In HVAC/R, we are in the business of moving BTUs of heat, and we move BTUs via pounds of refrigerant. The more pounds we move, the more BTUs we move. In a single-stage HVAC/R compressor, the compression chamber maintains the same volume no matter the compression ratio. The thing that changes is the number of […]

We all see a lot of questions about dyes, leak stoppers, lubricants, inhibitors, and snake oil. All of those were designed to go into the refrigerant circuit and “improve” something. I just go back to what Ray Johnson always said. (Ray is one of my early heroes in the biz, and he taught me a […]

This tech tip comes from our contributor, compressor decapitator, and super tech Ulises Palacios. Many ductless systems and some high-efficiency unitary systems have electronic expansion valves. If you find one that is stuck closed, you may be able to get it open temporarily by putting a strong magnet like the one shown above on the […]