After successfully completing this course, students will possess the ability to recognize the various components and accessories of residential heating systems and understand how they contribute to the system's functionality. The course will cover topics such as natural gas, propane, oil, forced air, and hydronic heating equipment. Special attention will be given to comprehending the electrical diagrams and mechanical principles that govern the operation of these systems.

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

Perform a complete preseason tune-up on electric, hydronic, gas/oil-fired, atmospheric fan-assisted, condensing, two-stage and modulating furnaces.
Diagnose and repair ten or more faults on electric, hydronic, gas/oil-fired, atmospheric, fan-assisted, condensing, two-stage and modulating furnaces.
Explain the operating principles of ECM motors.
Identify the components of an electronic air cleaner and explain their functions.
Clean and fix powered and bypass humidifiers.
List the sequence of operation and voltages associated with various types of hot surfaces and spark ignition modules.
Calculate sizes of flues and combustion in requirements for electric, hydronic, gas/oil-fired, atmospheric, fan-assisted, condensing, two-stage and modulating furnaces.
Measure and adjust the gas/oil flow input to a furnace and calculate its resulting output and with the delta “T” across the furnace to determine the airflow through the furnace.
Exhibit and extend exemplary customer service skills in a residential service call.
Discover carbon monoxide safety violations.
Justify cracked heat exchanger testing and red-tagging.

Who Should Attend?

Due to the complexity and proprietary nature of heating & DDC systems, it has become difficult to stay current with the designs, installations, operation and maintenance of DDC systems. This guide was developed specifically to help to build owners and consulting/specifying engineers with these issues.

Course Outlines:

Rank the following skills in order of importance to the serviceman
from the company’s point of view and the customer’s point of view.

Critical thinking.

Technical expertise.

Customer relations.

Marketing.

Working with Energy.

List common safety rules and procedures for an HVAC service technician.

Explain heat transfer.

Explain Charles law.

Explain Boyles law.

III. Using electrical instruments demonstrate how to use a VOM.

Exercise: Take Ampmeter readings on all scales.

Exercise: Take a megger reading on several compressors.

Explain how record keeping of megger reading can predict motor failure.

Exercise: Use a capacitor tester on start and run capacitors.

Troubleshooting electrical check sheet.

Describe the elements of troubleshooting.

List the basic steps of the troubleshooting approach.

Use test equipment.

Describe the hopscotch method, both English and Hebrew.

Exercise: Diagnose three faults each in 11 training boards, each with a different set of three faults.

Exercise: Troubleshoot 15 common problems in 15 different furnaces.

Describe the theory of operation for residential gas fired furnaces; 70%, 80% and 90% (condensing).

Explain using natural gas as a fuel.

Explain using LP gas as a fuel.

Exercise: Disassemble and reassemble to operating condition three

different types of gas fired furnaces.

Discuss the pilot burner and its safety controls.

Describe the operation of combination gas valves.

Describe the operation of heat exchangers.

Describe the operation of furnace blowers and controls.

Describe the operation of temperature limit switches.

Discuss when millivolt systems were used.

Discuss when automatic flue dampers are used.

Discuss when electronic ignition systems are used.

List the sequence of operation for induced draft furnaces.

List the sequence of operation for condensing furnaces.

Compile a furnace tune-up check sheet.

Calculate venting system sizes.

Describe the theory of operation of the venting system.

Describe draft diverters.

Describe stack effect.

Describe condensation in vent stacks and how to prevent it.

Size a vent for a single appliance.

Size combined vents.

Calculate location of top of flue stack in relation to various roof pitches and heights.

Exercise: Add a power venting kit to a flue.

Describe the theory of operation for residential oil fired furnaces.

Describe the operation of oil as a fuel.

Describe the operation of fuel oil burners.

Describe the operation of burner motor.

Describe the operation of primary control.

Describe the operation of cadmium flame detectors.

Describe the operation of stack detectors.

Exercise: Perform burner maintenance.

Exercise: Perform checkout procedures.

List the safety precautions for oil storage tanks.

Compile a oil fired furnace tune-up check sheet.

Describe the theory of operation of hydronic heating systems.

List the component parts of operation.

Exercise: Perform maintenance and service of hydronic heating system on the trainer.

Discovering carbon monoxide generation in the home.

Discuss dispersion patterns.

Discuss diagnosis CO poisoning.

Discuss prevention of CO production.

Discuss health effects of CO.

Exercise: Perform first response procedures for CO poisoning.

Discuss when medical referral is necessary.

List codes applicable to CO.

Describe how various CO detectors work.

Describe the theory of operation of electronic air cleaners.

Describe how the power supply works.

Filters