First off, we need to clarify that very few unitary manufacturers use flares anymore. You will most often find flares on ductless and VRF/VRV systems and in refrigeration. A flare uses a flared female cone that's formed into tubing (usually copper). That cone is then pressed onto a male cone (usually brass) by a threaded […]

Before we get into the parts that will ruffle some feathers, let's talk a bit about what a “Start” capacitor is and what it does. First, let's review that both start and run capacitors connect between the leg of power opposite of compressor common and the start winding. Even though it seems like a run capacitor […]

This series of articles is written by senior boiler tech (and all-around swell guy) Justin Skinner. Thanks, Justin. There are quite a few different types of boilers out in the world. They come in all shapes, sizes, pressures, and types of fuel burned. I'm going to go over some of the more common ones, their […]