NCI Article Library

High-Performance HVAC Resources

Estimating Heating Energy Usage

Should I use Natural Gas or Heat Pump? What about Oil or Propane? What is the most efficient way to heat your home? To begin to make these decisions we must first look at the difference in fuels and what quantity of each fuel it takes to produce a certain amount of...

Equipment Red Tagging Procedure

Equipment Red Tagging Procedure Revisited When following National Comfort Institute's Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Combustion protocols and procedures, there is a good chance you'll uncover a dangerous or potentially hazardous condition. Checking ambient CO is always the...

Electronic Combustible Gas Leak Detectors

Combustible Gas Leak Detectors should be one of the most valuable tools in our arsenal of equipment. They are time savers and income generators. However there seems to be somewhat of a mistrust in their operation and ability "I only use bubbles!" I've heard than...

Duct Leakage in Mechanical Rooms and CO

Mechanical rooms housing heating equipment are required to maintain a neutral or slightly positive pressure to prevent combustion gasses from being pulled back down the flue into the room. The only appliances that this would not affect would be sealed combustion or...

Draft Testing Done Right!

Many of us have been taught that if draft in the flue is .02" W.C. or higher, everything is working fine. This is a very dangerous assumption because you don't have enough information to make an educated diagnosis. Remember, none of the above methods can differentiate...

Don’t Put That Analyzer Away!

While some of us are already dealing with summer air conditioning work, in many parts of the country some of us are still dealing with heating. There's also a large number of contractors that aren't doing heating or cooling work because it is between seasons. This...

Don’t Let “Mother Nature” Control Your Summer Success and Profits!

We all love hot, humid and miserable weather in the summer because it's good for business. Unfortunately in many parts of the country that's not been the case the past few years, and for many, business just hasn't been what it should be. But should air conditioning be...

Don’t Forget the Burners!

What could be wrong with something so simple as a burner? Unfortunately, we assume that they are simple devices, but in order to function properly, several conditions have to be met. Burner Position Single burners like those on water heaters have to be perfectly...

Does CO Certification Impact Your Liability?

What's my liability when I make the job right? This is a commonly asked question once contractors are taught how to diagnose and fix combustion safety and efficiency problems. My first response is another question: "Does ignoring or not diagnosing problems reduce your...

Diagnosing Water Heater Pilot Defects

Trying to solve water heater pilot problems is one sure way to experience feelings of frustration and uncertainty. The challenge is to learn to recognize all the conditions that can cause them to go out and then quickly bring to mind the host of repairs available to...