Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Books

Solar Power Your Home For Dummies (For Dummies (Home & Garden))

Rik DeGunther

Amazon Price: $13.59 List Price: $19.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: For Dummies Amazon Marketplace: 58 new & used starting at $8.73

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Do-It-Yourself

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Want to take advantage of solar power in your home? Whether you’re looking to save on your energy costs by adding a few solar components or you want to build a solar-powered house from the ground up, Solar Power Your Home For Dummies takes the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you!

This friendly, hands-on guide is packed with tips for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power—and helping the planet at the same time. You’ll see how to survey your home to determine your current household energy efficiency and use, and evaluate where solar power would best benefit you. You’ll also calculate what the return on your investment will be before you make any decisions. Once you’ve decided on a project, you’ll see whether it’s best to hire a contractor or do it yourself. We leave no stone unturned—you’ll also discover how to:

• Choose and install your best solar system
• Handle small to large solar projects
• Heat and cool your house with solar energy
• Install exterior solar lighting
• Handle swimming pool, water heater, or ventilation solar projects
• Create greenhouses or solar rooms
• Build, buy, or sell a solar home
• Finance your solar investments
• Take advantage of tax rebates and incentives associated with solar power
• Avoid the worst solar mistakes

Featuring ten of the easiest and cheapest do-it-yourself solar projects, Solar Power Your Home For Dummies is the fun and easy way to meet your energy needs with this clean power source!

Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life

Ed Jr Begley

Amazon Price: $12.24 List Price: $18.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Clarkson Potter Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $6.99

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Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Conservation -> Energy
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Conservation -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

FROM THE PIONEER OF ECO-CONSCIOUS LIVING

A committed environmentalist for more than thirty years, Ed Begley, Jr., has always tried to “live simply so others may simply live.” Now, as more and more of us are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the planet and live a better, greener life, Ed shares his experiences on what works, what doesn't–and what will save you money!

These are tips for environmentally friendly living that anyone–whether you own or rent, live in a private home or a condo–can try to make a positive change for the environment. From quick fixes to bigger commitments and long-term strategies, Ed will help you make changes in every part of your life.

And if you think living green has to mean compromising on aesthetics or comfort, fear not; Ed's wife, Rachelle, insists on style–with a conscience. In Living Like Ed, his environmentalism and her design savvy combine to create a guide to going green that keeps the chic in eco-chic.

From recycling more materials than you ever thought possible to composting without raising a stink to buying an electric car, Living Like Ed is packed with ideas–from obvious to ingenious–that will help you live green, live responsibly, live well. Like Ed.

The Solar House: Passive Heating and Cooling

Daniel D. Chiras

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Chelsea Green Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $15.70

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Remodeling & Renovation -> Energy Efficiency

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Passive solar heating and passive cooling—approaches known as natural conditioning—provide comfort throughout the year by reducing, or eliminating, the need for fossil fuel. Yet while heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved.

Now Dan Chiras, author of the popular book "The Natural House," brings those principles up to date for a new generation of solar enthusiasts.

In "The Solar House," Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling. Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious erros and shows how to avoid them. More importantly, Chiras explains in methodical detail how today’s home builders can succeed with solar designs.

Readers will learn:
- How to select a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly backup heating system.
- how to preserve indoor air quality in an airtight, energy-efficient home.
- ways of employing green building materials in a naturally conditioned home.

Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning

Andrew D. Althouse, Carl H. Turnquist, Alfred F. Bracciano

Amazon Price: $60.75 List Price: $80.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Goodheart-Wilcox Publisher Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $52.00

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Mechanics

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Modern Refrigeration Resource 5 out of 5 stars.
22 of 22 people found this review helpful.

Thanks to the length of time this book has been available and the frequent revisions to the copyright, it continues to get bigger and better as time goes on.

My bookshelf has at least 5 of those revisions that frequently get utilized . Each revision builds upon the prior publication and expands on the detail they provide.

This publication represents an established reference standard for the HVAC/R Industry. It is especially valuable because of the extent of the different technical topics presented within its covers.

Some have tried to copy the format and the content but still fail to match its quality and level of professionalism.

Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning . 2 out of 5 stars.
4 of 14 people found this review helpful.

This book is really a disaster for whom who want to learn somthing from HVAC/R.It's full of controversies(not their typo),full of headlines not much of a detail.I do not understand how come a book with 18th edition still making basic mistakes like saying thing cotroversial to each other.I had to buy another book from Whitman Johnson and Tomczyk.

