few months. Or, if you have a permanent electrostatic filter, you can wash and reuse it. Cleaning or replacing your filters regularly keeps particles out of your HVAC system and can prolong its life. While you’re at it, change your humidifier filter and set the humidistat, if your HVAC includes a humidifier.

 

3. Cover the AC condenser.

Unless your HVAC is a heat pump (in which case, don’t cover it at all because it runs all year), cover the condenser to protect it from falling icicles. “A large trash can lid secured with bungee cords works quite well for this function,” says David Kenyon, training manager for Sears Home Improvement. You can also use a board to cover the fan — but don’t wrap it in a moisture-trapping plastic tarp.

4. Clean the heat exchanger.

“The heat exchanger should be brushed and vacuumed out annually by a trained professional while the unit is disabled,” Kenyon says. While it’s being cleaned, a Sears technician will look for cracks, which could lead to a dangerous carbon monoxide leak into your home.

5. Lubricate and clean the blower motor.

First check the owner’s manual to see if your motor is the kind that needs lubricating. If it does, turn off the power, open the cover and clean the caps covering the bearings. Then remove the caps and lubricate the bearings.

6. Test the igniter switch.

On an old system, you might have to relight the pilot. Newer systems have electronic ignitors. If the ignitor isn’t working, push the reset button. If that doesn’t do the trick, check your breaker. Still not working? Call in a professional.

7. Inspect the chimney and carbon monoxide detectors.

Chimneys can house carbon buildup or even small animals. “A professional should inspect them periodically,” Kenyon says. Routinely test or replace carbon monoxide detectors as well, as they help protect you from the “silent killer.”

Winter in Calgary

Winter is Coming to Calgary

Baker Plumbing logo

Garage Heater Install

Winter officially begins on December 21, yet if you live in Calgary you know that winter starts far sooner that than. In fact winter in Calgary is about to start this weekend with the mercury dipping below -20C. With temperatures like that it won’t take long to find out if your furnace, boiler and fireplace is working properly.

If by some chance you find out that one of your heating appliamces is not up to snuff. Baker Plumbing is ready with the knowledge, experience, tools and skills to get things warmed up fast!

Here’s a little more information on our favorite season, winter!

Winter is Coming

Winter, coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring; the name comes from an old Germanic word that means “time of water” and refers to the rain and snow of winter in middle and high latitudes. In the Northern Hemisphere it is commonly regarded as extending from the winter solstice (year’s shortest day), December 21 or 22, to the vernal equinox (day and night equal in length), March 20 or 21, and in the Southern Hemisphere from June 21 or 22 to September 22 or 23. The low temperatures associated with winter occur only in middle and high latitudes; in equatorial regions, temperatures are almost uniformly high throughout the year.

Definition of Winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate zones (winter does not occur in most of the tropical zone). It occurs after autumn and before spring in each year. Winter is caused by the axis of the Earth in that hemisphere being oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter, and some use a definition based on weather. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and vice versa. In many regions, winter is associated with snow and freezing temperatures. The moment of winter solstice is when the Sun’s elevation with respect to the North or South Pole is at its most negative value (that is, the Sun is at its farthest below the horizon as measured from the pole). The day on which this occurs has the shortest day and the longest night, with day length increasing and night length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The earliest sunset and latest sunrise dates outside the polar regions differ from the date of the winter solstice, however, and these depend on latitude, due to the variation in the solar day throughout the year caused by the Earth’s elliptical orbit (see earliest and latest sunrise and sunset).

Baker Brothers furnace upgrades, timelapse

Baker Boys in Action

Here at Baker plumbing we want to provide the best tech while using the best tech!

The choice of who works on your furnace, the heart of your HVAC system and the very appliance keeping Old Man Winter at bay, should be made carefully. There is alot of smoke and mirrors out there and you can trust Baker to clear the air!

Types of Furnaces 

While worldwide there are many different types of furnaces, in Alberta there are generally only 2 based on fuel source.

  • Natural gas
  • Propane

Once past the fuel the field becomes much more cluttered with such verbiage as first and second stages, PSC or ECM motors, exchanger metal types and on and on.

The government legislation mandating the efficiency ratings, the minimum allowable is 92% has left manufacturers and sellers to add new components at a furious rate to gain a percent here and one there!

Baker recommendations

While new technology is impressive and even amazing, our belief is still to keep things as simple as possible. We recommend the following

  • the basic 92% efficiency model
  • single stage gas valve
  • PSC motor
  • stainless steel exchanger

Those components will give you the 92% efficiency rating, low operating costs and the least potential for an expense repair bill in the future.

