2004 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings

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2004 ACEEE Informal Sessions Descriptions

Additional Informal Sessions may be organized on-site during the Summer Study. Visit the office in Surf and Sand to sign up for an Informal Session.

Session Synopsis - "Refrigerant Charge and Airflow Verification Program"

Robert J. Mowris, P.E., Robert Mowris & Associates

Tuesday, August 24
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

This informal session demonstrates the Refrigerant Charge and Airflow (RCA) verification program developed by Robert Mowris & Associates (RMA) and Alpen Software. The RCA verification program provides several cost-effective methods to verify proper RCA. These include: 1) Personal Digital Assistant (PDA); 2) cell-phone telephony; 3) web-enabled PDA; or 4) web-enabled PDA cell phones. Verification information is collected and archived in a database where it is checked for accuracy and can be viewed over the internet by consumers, inspectors, dealers, and program managers. Verified jobs are randomly selected for inspections to ensure high quality results. The program provides clearly identifiable Verified RCA and TXV labels and locking, double-sealing, color-coded Schrader caps (green for R22 and red for R410a with tamper-proof keys for technicians). Locking caps are designed to maintain proper RCA for the life of the air conditioner. This is important since air conditioning systems are made of welded copper pipe (like plumbing in a house), and Schrader valves are the weakest link. Most air conditioners have easily removable Schrader caps or the caps do not have an integral "O-ring" seal. Safety is another reason why locking Schrader caps are important as evidenced by the recent deaths of two teenagers in Southern California due to inhalation of refrigerant as an intoxicant (LA Times 2004). The program also verifies proper installation of TXVs and sensing bulbs, and ARI matching indoor and outdoor coils using field measurements of capacity, airflow, and EER compared to ARI ratings.

For more information, contact:

Robert J. Mowris, P.E.
Robert Mowris & Associates
e-mail: rmowris@earthlink.net

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