Category: Tech Tips

When we say that there is “flash gas” at a particular point in the system, it can either be a bad thing or a good thing, depending on where it is occurring. Flash gas is just another term for boiling. It is perfectly normal (and required) that refrigerant “flashes” or begins boiling directly after the […]

A guide to the “House As A System” approach to understanding comfort, IAQ, durability, and energy consumption issues caused by building air leakage and HVAC-driven pressure imbalances in single-family homes. This article is a collaborative effort between Sam Myers of Retrotec and Genry Garcia of Comfort Dynamics, Inc. Sam and Genry will be giving a […]

You may have heard of a Western movie called True Grit. I won’t spoil it for you, but John Wayne joins Kim Darby to hunt down the man who killed Darby’s father and left with the family’s savings. (Wait, you’re telling me there’s a version with Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, and Matt Damon? I thought […]

Let's first state the obvious. Most techs are intimidated by psychrometric charts and Mollier diagrams. We JUST ARE. While there are some pretty complicated formulas that back up these diagrams, using them isn't that big of a deal once you understand the different elements and then focus on one at a time. BUT WHY DO YOU […]

  This article was written by my good friend, Neil Comparetto. He is one of the all-around best dudes in the industry and a guy who practices what he preaches on duct design. Thanks, Neil! These are some fundamentals for designing and installing duct systems that I’ve learned over the years. Included are links to […]

  As with most other trades, HVAC/R technicians need to have a solid set of hard skills to make it in the industry. Whether we pick up those hard skills by working on cars as teenagers, learning them in a trade school, or acquiring them on the job, we’ll have to rely on our hard […]

This article was inspired by a podcast episode about the house being the most underappreciated duct with Joe Medosch. You can listen to that podcast HERE. We probably think about sheet metal, flex duct, or the ever-controversial duct board when we think about ducts. It’s probably shiny and out of sight in most homes. But […]

We may not realize it, but heat transfer inside our homes keeps the HVAC industry afloat. Without air conditioning in the summer, our buildings would remain stuffy, miserable places. That’s because heat can come from the outdoors, indoor objects (such as cooking appliances), and our bodies. So, this article will cover the three main types […]

Every year. We watch it EVERY YEAR, and it still gets to me again and again. Call me a sucker, but especially living a blue-collar life working in the trades, It's a Wonderful Life describes the way many of us live. Even more so, it captures the way we can start to feel about our […]