Do you know how a solenoid valve works? Really? On the surface, I think we all understand how a solenoid valve works. The coil energizes, creating an electromagnet. That temporary magnetism lifts an iron plunger within the valve allowing refrigerant to flow. But is it really that simple? It turns out that the answer isn't […]

First, a thermocouple is not a flame rectifier like a modern flame sensor. A thermocouple actually generates a millivolt potential difference when it is heated by a flame—just to get that out of the way for any of you newer techs who are used to modern flame sensors. With higher efficiency gas-fired equipment being the […]

Some techs and contractors swear that flex ducts are an evil invention and should never be used in ANY circumstance. I agree with what duct design expert Jack Rise said on the podcast when I asked him about flex ducts: “There's a lot of problems with flex duct, there really is, and it's a good product, […]