Editorial Review:

Modern Refrigeration and Air Conditioning is the leader in the refrigeration and air conditioning field. This comprehensive resource teaches fundamental principles and service techniques. The guide tells how to diagnose and remedy HVAC problems and provides an excellent blend of theory and job qualifying skills.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for your Home, 2nd Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to)

Dan Ramsey, David Hughes

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Alpha Amazon Marketplace: 62 new & used starting at $9.94

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Reference

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

To be fair...(REVISED - I HAVE READ IT...same...2 stars) 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 25 people found this review helpful.

Sept 08, 2008 Revision: After borrrowing this book from a friend to read it thoroughly, I still give it 2 stars BUT...
- the book is fairly thorough, concise, and comprehensive in its coverage of residential solar. It does cover nearly every introductory topic and question a home owner new to solar energy might ask.
- it goes into topics such as the history of solar, developments past present and future, batteries, Do-It-Yourself issues and concerns, inverter operation and general info, identifying and hiring a contractor, inspection issues, brief mention of the NEC (Natl Electric Code), federal and state solar incentives, and so much more.
And it does this in a very few short pages - don't let the 336 pages fool you. The meat of the book is actually in less than 200 pages of writing.

Given that it covers nearly ALL the topics in one book - in ONE PLACE - in a VERY QUICK read of 200+ pages - FOR LESS THAN $15.00, I actually give this 5 STARS for VALUE AND TIME well spent. (If you have ANY technical background, you'll cover the entire book in one night of reading.) But why 2 stars then? Well, if you are serious about installing solar, after reading this book you will come to realize that you still need to know so much more. Inevitably, you WILL have to talk to your municipal inspector, spend some time researching solar contractors, and quite a bit of time understanding the requirements of the incentives offered by your utility/city/state/federal govt - in all, that's at least another 10-24 hours of research, discussion, and reading. A book costing 2-3 times as much with much more detail might therefore be more beneficial. Or simply following the FREE links, as I originally espoused below, might still be the best approach since either way it is going to take time to understand it all - but only if you really are serious about installing residential solar. Otherwise, if you simply want to gain enough insights to evaluate solar, and determine its prospects for your home and situation, then this is a very good book for you.

BTW, this book is very similar to the other "Dummies" Book - "Solar Power Your Home For Dummies (For Dummies Series)".

ORIGINAL REVIEW COMMENTS ON MAY 1, 2008: To be fair, I have not read this book. Why 5 stars? The book is a for-profit venture by the author, so recovery of time, effort, & energy is important for revenue reasons. So why write this review? After spending nearly 12-18 hours perusing AMAZON's book list on solar energy and photovoltaic systems, I was frustrated! None of the reviews on any single book seemed to be convincing enough to make me want to buy. For instance, none of the reviews mention how the books address the National Electric Code, specific wiring and disconnect installation information, electrical and other safety hazards, inspection issues, etc. For a DIY'er, these books seemed a waste of time, never mind the fact that some reviewers insisted they actually DIY'ed just from the book. It then occurred to me that dozens of resources that I had used over the past 10 years - with the exception of 2007 due to extenuating circumstances - many resources are available for free from our fantastic .GOV, .ORG, and .EDU sites like Sandia Nat'l Labs, NREL, NMSU, and CA.GOV. Folks, before you start buying books on PV left & right, be smart and leverage what your fine tax dollars paid for! I have to admit - I believe it's just stupid searching for good PV technical, installation, and detailed literature on a For-Profit Bookstore when so much is already available online for Free. Folks, use your head - our government and academic labs pioneered this from federal tax dollars. Hence, much of it is public domain! (REPLACE all "?" with "." in the following website links.) nabcep?org nmsu?edu/~tdi/index?html photovoltaics?sandia?gov and energy?ca?gov - just to name a few! Of course, if you're just not Internet savvy, not an engineer/analytical A-type personality, and highly resourceful, plus you'd rather prefer to kill trees buying a book instead of leveraging online resources that are 100 times more than what's on AMAZON, and most likely don't have the wherewithal to DIY, go ahead. It will be amazing to see how many are simply duped by the thousands of new "get rich quick" companies and businessmen entering the renewable energy markets.

Editorial Review:

The perfect source for solar power—fully illustrated.

