#heat pump

Tech Tips:

Good COP – Bad COP
There has been a lot of advice being tossed around by contractors and builders about the best time to use the emergency heat feature on an all-electric heat pump system. The answer is never! That was easy. Next article… In all seriousness, “Emergency Heat” should be used as described, ONLY during an emergency. I guess I should […]
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Thermal Balance Point
Thermal balance point is a concept that is going to start mattering a lot more in years to come as more and more homeowners become interested in electrification. In almost all cases, the heat load for a house is larger than the cooling load; this is true even where I live in Dallas, Texas. Why […]
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Diagnosing a Reversing Valve
Introduction Replacing a reversing valve is either every technician’s dream or nightmare. The sheer amount of brazing involved in confined spaces will inspire either delight or nightmares about the upcoming valve replacement. Fortunately, these emotional highs and lows are uncommon because we don’t diagnose and replace bad reversing valves very often.  That itself poses a […]
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How a Heat Pump Reversing Valve Works
If you don’t have a gas furnace or fireplace in your home, your unit’s reversing valve is probably your best friend during the winter months.  As their name suggests, reversing valves reverse the refrigerant flow to send the hot, compressed vapor to the indoor coil instead of the outdoor coil. The system releases heat into […]
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Refrigerant Charging Basics For Air Conditioning & Heat Pump Systems
Before I start on this one… At HVAC School, we focus on a wide range of topics. Many of them are very basic. My experience as a trainer for over 16 years has taught me that no matter what I assume others SHOULD know, it doesn't change the fact that they often do not. This […]
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Checking the Charge on a Heat Pump in the Winter
When you ask many people nowadays how to check the charge on a heat pump during low outdoor temps, they will say that you need to “weigh in and weigh out” the charge. While this may be an effective method, it isn't always practical. Now, if you are making a refrigerant circuit repair, weighing out […]
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Pool Heat Pumps, The Basics
Note: My brother Nathan wrote this a few years back, and I only did some minor editing. A pool heat pump is essentially a water-cooled air conditioner in reverse. It usually has a large air evaporator on the outside that looks like a condenser coil and a heat exchanger (usually tube-in-tube) on the inside. A […]
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Videos:

Podcasts:

Heat Pump COP and Low Temp Lock Out
 This episode of the HVAC School Live Stream covers the key concepts around heat pump efficiency and understanding the coefficient of performance (COP). Eric Kaiser from TruTech Tools and Jim Fultz from White-Rodgers provide valuable insights into how heat pumps operate and how to optimize their performance, especially in colder weather conditions. The discussion […]
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When to Switch to Emergency Heat? – Short #190
 In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about when to switch to emergency heat. He talks about coefficient of performance (COP) and how it's a deciding factor when to run emergency heat, which is when a system ONLY runs the backup heat; it doesn't use it as supplementary heat. When we have a heat […]
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What’s Different About Pool Heaters w/ Bert
 In this podcast, Bryan Orr and Bert discuss various aspects of pool heaters, focusing on issues that make them different from typical HVAC systems. They cover the basics of pool heaters – the main types (heat pumps and gas heaters) and how they operate similarly or differently from things HVAC techs work on regularly. […]
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Checking a Heat Pump in Heat Mode – Short #178
 In this short podcast, Bryan talks about checking the charge of a heat pump in heat mode. This skill will become more critical as ambient temperatures get cooler. The most reliable way to check and set the charge regardless of operating mode and season is to weigh the charge. This method is most practical […]
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Heat Pumps, Reversing Valves, and Defrost Podcast
In this episode of HVAC School, Bryan covers the basics of heat pumps. Heat pumps are common technologies in Florida. They reverse the sequence of the typical refrigerant circuit: the indoor coil can become the condenser, and the outdoor coil can become the evaporator. Heat pumps can achieve that transition via a reversing valve, which […]
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Events:

The Great Heat Pump Revolt of 2026 and How to Avoid It
NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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Electrification in HVAC: An Update
NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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Understanding Dual Fuel
NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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