Along the path to becoming a great HVAC technician lies the dreaded wiring diagram. It's meant to be a helpful map of the equipment's electrical system, but with its crisscrossing lines and cryptic symbols, it often feels more like a barrier than a guide. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. But what if you […]

Industry data shows that up to 40% of compressors returned under warranty have no fault found. Technicians often blame the compressor when another component is the root cause. This checklist is designed to help you definitively confirm compressor failure, saving time, money, and unnecessary replacements. Let's make sure it's truly bad before we cut it […]

This tech tip was written by Eric Kaiser from TruTech Tools. Thanks, Eric! Filling refrigerant recovery cylinders is a task HVACR technicians perform regularly, but figuring out how much refrigerant to safely put into a cylinder can still be confusing. The challenge almost always comes back to refrigerant density or specific gravity. Specific gravity, also […]

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. […]