When sealing ductwork or repairing HVAC insulation, the tape you choose dictates the long-term integrity of the system. Temperatures fluctuate wildly in attics and mechanical rooms,  and the tape must be able to withstand these environments without degrading. To better understand how different professional-grade adhesives actually perform under elevated temperatures, we decided to put them […]

Oxy-acetylene torch tip manufacturers publish charts that tell us the ideal applications for each tip size, which is quite useful on its own. After all, a small tip may be great for a ⅜” liquid line but would hardly make a dent in 2” commercial refrigeration piping. But we can also take the information from […]

In order to wrap my head around diagnostic issues, it helps me engage in thought experiments where I think of more extreme examples of an issue or situation or consider the ideal to find the “edges” of a concept. Once I find the extreme edges, I can begin to sort down to a more exact […]

James Bowman talks to Bryan about leak sealant products, including RectorSeal's Leak Freeze product. James talks about how sealants work, what happens when they don't work, and how to be open-minded without being gullible. Leak sealants must not react adversely with the components inside a system (oil and refrigerant). Just as mineral oil caused some […]

In this episode, Bryan speaks with James Bowman from Rectorseal about hard start kits, PTCR devices, run capacitors, compressor overheating, and the Kick Start product. We also go pretty in-depth on potential relays and how they operate. Hard start kits are mechanical potential relays connected to a capacitor, and they aid in starting the compressor. […]