HVAC 146 - Residential Air Conditioning Systems

1. Demonstrate knowledge of air conditioning and heat pump components.
   1. Identify these components:
      1. Compressor
      2. Condenser
      3. Evaporator and accumulator
      4. Expansion devices-cap tube, expansion valve, orifice, diffuser
      5. Suction line
      6. Discharge line
      7. Liquid line
      8. Return plenum and supply plenum
      9. Liquid line drier and suction line driers
      10. Furnace components-thermostat, electronic module or board, 24-volt transformer, SU box, blower motor, run capacitor, fan relay, dual-stage thermostats
      11. Service valve types, line ports, refrigerant valves, line sets
      12. Electrical control at condenser unit-low side pressure control, high side pressure control, contactor, run capacitors, start capacitors, relays, condenser fan motor, fan relay, blower motor, fan relay fan cycling switch, electronic controls, reversing valves, electric heat elements, electrical disconnect box
      13. Gauge sets for proper refrigerants and equipment.
      14. Recovery equipment, evacuation equipment, charging equipment
   2. Identify how the heat pump components work during heating.
   3. Identify how heat pump components work during cooling.
   4. Identify how air conditioning components work during a call for cooling.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of air conditioning and heat pump piping systems.
   1. Identify unit capacities in tons of refrigeration.
   2. Identify types of service valves used in their operation.
   3. Identify correct line sizes for refrigerant velocity.
   4. Identify correct line sizes for correct pressure drop.
   5. Identify methods to correctly pipe and trap evaporators.
   6. Measure and adjust superheat correctly.
   7. Identify how to correctly install expansion devices.
   8. Identify correct airflow across an evaporator coil.
   9. Identify correct pipe fittings used in air conditioning and heat pumps.
   10. Identify pressure drops in ACR pipe fittings.
   11. Identify correct placement and use of liquid line driers and suction line driers.
   12. Draw a piping system for an air conditioning unit.
   13. Draw a piping system for a heat pump unit.
   14. Identify correct methods of piping condenser units for air conditioners.
   15. Identify correct methods of piping condenser units for heat pumps.
   16. Identify correct evaporator temperatures.
   17. Identify correct condenser temperatures.
   18. Identify correct suction line temperatures and discharge line temperatures.
   19. Identify correct gauge reads for low-side components and high-side components.
   20. Identify the correct use of check valves in a heat pump system.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of efficiency ratings for air conditioning and heat pumps.
   1. Identify heat load characteristics on a system.
   2. Identify system load characteristics to system component performance.
   3. Measure relative humidity.
   4. Use suction pressure charts to measure system performance.
   5. Use compressor discharge charts and condenser temperature/pressure charts to measure performance.
   6. Use superheat (dry bulb, wet bulb, suction pressure) method to check performance and refrigerant charge.
   7. Identify the correct EER rating for an air conditioning system.
   8. Calculate the correct EER rating for an air conditioning system.
   9. Identify the correct SEER rating for an air conditioning system.
   10. Calculate the correct SEER rating for an appliance.
   11. Identify the coefficient of performance for a heat pump system.
   12. Calculate the coefficient of performance for a heat pump system.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of residential heating/cooling systems.
   1. Identify residential heating and cooling thermostats.
   2. Identify controls for heating and cooling.
   3. Explain heating and cooling anticipators
   4. Wire a humidistat into the control circuit.
   5. Wire an electronic air cleaner into the circuit.
   6. Install residential heating and cooling thermostats.
   7. Properly pipe an air conditioning system.
   8. Measure refrigerant pressures.
   9. Use recovery equipment to remove and save refrigerants.
   10. Identify refrigerant