Guide to Understanding Manuals J, D, and S

During an HVAC system installation, there are several important technical elements that must be taken into account to ensure the system is correct for your home and that it will work at its best. The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) publishes three technical references that provide all the guidance, procedures, and best practices that your HVAC professional will need for a successful installation. Here is a brief introduction to Manuals J, D, and S, and what they cover.

Manual J — Residential Load Calculation

Manual J provides all the technical guidance necessary for a residential load calculation. Each building has a heating or cooling load, which is the amount of heating or cooling needed to keep the inside spaces at the temperature the residents prefer. A load calculation takes into consideration multiple thermal and physical characteristics of the building to determine its load. Once your HVAC professional knows the building's load, he can easily guide you to the type of HVAC equipment that has the functional capacity to satisfy that load.

Manual D — Residential Duct Systems

Manual D covers the ductwork in residential settings. The HVAC system ductwork is the network of pipes that directs heated or cooled air from your HVAC equipment to the inside of your home. Ductwork must be properly designed, installed, sealed, and insulated to ensure it carries conditioned air without loss of energy and without wasteful air leaks.

Manual S — Residential Heating and Cooling Equipment Selection

Manual S includes detailed technical specifications and performance information on multiple brands of air conditioners and heat pumps. This type of data helps your HVAC pro choose the best equipment for your particular needs. Manual S also provides additional information on equipment sizing, ventilation, and air distribution.

With more than three decades of experience in the HVAC industry, Air Assurance brings top-quality sales, installation, maintenance, and repair to customers in Tulsa and the neighboring communities. Contact us today for more information on Manuals J, D, and S and how these important technical references are used to ensure the best possible HVAC performance in your home.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Tang Yan Song/Shutterstock”

Interviewing Your HVAC Contractor: What You Should Ask

A skilled HVAC contractor is somebody you need on your side, whether you’re installing a completely new unit, getting your current one fixed, or simply getting a regular checkup to make sure everything is running smoothly. However, knowing whom you should hire isn’t always as easy as just asking your neighbor or friend who does their work – though referrals can help. When considering hiring an HVAC contractor, make sure you ask these pertinent questions before you have any work done.

• Ask about staff size and service calls. Before you hire somebody to do HVAC work for you, you need to make sure that they have an adequate staff so they can respond to your needs quickly, especially during peak times like the coldest part of the winter and the hottest part of the summer.

• Find out about licensing information. The contractor you hire to do your HVAC work needs to be licensed in your state and area. Find out if your prospective contractor is licensed by state and national contractor’s boards like the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA). Don’t be afraid to check up on licensing information before hiring somebody.

• Make sure any contractor who wants to do HVAC work for you takes the time to inspect your home and your existing system. They should also take time to explain repair and upgrade options to you before doing any work. No contractor should be unable to explain the benefits of upgrades or why repairs are necessary to keep your HVAC system running smoothly or more efficiently.

• Discuss insurance-related issues. You need to be sure that anybody doing HVAC work for you has adequate insurance in case anything goes wrong with your HVAC system or on your property. You also need to make sure you won’t be liable for any sort of injury that could occur on your property – even if the injuries are to workers.

Contact Air Assurance for more information about finding the right HVAC contractor. We can also help you with all of your residential and commercial HVAC and plumbing needs.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Neil Lockhart/Shutterstock”

Do It Right This Time: Good Ductwork Design for Your Renovation or New Home

Do It Right This Time: Good Ductwork Design for Your Renovation or New Home

Well planned and constructed ductwork is essential to the smooth operation of any HVAC system. Getting ductwork right can make a huge difference in terms of energy efficiency, with the opportunity to save 20-30 percent on heating and cooling costs.Taking basic steps like sealing ducts is pretty straightforward. But if you want to take more significant action, it can be a fairly major job. The perfect time to tackle ductwork design issues is when you are remodeling your home or building a new one.Fundamental PrinciplesSound ductwork design will give you a system which is short, as direct as possible, and within the conditioned space in your home.An ideal duct system willprovide the right amount of cooled and heated air to each room in the house.

• be the correct size for the right levels of airflow through the system.

• be properly sealed using materials such as duct mastic or HVAC-rated aluminium tape. This will improve energy efficiency and enhance indoor air quality.

Improvement OpportunitiesIf you are remodeling your home or building a new one, use the opportunity to take a look at your ductwork design.

• Ideally, locate the ductwork within the conditioned space in your home. Avoid exterior walls, garages, attics etc.

• Make sure ducts are large enough to deliver the amount of conditioned air required for each room. The size of new ductwork should comply with recognized industry standards such as Manual D, published by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA).

• Undertake a comprehensive sealing program. Why not try out some new technology and use a latex spray to seal the inside of the ductwork?

• Think carefully about where to locate ducts, registers, grilles and the heating and cooling systems. Put them in a central location to facilitate shorter, straighter duct runs.

Make ductwork design a key consideration in your remodel or building project, for a comfortable, energy efficient home. Contact us at Air Assurance for reliable, professional advice on all HVAC issues. We've proudly served the Greater Broken Arrow area for more than 30 years, and look forward to your call. We also are a PSO Home Performance Contractor that can get you free money towards the purchase and design of your duct and comfort system purchase!Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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