This is a basic overview of the refrigeration circuit and how it works. It isn't a COMPLETE description by any means, but it is designed to assist a new technician or HVAC/R apprentice in understanding the fundamentals. First, let's address some areas of possible confusion:  1. The word “condenser” can mean two different things. Many […]

When I first started in the trade, we used to run into shielded control wires on the Carrier Comfort Zone 1 zoning systems and also on a Carrier VVT system I used to maintain at a bank. I knew it had something to do with electrical “noise” and that communicating systems often called for it, […]

I’ve been designing a system for a home here in Dallas and noticed a couple of interesting (and disturbing!) things about the equipment’s advertised capacity vs. the actual capacity at design conditions.  Equipment is rated at AHRI conditions (95 degrees outside and 80-degree dry bulb, 67-degree wet bulb inside). These conditions make equipment performance LOOK […]

This short episode is a review of a list of installation reminders made by Kalos manager Jeff Crable. Kalos is doing a bunch of these installs for a commercial customer. Hopefully, the business leaders can take a few things from our checklist and help out their installers. Whenever we do an install for our large […]