What Is Up With Blower Amps & Watts w/ Steve Rogers

HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

Bryan Orr

Training, Careers, Airconditioning, Self-improvement, Hvac, Business, Education, Refrigeration, Heating, Ac, Apprenticeship

4.8 • 985 Ratings

🗓️ 10 October 2024

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Bryan Orr and Steve Rogers dive deep into measuring power consumption in HVAC blower motors, particularly focusing on the differences between PSC (Permanent Split Capacitor) and ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor) technologies. The discussion stems from a question raised at an educators' conference about the accuracy of clamp-on meters in measuring blower motor watt draw, as specified in the ACCA Standard 310.

Steve shares insights from extensive testing conducted with different types of motors and power meters. The tests compared PSC motors with constant torque and constant airflow ECM motors across various static pressure conditions. One key finding was that two out of three field-available clamp-on meters tested were capable of accurately measuring true power at levels expected in residential blower motors. However, one meter showed significant inaccuracy at low power levels, highlighting the importance of carefully reviewing meter specifications before use.

The conversation delves into the concept of power factor and its crucial role in understanding the true power consumption of ECM motors. Steve explains that ECM motors often have a low power factor (around 0.6), which can lead to misconceptions about their efficiency if only the current draw is measured. The discussion emphasizes the need for proper measurement techniques, including simultaneous voltage and current readings with the blower door on, to accurately assess motor efficiency.

Key topics covered in the podcast:

Differences between PSC and ECM motor technologies
Importance of power factor in measuring true power consumption
Accuracy of field-available clamp-on meters for power measurement
Impact of static pressure on motor performance and efficiency
Misconceptions about ECM motor efficiency and longevity
Proper measurement techniques for assessing blower motor watt draw
Relationship between duct system design and motor efficiency
Implications of ACCA Standard 310 for HVAC installations
Challenges in comparing constant torque and constant airflow ECM motors
The role of control algorithms in ECM motor performance
Importance of understanding meter specifications for accurate measurements

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The free education provided by HVAC school is made possible by our great sponsors.
0:10.0	Carrier and carrier.com. Carrier has been a long-term sponsor of the podcast. They've made it possible very early on for us to do what we do and they are the products that we sell day and a day out.
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0:37.0	Don't miss HVACR's ubiquitous event. Of course I'm talking about AHR Expo 2025 coming to our hometown Orlando, Florida, February 10th through 12th.
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1:17.0	White Rogers.
1:18.0	Refrigeration Technologies at Refriggedech.com, some of the best cleaners in the market.
1:22.0	I talked a lot about the venom packs, but you still have the opportunity to use gallon jugs if you're that kind of a person.
1:27.0	If you want to stick with the jugs, I get it. Evap Plus, non-wrence, evaporator,
1:31.0	evaporticoil cleaner and odor eliminator.
1:33.8	HD, your multi-purpose cleaner, degreaser, condenser cleaner.
1:38.0	Even if you're like pulling and cleaning evaps, we pull a lot of ductless blower wheels,
1:41.8	use it for that. And then Bright is a strong cleaner that can remove built-up oxides from condenser coils.
1:47.0	Don't overuse bright. It's good stuff, but don't overuse it. You don't need everything to look shiny all the time. We use Evap Plus and HD all the time. They work
1:53.7	great. Like we've mentioned before, they are food safe cleaners. That doesn't mean
1:57.1	they're safe to eat as food. I would not drink it. You'll probably get nasty
	...

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