Most techs and installers know that drains need to be pitched. I use the rule of thumb that drain lines should generally be pitched 1/4″ per foot of horizontal run. One thing that can easily be forgotten is pitching wall penetrations when drilling. It's as simple as drilling with a slight upward angle if drilling […]

We just wrote about rejecting heat to the atmosphere via radiant cooling. That’s one example of cooling without refrigerants, but there are quite a few others out there. In this article, we’ll look at some other cooling methods that don’t use refrigerants. Vortex tubes Vortex tubes swirl gas in a chamber, separating it into hot […]

Do you remember the first time you used a ratchet? Neither do I, but I DO remember the context in which I first used one. In order to understand my story with ratchets, I need to introduce you to my grandpa, Don, the man who I have always called “Papa.” My grandpa has done so […]