Introduction

James E. Brumbaugh is a technical writer with many years of expe­rience working in the HVAC and building construction industries. He is the author of the Welders Guide, The Complete Roofing Guide, and The Complete Siding Guide.

This series is an introduction to the basic principles of heating, ven­tilating, and air conditioning (HVAC). Each represents a systematic attempt to control the various aspects of the environment within an enclosure, whether it is a room, a group of rooms, or a building.

Among those aspects of the immediate environment that peo­ple first sought to control were heat and ventilation. Attempts at controlling heat date from prehistoric times and probably first developed in colder climates, where it was necessary to produce temperatures sufficient for both comfort and health. Over the years the technology of heating advanced from simple attempts to keep the body warm to very sophisticated systems of maintaining stabi­lized environments in order to reduce heat loss from the body or the structural surfaces of the room.

Ventilation also dates back to very early periods in history. Certainly the use of slaves to wave large fans or fanlike devices over the heads of rulers was a crude early attempt to solve a ventilating problem. Situating a room or a building so that it took advantage of prevailing breezes and winds was a more sophisticated attempt. Nevertheless, it was not until the nineteenth century that any really significant advances were made in ventilating. During that period, particularly in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, venti­lating acquired increased importance. Work efficiency and the health of the workers necessitated the creation of ventilation sys­tems to remove contaminants from the air. Eventually, the interrela­tionship of heating and ventilating became such that it is now regarded as a single subject.

Air conditioning is a comparatively recent development and encompasses all aspects of environmental control. In addition to the control of temperature, both humidity (i. e., the moisture content of the air) and air cleanliness are also regulated by air conditioning. The earliest attempts at air conditioning involved the placing of wet cloths over air passages (window openings, entrances, etc.) to cool the air. Developments in air condition­ing technology did not progress much further than this until the nineteenth century. From about 1840 on, several systems were devised for both cooling and humidifying rooms. These were first developed by textile manufacturers in order to reduce the static electricity in the air. Later, adaptations were made by other industries.

Developments in air conditioning technology increased rapidly in the first four decades of the nineteenth century, but widespread use of air conditioning in buildings is a phenomenon of the post­World War II period (i. e., 1945 to the present). Today, air condi­tioning is found not only in commercial and industrial buildings but in residential dwellings as well. Unlike early forms of air condi­tioning, which were designed to cool the air or add moisture to it, modern air conditioning systems can control temperature, air mois­ture content, air cleanliness, and air movement. That is, modern systems condition the air rather than simply cool it.

James E. Brumbaugh

The purpose of this series is to provide the layman with an introduc­tion to the fundamentals of installing, servicing, troubleshooting, and repairing the various types of equipment used in residential and light-commercial heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Consequently, it was written not only for the HVAC tech­nician and others with the required experience and skills to do this type of work but also for the homeowner interested in maintaining an efficient and trouble-free HVAC system. A special effort was made to remain consistent with the terminology, definitions, and practices of the various professional and trade associations involved in the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning fields.

Volume 1 begins with a description of the principles of thermal dynamics and ventilation, and proceeds from there to a general description of the various heating systems used in residences and light-commercial structures. Volume 2 contains descriptions of the working principles of various types of equipment and other compo­nents used in these systems. Following a similar format, Volume 3 includes detailed instructions for installing, servicing, and repairing these different types of equipment and components.

The author wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of the many organizations and manufacturers for their assistance in supplying valuable data in the preparation of this series. Every effort was made to give appropriate credit and courtesy lines for materials and illustrations used in each volume.

Special thanks is due to Greg Gyorda and Paul Blanchard (Watts Industries, Inc.), Christi Drum (Lennox Industries, Inc.), Dave Cheswald and Keith Nelson (Yukon/Eagle), Bob Rathke (ITT Bell & Gossett), John Spuller (ITT Hoffman Specialty), Matt Kleszezynski (Hydrotherm), and Stephanie DePugh (Thermo Pride).

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Katie Feltman, Kathryn Malm, Carol Long, Ken Brown, and Vincent Kunkemueller, my editors at John Wiley & Sons, whose constant support and encouragement made this project possible.

James E. Brumbaugh

Posted in Audel HVAC Fundamentals Volume 1 Heating Systems, Furnaces, and Boilers