Tech Tips

This tech tip came from an email sent by Adam Blunkall, a Tennessee-based HVAC technician. He shared some tips to help overcome this issue in his market, and we appreciate his insight. Thanks, Adam! If we’re draining our 90% furnaces (or any condensing heating system) outside the structure in a similar fashion as we would […]

Troubleshooting and commissioning are entirely data-dependent processes. How can you know that a system is undercharged unless you measure the superheat and subcooling? How can you know how much static pressure a blower motor has to overcome? In both cases, we use tools to help us determine the next steps. However, using the right tools […]

So, what is thermometry anyway? Thermometry is the scientific study of measuring temperature and has roots that date back to as early as 220 BC. During this time, Philo of Byzantium began to study the effects that temperature had on air. Specifically, he observed expansion and contraction caused by temperature change. He did this using […]

When reading ANY article about electrical theory or application, keep in mind that it will only scratch the topic's surface. You can dedicate years of your life to understanding electrical theory and design the way many engineers do and still know just enough to be dangerous. In HVAC, we rarely need to have a DEEP […]

First, let's cover the basics. X13 is a brand name for the Regal Beloit/Genteq brand of constant torque motors; there are other manufacturers that make them, but the term “X13” has become pretty much synonymous with the fractional horsepower HVAC constant torque motor. Also, this article specifically discusses common residential/light commercial motors. There are other […]

Florida’s got a lot of great qualities: some pretty neat wildlife, beaches all around, and theme parks. On the flip side, Florida also has hurricanes and a lot of humidity. As much of a pain as it might be for residents and contractors alike, humidity is one of my favorite topics.  We see relative humidity […]

Just like Shrek, I like to think about the heating sequence of operations as an onion—it has layers. And each layer builds upon the previous one. We have written previously in great detail about gas furnaces, from top to bottom. I want to focus today on why there is a sequence of operations and how […]

Electronic expansion valves (or EEVs) are metering devices that you’ll find in a variety of modern HVAC equipment, including heat pumps, VRF units, inverter mini splits, and chillers. This valve is electronic rather than mechanical and can precisely control the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator and optimize efficiency for heating and cooling units.  Other […]

There are a couple of really important things to understand when ducting a dehumidifier. Getting one or both of these things wrong can throw off your entire dehumidifier install. Instead of just telling you the different ways you can install a dehumidifier, let’s talk through some dehumidifier basics, which will help us understand why it’s […]