Tech Tips

Every trade has its favorite phrases. One of the most common in HVAC goes something like: “I’ve been doing it this way for 20 years and never had a problem.” When you hear that—or when you catch yourself saying it—it’s worth stopping to think. Usually, what that sentence really means is: “I’ve been doing it […]

This tech tip is the first in a four-part series on using oscilloscopes. I'd like to give a special thanks to Andrew Holden for his contributions to this particular tech tip. When we want to measure voltage between two points, we reach for a multimeter. A multimeter can tell us the average electrical potential between […]

Many of you may already know that our HVAC company, Kalos Services, is also a GC. We do a lot of construction projects with HVAC, plumbing, and electrical scopes of work. Estimating is a crucial part of winning those projects, and those of you who work on HVAC for new construction probably already have an […]

HVAC systems often fail early or don't perform well due to inconsistent power. While technicians can't control a home's main power supply, they can stabilize it at the system using buck-boost transformers. These devices adjust voltage up or down to meet the equipment’s needs. As HVAC systems become more advanced, understanding buck-boost transformers will be […]

Evaporator temperatures below 32°F (or 0°C) are common and acceptable in refrigeration; that's why there is a defrost sequence. It's the same story for a heat pump running in heat mode; freezing is a part of the process, and defrost is necessary. In comfort cooling, we can't allow the evaporator temperature to get below 32°F, […]

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 […]

This tech tip about recovery cylinder fill calculations 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 […]

Depending on what segment of the business you are in and your location, you either work on pump-down solenoid systems all the time, or YOU HAVE NO CLUE what a liquid line solenoid is. A liquid line solenoid valve (LLSV) is just a valve that opens and closes; it has a magnetic coil. Depending on […]

Maintaining the correct vapor-liquid refrigerant balance is crucial for air conditioning and refrigeration system performance. Longer line sets hold more refrigerant, which increases the risk of liquid accumulating in the suction line or entering the compressor during off-cycles. Heat pumps are one common application that requires additional measures. Refrigerant flow reverses during heating, turning the […]