All About 90% Furnaces

Nov 23, 2023

Guest

Ty Branaman

Guest

Matthew Bruner

Guest

Adam Mufich

HVAC professionals Ty Branaman, Adam Mufich, and Matthew Bruner discuss the basics of 90% furnaces, troubleshooting tips, and best practices for installation and service. Key topics include the addition of a secondary heat exchanger, proper drainage of acidic condensate, importance of airflow, and common issues like leaks and airflow problems. The podcast emphasizes the need for continuing education and collaboration for professional growth.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 4min

Water Management in 90% Furnaces

04:13 • 15min

Inspecting and Identifying Common Issues in 90% Furnaces

19:19 • 2min

The Importance of Airflow in High Efficiency Furnaces

21:46 • 15min

Carbon Monoxide Monitors and Pressure Switches in Furnaces

37:04 • 6min

Gas Pressure, Air Movement, and Combustion Analysis

42:45 • 10min

Working with 90% Furnaces and the Importance of Tools and Safety

53:02 • 5min

Gratitude, App Promotion, and a Joke

57:51 • 2min

Bryan Orr hosted a live podcast discussion all about 90% efficient furnaces with HVAC professionals Ty Branaman, Adam Mufich, and Matthew Bruner. They covered the basics of how 90% furnaces work compared to traditional 80% furnaces, troubleshooting tips, and best practices for installation and service.

A key difference with 90% furnaces is the addition of a secondary heat exchanger that extracts more heat from the exhaust gases before they go out the flue. This allows the furnace to achieve at least 90% efficiency. The condensing of water vapor in the exhaust also releases latent heat. However, the acidic condensate must be properly drained, and pipes must be corrosion-resistant. Proper airflow is also critical.

The experts emphasized starting any service job by carefully looking over the furnace and venting. Check for any signs of problems like leaks, debris buildup, or animals/pests blocking vents. Verify gas supply and use combustion analysis to optimize performance. When troubleshooting, methodically trace through the sequence of operations. Pressure switches, flame sensors, and airflow issues are common culprits.

The podcast concludes with a reminder that extensive training content on HVAC topics like this is available through HVAC School and other industry experts. Continuing education and an open, collaborative mindset are important for professional growth.

Key topics covered:

How 90% furnaces achieve higher efficiency with a secondary heat exchanger
Water condensation and corrosion concerns - importance of drainage and pipe material
Verifying gas supply, venting, airflow, and using combustion analysis
Troubleshooting tips - visually inspecting, tracing sequence of operations, checking pressure switches and flame sensor
Proper installation positioning and intake/exhaust vent sizing per manufacturer specifications

View the entire livestream with Ty on our YouTube channel HERE.

Learn more about the 5th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/Symposium24.

If you have an iPhone, subscribe to the podcast HERE, and if you have an Android phone, subscribe HERE.”

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@HVACS.

Check out our handy calculators HERE or on the HVAC School Mobile App (Google Play Store or App Store).