Dushan

“Ecovent was so smart that it alerted me that the temperature of the air coming out of my vents was dangerously hot. Ecovent even referred me to an HVAC contractor and he told me that my furnace wasn’t calibrated prop- erly. If it weren’t for Ecovent, my furnace could have literally cracked and the outcome could have been deadly.”

Problem and Background

Dushan bought a home in the Bay Area and like most of our beta customers, he purchased an Ecovent beta system to get more control over the temperature differences across rooms in his home. He also didn’t like the idea of wasting so much energy unnecessarily heating and cooling rooms. Ecovent was able to address Dushan’s comfort and energy usage concerns. However, what Dushan didn’t expect was that the powerful diagnostic capabilities of the Ecovent system was also able to save him from an expensive and dangerous issue with his heating, ventilation and cooling system (or HVAC).

After Dushan installed his Ecovent system, using data from the sensors built into our smart vents and sensors, Ecovent was able to determine that the temperature of the air coming out of the vent in Dushan’s living room was much too hot. The temperature of the air coming out of Dushan’s vent was registering at about 185° – about 45 degrees too hot. For reference, hair dryers typically blow air of up to only 140°, the maximum temperature the typical human scalp can handle without burning. Luckily, Dushan’s vents were near his ceiling, or else the air could have easily harmed a person or a pet.

“Ecovent was able to determine that the temperature of the air coming out of the vent in Dushan’s living room was much too hot.”

Furnace

Failed Safety Mechanism

Temperature reading at vent after furnace was calibrated

Solution and Outcome

Ecovent alerted Dushan that there was something dangerously wrong with his HVAC system and we referred him to Brian Besold from Kevel Home Performance. Kevel Home offers expert HVAC systems testing, installation, and home performance contracting services. They diagnosed that Du- shan’s furnace was improperly calibrated. The temperature of the air coming out of the supply vent of his furnace was 262° – about 110° too hot! There was a high temperature safety on Dushan’s furnace that should have prevented this issue but unfortunately for Dushan, that safety failed. In Brian’s words, “Dushan’s HVAC system reflects a good measure of what homeowners are up against.

The bulk of heating systems we look at here in the Bay Area are suffering from some type of performance problem. It’s a very good thing Ecovent was there to catch this problem.” Also, Kevel Home’s diagnostic revealed that the blower fan on Dushan’s blower fan was failing because it had been working too hard, a direct result of the furnace being improperly calibrated. It was too late for Dushan’s blower fan but if the problem had been caught earlier, it could have saved Dushan the expense of replacing his blower motor. Dushan would have also saved himself from the hassle of another HVAC service call. Kevel was able to properly calibrate Dushan’s furnace and reduce the temperature at the supply vent to a safe 152°. As a result of the calibration, the air temperature coming out of Dushan’s living room went down from 185° to a safe 139°.

“Dushan’s HVAC system reflects a good measure of what homeowners are up against. The bulk of heating systems we look at here in the Bay Area are suffering from some type of performance prob- lem. It’s a very good thing Ecovent was there to catch this problem.”

Also, according to Brian, “the fan control and limit switch [the safety] failed to work in Dushan’s case. The wiring on Dushan’s furnance was also hacked together. Homeowners often don’t know what they’re getting themselves into with the HVAC system they inherit. Dushan’s case is a perfect example of how important it is to have your HVAC system inspected.” After Dushan’s ordeal, he had these words to share, “I bought Ecovent for comfort but quickly discovered that the system’s diag- nostic capabilities gives me a layer of safety and intelligence for my home that I didn’t expect. The scary thing is that the safety on the furnace that was supposed to protect me and my family failed. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if my furnace ended up cracking.”