I've been reading a book called Cool: How Air Conditioning Changed Everything, and it got me interested once again in the history of air conditioning and refrigeration. Like many things, the people who are credited with “inventing” are the ones dogged enough to make an idea commercially successful, not the idealists forever tucked away in the […]

My technician (and brother-in-law), Bert, made a good point. (It's hard for me to admit it, but it's true.) When he needs to open the refrigerant circuit to make a repair, regardless of whether he is recovering or pumping down, he pulls out his nitrogen tank and his regulator. (We like the Western Enterprises VN-500 […]

I have spent most of my career being afraid of hard start kits; I heard too many horror stories of start caps exploding and sales technicians telling every customer they need one. It dawned on me recently that it may be time for me to take a more mature look at start capacitors, potential relays, […]