Tech Tips

When I started in the trade in 1999, there were still many oilable blower motors in service. As part of the maintenance, we would remove the housing and oil the motor. We would also vacuum the motor and wipe it down. Before you pull the blower, shut off the power at the breaker or disconnect, […]

I’ve always opposed the practice of grabbing a hub puller as the first method of removing a blower. The video below by Brad Hicks with HVAC in SC on YouTube demonstrates the exact method I use to safely remove a blower wheel without damaging anything. Thanks, Brad! The Steps Kill the power. Pull the blower […]

Put three good tradespeople in front of the same problem, and you may see three different kinds of enthusiasm. One wants to understand why the system behaves that way. Another wants to get the failed part out and make the repair. The third is already thinking about the layout, access, and details that will make […]

Connecting more than one wire on or under a single lug or connection point is called “double lugging,” and it is ONLY allowed in line voltage wiring under one condition, according to NEC 110.14: If the terminal, lug, or connector is specifically rated for more than one wire In the case of a conductor splice, […]

Most techs and installers know that drains need to be pitched. I use the rule of thumb that drain lines should generally be pitched 1/4″ per foot of horizontal run. One thing that can easily be forgotten is pitching wall penetrations when drilling. It’s as simple as drilling with a slight upward angle if drilling […]

When tightening down a blower wheel or a fan blade on a motor shaft, ONLY tighten it on the flat of the shaft. That flat is machined into the shaft on purpose. It gives the set screw a face to bite into instead of a curve to slide off of. On most residential motors, it […]

How does a typical single-phase motor know how fast to run? Typical induction motors depend on the electrical cycle rate of the incoming power (measured in hertz) for their speed. Our power in the US makes one complete rotation from positive electrical peak to positive peak 60 times per second, or 60hz (50hz, or 50 […]

Relays can be used for many different control applications, including controlling fans, blowers, other relays, contactors, valves, dampers, pumps, and much more. A 90-340 is a very common, versatile relay that many techs have on their truck, so we will use it as an example. A relay is just a remotely controlled switch that opens […]

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 […]