Technical Support

Frequently Asked Questions

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Service Assistant Software What is Efficiency Index (EI) and Capacity Index (CI)? How does EI and CI work? How is EI and CI displayed on the Service Assistant? What is the accuracy of EI and CI? Why is the efficiency Index (EI) value in the diagnosis sometimes greater than 100%? What conditions need to be met before running the Service Assistant diagnostic tests? How do I connect using SAOnline? What indication is given when a sensor is broken or disconnected? Is it “N/A”? What is the best way to differentiate between the two expansion device types (TXV or fixed orifice)? How can a unit with a diagnosis for a specific Service task have an EI and CI at 100% and vice versa, units with 70-80% CI and EI call for “no service required”? What does it mean when EI and/or CI are above 100%? Why did you pick 2000 hrs of operation? Why does software have a limit around 3000 hrs? If we are estimating savings for an around the clock restaurant in a tropical climate, shouldn’t we use a larger number? How does one arrive at the $ savings numbers? Of the data used for these savings calculations, if any of it is inexact or unknown, will it affect the diagnostics?

Equipment Application What is meant by an air conditioner's efficiency and capacity? What is the Benchmark Performance Standard and how does it relate to the diagnostics module? What testing has been done to verify that EI and CI provide accurate and useful estimates of efficiency and capacity? What aspects of equipment performance impact EI and CI the most? How does the Efficiency Index (EI) relate to my electric utility bill? What are other common references to an air conditioner's efficiency and capacity and how do they relate to EI and CI? How can EI and CI be used to enhance business models? What is fundamentally innovative or novel about EI and CI that represents a significant technological leap? Does EI and CI help evaluate if replacing a unit with a higher efficiency is cost effective? Can the Service Assistant be used on large commercial cooling equipment that employs unloaders? What is the practical "high end" of the equipment capacity that the Service Assistant can be effectively used on? Which refrigerants does the HVAC Service Assistant support at this time? What is the proper procedure for installation of the temperature probes? What are the types of units that the Service Assistant is 'certified' to work on? When auditing a two stage unit, does it make a difference if both stages are ‘loaded’ when readings for only one stage are taken? Or is it OK to just ‘load’ the stage the readings are being taken on? When connecting the service assistant, isn’t it better to not turn off the unit during the connection so the wait for steady state is shorter? Does a 10 ton machine working at a capacity of 50% consume power as a 10 ton unit or as a 5 ton unit? Should Savings $ be taken as a pretty good estimate of what can be saved? How do I get spare parts, such as O-rings for knobs? It has been hard for some of our partners to get Palm devices that are compatible with SA. For example, most devices no longer have a serial port. How can we ensure compatibility? We have noticed that the 15psi drop across the condenser for DP measurements when LP port is not available, can be field modified. Under what conditions should this number be modified?

Temperature Sensor Arrays Are the 1 stage and 2 stage temp sensor arrays provided with a plastic plug or cover to protect the electrical connector when the array is left on-site and not in use? Where on the liquid line should the sensor be placed? Can temperature sensors be calibrated?

Pressure Hoses What functionality does the SA provide to minimize loss of refrigerant? What is the recommended process for removing the hoses from the equipment being tested? What if I'm getting low pressure readings on the high-side pressure hose?

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