#blower door

Tech Tips:

The Ups and Downs of High-Performance HVAC

This tech tip recaps the livestream by the same name, featuring HVAC School contributors Matt Bruner and Adam Mufich and special guests Michael Housh, Chris Hughes, and Dustin Cole. You can watch that livestream on our YouTube channel HERE. “High-performance HVAC” is a term we hear quite a bit these days, but it’s not easy […]

Solving Comfort and IAQ Issues in a Vintage Home: A Case Study

This tech tip is a recap of the Santa Fe Dehumidifiers and Comfort Dynamics, Inc. case study about a 1941 vintage home in Miami, FL. You can listen to the podcast about that case study by clicking the play button below, and you can read the case study at https://hvacrschool.com/case-study. Special thanks to Nikki Krueger […]

What is the Difference Between ACH & ACH50?

This photo is of a blower door test we performed at my own house using a Retrotec blower door. You will notice the 15-passenger van outside the window, which is a dead giveaway. A blower door is used to measure the tightness of a building and is often discussed in terms of an ACH50 number. […]

Blower Door Testing, Building Performance & More w/ Corbett Lunsford (Podcast)

In this podcast episode, Bryan talks to Corbett Lunsford about blower door testing and the coming building performance revolution. Building performance and HVAC have been becoming much more closely linked lately. So, it's a good idea for HVAC techs to learn a bit about building performance. In the HVAC world, we often see homes with […]

Bryan Brantley

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HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Mike, a 20-year veteran from DITEK, a leading American manufacturer of surge protection devices based in Largo, Florida. The conversation begins with a brief discussion about recent hurricane impacts in the Tampa Bay area, where DITEK maintains its 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Mike shares how the company, despite facing challenging weather conditions, continued its operations and maintained its commitment to American manufacturing.

The bulk of the discussion centers around surge protection technology and its critical importance in protecting HVAC systems and other electronic equipment. Mike provides an excellent analogy, comparing surge protectors to pressure relief valves for electrical systems. He explains how Metal Oxide Varistors (MOVs) work as semiconductors that create low impedance paths to ground when voltage exceeds certain thresholds. The conversation delves into the evolution of MOV technology, particularly the development of thermally protected MOVs that provide enhanced safety features.

The episode also addresses common misconceptions about surge protection, particularly the belief that surge protectors are primarily for lightning protection. Mike explains that while lightning strikes are a concern, especially in areas like Florida, approximately 65% of surges actually originate from within facilities themselves, often from equipment cycling on and off or other power quality issues. He emphasizes the importance of proper installation, particularly regarding ground connections and lead lengths, noting that every six inches of wire length can add about 100 volts to the clamping voltage of the device.

Key Topics Covered:

DITEK’s history and commitment to American manufacturing
Basic principles of surge protection and how MOVs work
Evolution of MOV technology and thermal protection features
Difference between transient voltage and temporary overvoltage (TOV)
Importance of proper grounding and lead length in surge protection
Cascading surge protection strategy for comprehensive protection
UL testing standards and voltage protection ratings (VPR)
Common misconceptions about surge protection
Impact of aging electrical infrastructure on power quality
Importance of customer support and ethical business practices
Installation best practices for surge protection devices
Relationship between ground resistance and surge protector performance
Types of surge protective devices (SPD) and their classifications

Learn more about DITEK at https://www.diteksurgeprotection.com/.

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.