Solar Power (photovoltaics) is now a one-billion-dollar industry, and it’s poised to grow rapidly in the near future as more pressure is placed on limited fossil fuel resources and as advances in solar technology drive down the costs of residential solar systems. This book helps readers understand the basics of solar power and other renewable energy sources, explore whether solar power makes sense for them, what their options are, and what’s involved with installing various on and off-grid systems.

—Fully illustrated
—Covers every conceivable solar-power topic and concern, including updated information on the increasing number of state rebate and incentive programs

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology

Bill Whitman, Bill Johnson, John Tomczyk, Eugene Silberstein

Amazon Price: $89.36 List Price: $128.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Delmar Cengage Learning Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $80.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Refrigeration Resource 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is great for beginners as well as experienced technicians. Every explanation is detailed with pictures and graphs. All types of refrigeration applications are covered with the how to detail for installing and understanding every component in the system, including helpful tips and safety recommendations.

Editorial Review:

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology, 6th Edition, a time-honored best seller, has been updated and revised to provide superior hands-on information needed to successfully maintain and troubleshoot today's complex heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. The new sixth edition contains units updated to include advances or changes in technology, procedures, and or equipment. Over 250 new images have been added to emphasize the practical application approach to the book. It fosters a solid foundation and understanding of environmental problems and their solutions, and displays a depth and detail of theory, diagnostics, and repair procedures that make this a fitting book for basic HVAC-R education as well as upgrading and certification training for technicians in the field.

Audel HVAC Fundamentals, Heating Systems, Furnaces and Boilers,

James E. Brumbaugh

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Audel Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $13.78

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 1.0 of 5

Old news 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

revised = outdated. This book can really make you hot! (around the collar that is)

Editorial Review:

A reference you'll warm up to

From the background and basics of heating systems to the newest chip-based technology, this first volume of Audel's HVAC Library gives you comprehensive information you need on the job. Whether you're installing, servicing, repairing, or troubleshooting an old or new heating system, you'll find what you're looking for, from wood and coal furnace maintenance to new calculations and the latest environmental technologies and regulations.
* Review the basics of installation, wiring, and troubleshooting for different HVAC systems
* Choose the correct system for the space, climate, and needs
* Compare the economy and efficiency of various fuel types
* Install, maintain, and troubleshoot conversion units
* Find formula cross references, data tables with conversions, and listings of trade organizations and equipment manufacturers

Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology: Study Guide/Lab Manual. 5th Edition

Bill Whitman, Bill Johnson, John Tomczyck

Amazon Price: $44.95 List Price: $49.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Delmar Cengage Learning Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $40.93

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Subjects -> Reference -> Study Guides

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

good study resorce 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

the book makes a good guide to practice and will help perpare for any upcomming exams

Forced Hot Air Furnaces : Troubleshooting and Repair

Roger Vizi

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Professional Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $19.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Forced Hot Air Furnaces, Roger Vizi 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Very disappointed. Very little information on later model heaters.

In the good old days, with ineffecient heaters and standing pilots, heaters tended to be trouble free. In 40 years I never had a heater problem until I started living with draft inducers and control modules. Now I continually have problems with these new heaters in the houses I own and those problem are related to draft inducer motors, sensors, hot surface igniter, electrical igniters, and solid state control boards. Hello!! This book contains essentially no information on most of these items and their application to gas fired forced air furnaces.
I have to wonder why anyone would write a book in 1999 and leave out the subject matter pertaining to the areas that cause the modern heaters to fail.

Sincerely,

vern

Editorial Review:

* Complete Troubleshooting & Repairing guide to hot air furnaces
* Complete operation, maintenance, and repair
* Covers gas, oil, and electric forced air systems
* Includes flowcharts and highlighted tips and solutions to common furnace problems

DEWALT HVAC Professional Reference (Dewalt Trade Reference Series)

Paul Rosenberg

Amazon Price: $17.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DEWALT Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $3.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Reference 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Handy little book to for anyone to keep in their toolbox or on the job!!!

Editorial Review:

With regards to various aspects of installation, service, testing, and balancing, the DEWALT® HVAC Professional Reference is the number one pocket reference guide for the HVAC industry. Comprehensive coverage includes compressors, duct sizing, heat transmission conversion factors, temperature and pressure, fans, air velocities, refrigeration characteristics, thermostats, and much more. Compact but powerful, this handy pocket reference helps service technicians become experts on the job!