Tech Tips

When most of us think about tools of the trade, a few main ones come to mind: manifold, multimeter, vacuum pumps, recovery machines… the list goes on. One that may NOT come up nearly as often as it probably should is the thermal imaging camera.  A few symposiums ago, Bill Spohn and Eric “Elk” Kaiser […]

Evaporator coil leaks are a fact of life in the industry. (We could have a long and lively discussion about how evap coils aren’t made like they used to be, but that’s for another day.) When you have an evaporator leak on a system, you’ll have two choices to fix the problem: replace the coil […]

In the furnace sequence of operation, the ignition sequence happens after the safeties have been checked, the inducer fan comes on, and the pressure switch closes. The ignition sequence begins with the ignitor. This part provides the heat needed for combustion (remember: a fire needs heat, oxygen, and fuel), and the ignition process looks a […]

As we get older, our understanding of the difference between good and bad—right and wrong—evolves. This understanding often first takes on the form of playing cops and robbers or superheroes and bad guys in our childhood. As we grow, especially as we navigate adolescence and adulthood, we apply the labels “good” and “bad” (or “friend” […]

In HVAC, we have a few infamous indoor air quality monsters that bring terror to our customers’ homes—gases, particles, and organisms that wreak havoc on indoor air quality (and may contribute to moderate to severe health problems). The big one is carbon monoxide (CO), which we all know is deadly. Although not deadly by itself, […]

Diagram above by Carrier  It's really easy to put a liquid line drier in the proper location, but it's still more commonly installed in the WRONG location. Namely, people install it right at the condensing unit. (OK, it isn't that big of a deal, but I needed some dramatic emphasis.) Installing it at the indoor […]

I see a lot of techs and installers use tape over foam tubing insulation joints (Rubbatex, Armaflex, etc.) rather than using the glue that is designed for it. Some of them use tape because they don't know the glue exists; some use tape because it's what they happen to have on the truck, and others […]

As we do fall maintenance and head into the heating season, combustion analysis becomes a big deal. (It’s always kind of a big deal, but now it’s a really big deal.) First and foremost, it tells us how much carbon monoxide (CO) is produced by burning. CO can make people ill, contribute to cognitive deterioration […]

Double traps are no good. That's the end of this tech tip. Okay, here's some detail: Anytime your drain goes up and down more than once, you have a double trap UNLESS you place an air vent between the two traps that vents ABOVE the drain inlet. The double trap causes drainage issues because air […]