Everyone in the HVAC/R trade uses some type of torch to braze or solder alloys together. So, what is the proper way to handle an oxyacetylene torch? It turns out that there’s more than one right answer. Depending on which torch rig you use, the manufacturer’s manuals for operation may vary.  Everyone (hopefully) knows […]

I've heard the phrase, “It's too cold to set the charge!” for as long as I've been in the trade. “We need to come back and set the charge,” or we need to come back to do XYZ [some other thing]. Granted, there are cases where you do actually need to come back, but in […]

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 […]