The condensate drain is the source of many a service call in Florida. A lot of the time, the problem is just a clogged drain; bacterial zoogloea (drain snot) loves humidity, and the all-aluminum coils don’t do us any favors. Other times, there are some clear drain design or installation flaws that present hazards to […]

This tech tip about tandem compressors was inspired by the recent HVAC School podcast episode with the Copeland team. You can listen to that podcast episode HERE. One compressor is great, but how about two in the same circuit? Or three? We see multiple compressors in rack refrigeration circuits, but the concept isn’t as common […]

This HVAC system we recently installed has been causing quite a bit of trouble for us with inspectors. If you look at the label, you will see that the breaker size is 25 amps, and the minimum circuit ampacity (MCA or wire size) is 29 amps. The MOCP (maximum overcurrent protection, max fuse, or max […]

In today’s podcast, Eric Mele and Bryan explain the planning, layout, and execution of HVAC projects. They mostly cover commercial ductwork but also touch on piping and some residential projects. Planning The first step is to review the construction plan WITH a site visit. It is best to see how a plan works within the […]

In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Eric Mele talk about re-tapping transformers for single-phase equipment in 208v applications. Most single-phase equipment can work for 230v or 208v, meaning that they can operate with low voltage. However, we typically see 208v in commercial buildings. The sine waves of 208v equipment are 120 degrees out of […]

In this podcast episode, Bryan and Eric Mele discuss the diagnosis and prevention of compressor overheating in HVAC and refrigeration. The main causes of compressor overheating are inadequate cooling back to the compressor, low charge, restrictions, and sometimes even poor suction line insulation. We want to keep the suction temperature low while maintaining appropriate superheat. […]