New furnace motors in 2020 will drastically change heating and cooling in Canada

In 2020, there will be 2 types of blower motors in furnaces in Canada.

Constant Torque ECM – multi-speed – X13. These are in the Trane S9X1 and S9X2 furnaces and have 9 speed settings.

This new type of blower motor saves electricity (upwards of 60%!) over older PSC motors. These have Fixed/constant speeds (ex. The fan stays same speed even if filter is dirty, or ductwork is VERY long). These are compatible with Bypass-style humidifiers.

Variable Speed ECM. These blower motors are already in Trane S9V and XC95M furnaces. Technically, these motors have infinite speeds. Depending on the static resistance of the ductwork, filter, air cleaner, indoor coil and/or humidifier – the blower will spin at a different speed. The main goal is to always deliver the amount of air that the installer has specified it should. This is dictated by equipment size, system static and ductwork in the home.

A Variable Speed (VS) motor speeds up when a filter gets dirty. It does the same if the ductwork is very long or very large. It spins faster to deliver the same CFM regardless of conditions. A VS motor is usually quieter and more efficient than a constant torque ecm – unless the ductwork is too small, or filter too dirty – at which point it can do the opposite.

A VS motor can do an excellent job dehumidifying a home in the summer. In cooling mode – the blower starts slow, and then ramps up. Then it cools the home until the desired set point is reached. And finally, slowly ramps down. At the beginning and end of the cooling cycle when it’s moving very slow – it’s just pulling moisture (humidity) out of the air and putting it down the drain – but not actually blowing much out of the vents. In this way a VS motor is great at dehumidifying. In effect, it turns a single stage Ac into a multi-stage Ac – by running the indoor fan very slowly for short periods. 

Energy Clean Home Services sells both types of motors in order to provide our customers with ultimate flexibility and efficiency.  Please speak with one of our Comfort Specialists today to find out how you can optimize your heating and cooling system while saving money.