Technicians have to make flare fittings in the field every day. Most of the time, the application is for mini-split/ductless installs. However, you may encounter certain situations where flared fittings are more practical than a braze joint. Regardless of the reason, flared connections are notorious in our trade for being popular leak areas. Either the flare […]

This article includes significant contributions from Neil Comparetto and Brian Chadwick, both of whom are HVAC technicians in Virginia. Brian is also the owner of Chadwick Air, and Neil is a co-owner of Comparetto Comfort Solutions and a longtime contributor to HVAC School. Thanks, guys! DISCLAIMER: A lot of the information in this article is […]

  I walked into a supply house the other day and looked at a “universal” expansion valve on the shelf. The friendly guy behind the counter saw me and walked over. After saying hello, he said: “That's a great valve; it's even balanced port.” Now, I am a bit of a troublemaker. I should have […]