Still confused or have questions?

At Baker we can answer and solve any of your questions or problems.

 

Contact us at www.bakerplumbing.ca today 

 

ecm motors

Calgary Furnace Repairs, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Calgary Furnace Repairs

https://www.bakerplumbing.ca/calgary/our-services/heating/furnaces/

ECM motor swap

ECM motors, the good, the bad and the ugly

There are, however, some serious downsides associated with improper application of these motors in new and existing HVAC systems. Let’s take a candid look at the good, bad, and ugly of good and bad application of these great gems of technology. Calgary furnace repairs.

The Good
When a furnace or air handler with an ECM is installed on a good duct, coil, and filtration system with static pressures within proper design parameters, it can perform flawlessly. These systems can deliver precise airflow to match two-speed condenser designs and multi-stage gas furnace firing rates to deliver quiet, draft-free comfort in virtually any configuration.

These issues can be avoided with good pressure and airflow testing, both before and after equipment is replaced, and on every system you service. When you measure, you know. When you don’t measure, you’re just guessing that it will turn out OK.

Additional benefits of these brushless DC motors include low electrical consumption when operating within design TESP (Total External Static Pressure). When installed properly, systems with ECMs can improve dehumidification, reduce register noise, save energy, and provide trouble-free operation.

The Bad
In marginal systems with higher-than-design static pressures — for example a .5–in. TESP rated furnace with ECM on a .8–in. TESP system — the motor still may be able to maintain airflow close to design. The tradeoff is higher velocities often cause a noisy system and some coil blow-off. The extra torque often required to overcome the higher statics results in higher electrical consumption. This reduces actual equipment EER, which means your customer won’t get the savings of the higher efficiency matchup.

The Ugly
Systems with TESPs of 1.0 and higher, which are more typical than many non-performance-based contractors are willing to admit, can eat up to eight times the power they should be using. When this happens, some ECMs will ramp down and drop airflow significantly. Some older ECM motors will overheat and even fail when constantly running in over-amped conditions. Newer models are designed to drop airflow but time will tell on how well they will hold up.

Other consequences of high static installations include noise at the registers from higher air velocities. In extreme cases, filter media can be sucked out of its rack causing filter bypass. In very extreme cases filter media can be pulled into the fan, chopped up and blown through the system causing all sorts of damage.

So, what do you measure? The first thing you should do is install test ports on either side of the blower. Once you’ve installed the test ports, use a digital or analog manometer with a static pressure tip to measure pressure at each location.

High velocities and pressures created by ECMs on systems with dirty evaporator coils can also blow moisture off the coil surfaces into the supply ductwork. This can reduce the system’s dehumidification capability and cause numerous moisture-related indoor air quality issues.

The Answer
These issues can be avoided with good pressure and airflow testing, both before and after equipment is replaced, and on every system you service. When you measure, you know. When you don’t measure, you’re just guessing that it will turn out OK. Calgary furnace repairs.

So, what do you measure? The first thing you should do is install test ports on either side of the blower.

Once you’ve installed the test ports, use a digital or analog manometer with a static pressure tip to measure pressure at each location. TESP is calculated by adding the pressures before and after the fan. Other pressure readings will help you diagnose the cause of high statics – but that’s for another article.

Once you know your TESP and your fan speed setting look up delivered fan airflow on the manufacturer’s fan table. If you’re replacing or servicing equipment with an ECM, and the TESP exceeds rated capacity, be sure to look up motor amp draw in the manufacturer’s specifications.

Armed with this information you should do two things: First, alert your customer that their system has a high “blood pressure” problem that needs to be addressed. Second, diagnose the cause of the high statics and recommend solutions to bring them down to acceptable levels.

Of course, there is more to this in terms of troubleshooting and solving these issues. The bottom line is that while the ECM is a great motor, as the servicing or installing contractor it’s your responsibility to make sure its application does not cause unintended consequences detrimental to the health and well-being of your customers’ homes and HVAC systems.

 

 

Heating season continues…

Swapping an ECM blower motor for this high efficiency furnace. These parts are pricey and must be installed by trained techs like us!

