Last week, we briefly looked at the spec sheet of a gauge manifold. All things considered, it was quite short; we only had to worry about the refrigerant types, pressure ranges, and hose diameters. However, manometers’ spec sheets are quite a bit longer than gauge manifolds’ because they have resolution and accuracy specs, among other […]

In a previous article, I talked about wiring permanent split capacitor (PSC) condenser fan motors. While researching the topic, I realized that there isn’t as much information available on condenser motors as there is on their counterpart—the indoor blower motor. I had never really given it much thought, as I assumed that the condenser motor […]

The original tools of the trade were all analog: electrical meters, gauges, and even manometers (Magnehelic, anyone?). However, digital tools have also become a staple of the skilled trades—where would most of us be without digital multimeters? And then probes also joined the fray with the rapid improvements to smartphone technology over the last 15–20 […]

Dick Wirz, author of Commercial Refrigeration for Air Conditioning Technicians, talks about making the switch from A/C to refrigeration. Dick Wirz is an advocate for using rules of thumb, which is a controversial position. However, rules of thumb are an excellent way for A/C techs to dip their toes into the refrigeration world. Rules of […]