Thread: HVAC Heat Pump
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Old 03-22-2024, 06:53 PM   #20 (permalink)
redpoint5
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I found the following interesting. It basically says that HVAC manufacturers have no incentive to include efficient air handlers because they aren't factored into the efficiency rating of the furnace or AC. It also claims the added cost of an ECM air handler has a payback period of 2-3 years.

Simply improving air handler efficiency would save way more electricity than getting everyone to buy efficient refrigerators.

Quote:
Because the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) calculation for furnaces considers only fossil-fuel use, not electricity use, fan motor efficiency receives little attention from furnace manufacturers. Moreover, air conditioner manufacturers have little incentive to improve fan motor efficiency, since the existing seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) test protocol includes default values for fan motor power consumption that differ from actual fan motor current measured in field studies.

“Residential HVAC Fans and Motors Are Bigger than Refrigerators,” a paper presented at the 2002 ACEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, examines the economics of improvements in furnace fan motor efficiency. Authors Harvey Sachs, Toru Kubo, Sandy Smith and Kalon Scott note that electronically commutated motors (ECMs) are 15% to 30% more efficient at high speeds than permanent split capacitor motors (the type of motor installed in 90% of all residential air handlers). At low speeds, ECMs are even more impressive, achieving twice the efficiency of permanent capacitor motors.

The study’s authors note that investments in improved fan motor efficiency will yield greater energy savings than investments in further AFUE improvements. Although most furnace manufacturers offer ECMs for only their top-of-the-line equipment, ECMs are cost-effective in all regions of the country, with a payback period varying from two to three years (see Table 2). Switching to an efficient fan motor would save the typical homeowner 790 kWh per year, more than the consumption of a 2001-compliant refrigerator. But, in the absence of a regulatory nudge from Washington, furnace manufacturers show little interest in making ECMs available to all furnace buyers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulbstockton6@hotmail.co View Post
For your blower motor, you can get information by googling "ecm blower motor swap retrofit"
That was the first thing I started looking into, and didn't find enough info to make me comfortable swapping motors.

Here's some info I'm finding based on your search recommendation;

Quote:
Brushless DC motors are inherently more efficient than PSC motors. “The Evergreen motor runs at 80% efficiency compared to 60% efficiency for a PSC motor,” claimed Mohalley.

When used in ‘constant fan’ mode, at low speed, the motor draws 100 watts or less.

“First you measure the watt draw of the old motor,” said Proctor. “Then you measure the static pressure in the supply plenum with the old motor running. PSC motors are usually set up with a cooling speed and a heating speed. In 95 percent of standard furnaces, there are four speed taps coming off the motor: high speed, medium high speed, medium speed, and low speed. The cooling speed is usually high speed, while the heating speed is usually medium high or medium.
EDIT: Searching Youtube for PSC to ECM replacement only shows the exact opposite. For some dumb reason, it seems people are only interested in going from an efficient motor, to an inefficient one.
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Last edited by redpoint5; 03-22-2024 at 09:48 PM..
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