I’m fast but not that fast

Today’s higher efficiency equipment, both furnaces and A/C, are now using new higher efficiency motors to reduce the total electrical consumption of the system thus raising the efficiency. They also help with the efficiency by maintaining the proper air flow (CFM) across components like evaporator coils, heat exchangers, and even condenser coils. As you know from past postings, air flow is critical to proper operation, but, the use of ECM motor technology, also help raise efficiencies of the equipment.

So, what is an ECM motor?  An ECM motor is some times referred to an a variable speed motor. In one sense, this is true, it does vary its RPM of the motor, but only in response to changing conditions in the system.  But in the truest sense, all it trying to do is maintain a programmed CFM.  ECM stands  for Electronically Commutated Motor

The ECM motor has 3 components:

  1. The motor — which does not have any “windings” in it.  The stator is driven by magnetic fields.  The motor operates off DC voltage. When it first starts, it will actually rock back and forth before starting as it aligns the magnetic fields to drive the motor. The same motor will operate on both 110 volts and 220 volts, depending how the 5 pin power plug is configured. Rarely, does this go bad. The most common  failure is due to someone “dropping” the module while it is plugged into the motor and breaking the wires going into the motor.
  2. The module or ECM Microprocessor — or the “brains” of the motor.  It receives the programming information from the board via a 16 pin harness and “translates” it so the motor produces the CFM desired.  It mounts on end of the motor or can be remotely mounted and stores the “relationship” between “speed, torque, & airflow”. It is programmed at the factory to match a given unit Each module is “specific” to a model and are not interchangeable.
  3. Lastly, there is some sort of control board where you can set the desired CFM for each application and that is connected to the module with the 16 pin harness.

The way I explain it in my training classes is this.  An ECM motor maintains a programmed CFM in response to changes in torque. When the sensed torque changes, the RPM of the motor either ramps up or down to maintain the programmed CFM.  Sounds confusing, doesn’t it?

Let me put it to you this way.  Let’s compare how an ECM motor works to cruise control on a car.  When you are using cruise control, you “program” how fast you want the car to go and set that speed (MPH). The RPM’s of the engine run at a certain level to maintain that speed.  Now, you car starts to go up a hill. The cruise control senses a change in torque, so it needs to “rev” up the engine so it can maintain your “programmed speed”.  Likewise, when you go down a hill, there is less torque on the engine so the RPM’s are reduced and, again, you are maintaining the programmed speed.

The same thing is occurring with an ECM motor.  It works on a relationship between RPM, torque, and CFM (instead of MPH).  Instead of a control on the steering column, there is a board in the unit that you need to set up with the “cool”, “adjust”, “heat”, and “delay” profiles (switches, jumpers, etc, depending on manufacturer).  Once you have programmed the desired CFM for a particular application, the motor and module do the rest.

Let’s say you have a 3 ton air conditioner. So we need  400 CFM per ton or 1200 CFM to work properly.  You use the programming board and set BOTH the cool and adjust profiles for as close to 1200 CFM as you can. (Always use the manufacturer’s tables for setting up an ECM motor).  Now, on a call for cooling, the motor turns on and is going to try to maintain your programmed CFM. Here is where added efficiency comes in because we are maintaining ideal CFM across a range of operating conditions.  Of course, as an air conditioner runs, the evaporator is going to get “wet” since we are removing latent heat and humidity.  When the coil gets wet, the static pressure of the system goes up.  As the static goes up, the motor senses a change in torque (like the car going uphill) and starts to increase the RPM of the motor in order to maintain the CFM of the system.  Same thing occurs as a filter gets dirty,  return static increases and the motor revs up the  RPM to maintain the CFM.  Now, as the latent heat decreases and there is less humidity or water on the coil, or someone changes the dirty filter, there is less static, a reduction in torque, so the RPM’s decrease, all the time maintaining  CFM.

The same thing occurs in heating mode.  You have programmed the motor to maintain a desired “temperature rise” for the system.  The motor will deliver that CFM to maintain that rise.  But, again, if the filter is gettng dirty, the motor’s RPM will increase, to maintain the CFM and temperature rise.

Lastly, you can also program a DELAY profile on the CFM board. This function is only for cooling but it allows you to further “fine tune” how the motor ramps up and down at the start and end of a call for cooing.  You can set a “Normal, Humid, Dry, or factory default profile through the control.

By maintaining proper CFM in cooling, and temperature rise in heating, we get the maximum efficiency out of the furnace and air conditioner. This, coupled with the fact that an ECM motor uses less wattage than a PSC motor, you can see why these motors are becoming more and more popular as part of a total energy-efficient system.