VAV - The Foundation of Your House Heating/Cooling System
Ahead of the Times!
Your house has been ahead of the times! Your house heating/cooling system was designed for “Variable Air Volume” (VAV) method of zone control, as opposed to “Bypass” method. As of January 2013, the California Title 24 regulations banned “Bypass” method on new residential HVAC systems. “Bypass” method, spanning 50+ years, was the industry standard for managing "single FAU/multi-zone" heating/cooling systems. But, your house was ahead of the times benefitting from the “Variable Air Volume” (VAV) method for the past 20+ years. Residential “Direct Air“ VAV technology, patented in 1985 by Unity Systems, Inc., is now acknowledged to be a preferred method under Title 24 requirements.Why has Title 24 changed the requirements for 2013 going forward? VAV method is an efficient energy saver while “Bypass” method wastes energy. VAV method saves owners tens of thousands of dollars in energy costs. Ironically, while the HVAC industry has finally acknowledged the superiority of the Home Manager VAV technology, Home Manager systems have reached “end of service life.” Your Home Managers is soon to be retired. A new HVAC system or a new controller is in your near future.
HouseWide Utiliti
"My home, better served."
Contact HouseWide at support@HouseWide.net
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Know Your House Facts
Faced with Home Manager retirement, what should a homeowner do? Know your House Facts. By design, “Variable Air Volume” is the foundation of your house mechanical systems sizing, ducts, sensors and electronic controllers which optimize comfort and operating efficiency.
Know your House Facts: House “Characteristics" with Home Manager and VAV method. -
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1) HVAC ducts are designed for multi-zone VAV operation.
2) HVAC ducts are over-sized by design to work optimally in a VAV system.
3) HVAC ducts are not equipped with "balancing" dampers since VAV is “self-balancing.”
4) By design VAV may have fewer air supply registers in room/area than conventional systems.
5) VAV method monitors temperature in each room/area (not average temperature in a hallway).
6) VAV method heats/cools specific areas per specific requirement. (cools gym, not her office).
7) VAV method adjusts according to active solar loads (if South too hot or North too cool).
8) VAV delivers both personalized comfort and house-wide efficiency harmoniously.
9) VAV efficiency permits reducing 1 ton of capacity under Title 24, saving on initial costs.
Abandoning your designed VAV method will revert your house to a non-zoned configuration. Be aware this will affect your house comfort, efficiency and energy costs.
Know your House Facts: House “Characteristics" without Home Manager and VAV method. -
1) Cost of HVAC operations will increase at least 30%.
2) Longer average time required for areas to reach desired temperature comfort levels.
3) Some areas will not reach desired temperature under certain internal and solar loads.
4) Some areas will overshoot desired comfort temperature levels causing hot/cold spots.
5) First floor comfort temperature determined by a single sensor (or thermostat).
6) Second floor comfort temperature determined by single sensor (or thermostat).
7) Cooling one bedroom cools all bedrooms. (Like controlling room lights from breaker box.)
8) Solar loads (East/South/West) create uneven temperatures (too hot/cold) in daylight hours.
9) Reduced tonnage capacity (per VAV design) insufficient for highest heat/cool demand.
HouseWide Utiliti
"My home, better served."
Contact HouseWide at support@HouseWide.net
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Ahead of the Times or Run out of Time?
Your Home Manager may have already ceased to operate and not every house will be financially able to immediately restore the VAV method of residential zoned heating/cooling. Often other house investments such as a new pool or a new kitchen take priority over core infrastructure system maintenance or replacement. While home improvements are planned well in advance, failure of basic house infrastructure appears as a surprise. Whether a temporary necessity or a permanent choice, abandoning VAV method for house heating/cooling requires the following changes to your system.
Choosing to abandon VAV method
Steps necessary to optimize house HVAC operations if VAV method is abandoned -
1) Contact HouseWide System Design to decommission Home Manager (see Decommissioning).
2) HVAC contractor to install balancing dampers
3) HVAC contractor to perform air balance calibration procedure
4) HVAC contractor to add supply ducts and registers for under serviced areas.
5) HouseWide System Design to provide thermostat compatible with room sensor averaging.
You may be planning in advance to retire your Home Manager and retain VAV method comfort and energy savings. Three general options are available and summarized below.
Choosing to keep VAV method
Options available to optimize house VAV operations after the Home Manager is retired. -
1) Replace HVAC system: Carrier Infinity VAV zone system; new dampers, new controller. *
or 2) Keep HVAC mechanical system, add variable speed motor/controls, new controller.
or 3) Keep HVAC mechanical system, add bypass damper “repair,” new controller.
*Best choice: operation, comfort, economy, high return on investment. Highest initial cost.
The above options carry varying short term costs and long term savings. These and other design elements of the Home Manager retirement should be discussed with your HouseWide System Design representative. Upgrade now & continue high efficiency living. Are you considering selling your house? Want to pass a portion of these upgrade costs to a future buyer? We can find a solution to meet your present and future needs. Good designs by HouseWide System Design assures your house keeps up with the times or possibly is ahead of the times once again.
HouseWide Utiliti
"My home, better served."
Contact HouseWide at support@HouseWide.net
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Decommissioning Home Manager
Good Design RemainsWhen your house was built, your house was designed around the Home Manager. For this reason, decommissioning the Home Manager should be approached with care. The Home Manager functions like "homeostasis" for your house in that its infrastructure is a house-wide "nervous" system interconnecting sensors monitoring the ambient or physical status of every room and reporting to a central brain. Decommissioning your Home Manager does have a significant impact. Firstly, utility bills will increase because Home Managers’ regulation & efficiency will no longer be active. Secondly, larger rooms will be slower to respond and reach desired comfort temperatures. Thirdly, the emergency integration of dissimilar systems (security, lighting, heating/cooling) is lost. Professional decommissioning prepares the owner to minimize the impact of losing the "homeostasis" like affect of the Home Manager.
Additionally, HouseWide System Design decommissioning processes protect your vital house infrastructure for the next owner or for when you realize you are missing house "homeostasis.” Our professional decommissioning will assure the following so the good design remains.
A) Protect electro-mechanical infrastructure from damage, saves repair/replacement costs.
B) Assists HVAC contractor to optimize a non-zoned system configuration.
C) Simplify installation of new alarm system at a future date to save time and money.
D) Simplify new HVAC zone control system at a future date to save time and money.
E) Assures the system can be re-commissioned if customer desires at a later date.
F) Quick, less expensive process as we know what every wire/connector is and does.
G) Fewer site visits for the process because we coordinate with your HVAC contractor.
H) Future re-commissioning of old or new systems performed with less time and expense.
Your house was designed around the Home Manage. Years have proven it to be good design. HouseWide System Design decommissioning processes do assure the good design remains after the Home Manager is removed. Home Manager removed, good design remains.