When I started in the trade, the idea of flowing nitrogen while brazing was nothing more than the punchline of a joke. Like pulling a vacuum with a micron gauge or proper recovery, it was a wink and nod proposition rather than a real practice. I've had to unlearn many bad habits since those early […]

Imagine, if you will, a 20-year-old kid. He has no formal training in the HVAC/R field, only ride along “training” and book learning as he reads along with his journeyman father with whom he's riding. One stormy summer evening, a service call comes in for an ice cream freezer down. After calling and talking to […]

This article is written by Sal Hamidi, founder of Productsbypros.com, an innovative manufacturers representative agency that promotes great HVAC/R products through training and media. You can reach Sal at Sal@productsbypros.com.   If we are going to discuss vacuum pump oil, it's important to understand what it is first. Most HVAC application vacuum pumps are rotary […]