Andy Ask

Andy Ask

Position: Consulting Engineer

Andy Ask has been a consulting engineer for almost 39 years and has previously served as the director of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA). He has written articles for Santa Fe, is the author of H2NØ, Mechanical Systems and Moisture Control, and has been inducted into the IAQA Hall of Fame.

Tech Tips written:

Pitch on Line Penetrations
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 […]
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It Has a Flat For a Reason
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 […]
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Motor Speed – The Basics
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 […]
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