NCI Article Library

High-Performance HVAC Resources

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...

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...

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...

Dealing With Venting-Related Moisture Issues

Most technicians are familiar with the term Pre-Purge used to define the mechanical operation of a burner fan or draft fan prior to ignition of a burner. The main purpose of pre-purge is to operate the fan or blower to clear the combustion chamber or heat exchanger of...

Commercial Boiler Combustion Testing

Commercial burners may appear to be intimidating and you might feel they're too big to for you to work on. But when you gather the nerve to get your hands on one you'll find they are not that complicated and are quite simple to combustion test and adjust. Commercial...

Combustion Diagnostics Yield High-Margin System Repairs

Those who have implemented Combustion Diagnostics in their service agreements know that technology has given us the ability to uncover mechanical deficiencies with fuel burning appliances like never before. Combustion analysis helps us detect improper fuel input,...

Combustion Air Diagnostics

According to NCI's Protocol, rising CO readings indicate combustion air or venting problems. In either case, flue gases are spilling into the space, requiring immediate attention. By measuring draft you can differentiate between venting and combustion air problems....

CO Monitor Sales Tips

We received two great tips on creative ways of selling Low-level Carbon Monoxide Monitors and using them to help close sales. The first tip is from NCT Member, John Jones of ABC HVAC CO., Clarkston, MI. When one of John's service techs offers the NSI 3000 low-level CO...