Over the last 30 years, there has been a big move away from conventionally framed roof structures towards engineered structures— specifically engineered trusses and load-bearing engineered beams like micro laminated and even steel. I have been in so many attics where the engineered roofing or other load-bearing structures have been cut to accommodate equipment, wires, […]

This article is part 3 in a 5-part series by Senior Refrigeration and HVAC Technician Jeremy Smith. Let's start with step#1 in the flowchart: Gather data. This is why we spend money on those fancy digital manifolds, shiny electrical meters, and other gadgets, widgets, and doodads. It isn't to brag about them on Facebook; it's […]

This article was written by HVAC/furnace technician Benoît Mongeau. Thank you, Ben.     High efficiency (or 90%, or condensing) furnaces use a set of two heat exchangers to retrieve more heat from the combustion products than their mid-efficiency counterparts. Because of this, they generate flue gases much colder than those of a mid-efficiency or […]