Tech Tips

We’ve all heard some version of the phrase “heat rises,” but is that really true? First, we need to remember that heat is energy, not matter. Heat is a force, not a thing. While heat may result in changes to matter (stuff), it isn’t matter itself. When we add heat to stuff, the molecules inside […]

I need to warn you… The following list is the actual process we use at the company I own for our typical “standard” residential maintenance. I’m sure you will find some things you do differently. Take it for what it is, and I’m happy to get any feedback you may have. Residential Maintenance: Outside Residential […]

It’s Friday at 6 PM. The schedule is clear, as far as you can tell. Other guys have been getting cleared right and left, so you call in standby. Five minutes pass. Ten minutes pass. You check in again, and sure as &%$#, there it is! You get sent across town to another call that […]

I was going through a recorded service meeting with the Kalos techs, and Bert shared something that has been rattling around in my head ever since. His team went digging through their callback data looking for patterns, and after stepping back and looking at it, one showed up that nobody expected: The newer techs were […]

Why is it called single-phase 240 when there are two opposing phases (or legs)? I wondered why we called two 120v opposing legs “single-phase 240” for years. Then someone pointed out to me that a typical “single-phase” pole transformer only has one power leg entering and two coming out. That freaked me out. How can […]

Flowing nitrogen while brazing does not mean the air was cleared first. Learn how to purge large ACR piping, choose a practical regulator setup, and estimate time and cylinder use.

First off, the correct acronym for a GFI (ground fault interrupter) is “GFCI” (ground fault circuit interrupter). The purpose is to act as a safety device to protect from electrical shock. GFCIs are important components of electrical safety; they even make an appearance in our electrical safety video. GFCIs can be built into outlets, circuit […]

It’s always good to reaffirm some of the basics of energy, work, and matter. The five rules below are some of the most basic and important. The First Law of Thermodynamics States that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change forms or be transferred from one object to another. If you’d like […]

Condensate overflow prevention devices, or float switches, as they are often called, are such simple devices that you wouldn’t think there would be much room for controversy. In my experience, there are few areas of the trade where technician and installer preferences and opinions vary greatly. Let’s start with some float switch basics. Float (condensate) […]