Swaging copper is one of the most common practices in our trade when it comes to brazing pipes. Yes, it sometimes makes more sense to slap on a coupling or street ell fitting, but most of the time, cutting your braze joints in half is much easier and faster during an install or repair.  So, […]

The suction line accumulator is designed to keep liquid refrigerant from entering the compressor while still allowing for oil return. The trouble is that if the oil return port/screen clogs, the accumulator can fill with oil and actually cause the compressor to fail. In addition to that, it can hold contaminated oil in a burnout. […]

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 […]