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Thermal Balance Point vs. Economic Balance Point
Silicon Carbide vs. Silicon Nitride Hot Surface Ignitors (HSIs)
Different Ignitor Types and How They Work
Gas Pool Heater Components and Common Issues
The Chemistry of Combustion In the Wild
Heat Pump Defrost Troubleshooting Tips
Two Ways to Prevent Freezing in 90%+ Furnace Condensate Lines
The Heating Sequence of Operations and Onions
Soft Lockout vs. Hard Lockout
Don’t Die! w/ Louise from UEi
Heat Exchanger Crack Comment – Short #280
Gas & Combustion Safety w/ Bert
Combustion Analysis w/ Tony G.
The Tech That Tried to Beat the Compressor – Short #268
From Plumber to HVAC Owner w/ Manly Arnanson
Standing Pilot – Short #228
History of Gas Furnaces – Redux
Heat Exchangers and Temperature Rise – Short #227
Understanding Dual Fuel
#heating
Tech Tips:
The thermal balance point is the point at which a heat pump can move heat into the home at the same rate the home loses its heat. Above this point, the heat pump will not need any additional help to heat the home. But below it, the heat pump will need auxiliary heat with it […]
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The ignitor of a furnace (or a gas pool heater or other gas-fired appliance) is the heat source, and it can come in one of four varieties: standing pilot, direct spark (DS), intermittent spark (ISI), and hot surface (HSI). We have a tech tip explaining each of these ignitor types in detail, but we’re going […]
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In the furnace sequence of operation, the ignition sequence happens after the safeties have been checked, the inducer fan comes on, and the pressure switch closes. The ignition sequence begins with the ignitor. This part provides the heat needed for combustion (remember: a fire needs heat, oxygen, and fuel), and the ignition process looks a […]
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I know, I know. You came here for HVAC content, so why are we talking about gas pool heaters? Since Kalos is based in Florida, and we don’t have that much of a heating season, we have to look for other forms of work during the winter months. Pool heaters fit the bill quite nicely […]
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If you’ve been following my writing for the last couple of years, you know that I like to blather on and on about combustion analysis. Now, I am by no means an expert on the subject, as I live in North Texas (which is not known for its intense heating season), but I love using […]
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We’ve entered that season of service calls for “smoking heat pumps,” and I figured now is as good a time as any to share a few quick tips for troubleshooting defrost. Of course, the “smoking heat pump” calls can be solved over the phone with a quick explanation of normal defrost conditions—as can the service […]
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This tech tip came from an email sent by Adam Blunkall, a Tennessee-based HVAC technician. He shared some tips to help prevent the issue of freezing in 90%+ furnaces in his market, and we appreciate his insight. Thanks, Adam! If we’re draining our 90%+ furnaces (or any condensing heating system) outside the structure in a […]
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Just like Shrek, I like to think about the heating sequence of operations as an onion—it has layers. And each layer builds upon the previous one. We have written previously in great detail about gas furnaces, from top to bottom. I want to focus today on why there is a sequence of operations and how […]
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If a furnace runs for years and years while tripping the limit switch but satisfies the thermostat, will it ever be noticed? The answer is most likely “no,” but it will depend on whether the furnace utilizes soft or hard lockouts when the limit switch trips. So, what is a soft lockout vs. a hard […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
In this episode, recorded live at AHR Expo 2026, Bryan sits down with Louise from UEi Test Instruments for an in-depth conversation about one of the most underestimated dangers in the HVAC trade: carbon monoxide. Rather than treating CO as just another checkmark on a safety list, Bryan and Louise dive into the full […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan responds to a comment we received about cracked heat exchangers and how they were characterized in a recent combustion safety podcast episode. In reality, heat exchanger cracks counter the effects of the inducer motor. The inducer pulls air through the heat exchanger, but a crack causes the inducer […]
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In this informative episode, Bryan and Bert dive deep into gas appliance safety and combustion analysis from the unique perspective of Florida HVAC technicians. While they humorously acknowledge that Florida's mild winters mean they don't work on gas furnaces daily, they make a compelling case that this actually makes their training even more critical. […]
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In this comprehensive training session from the symposium, Tony Gonzalez, Training Director at Fieldpiece, delivers an engaging and practical guide to combustion analysis for HVAC technicians. With 25 years of experience at Fieldpiece—from warehouse worker to training director—Tony brings both technical expertise and real-world application to this 50-minute interactive session focused on the company's […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan tells the story of the technology that tried to beat the compressor… and still may someday. We associate cooling with refrigerant… and all the things that come with it, including compressor noise, oil, recovery machines and tanks, leaks, superheat, and regulations. However, there is a means of providing […]
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In this episode, Bryan speaks with Manly, an HVAC professional from Manitoba, Canada, about his journey from working in his family's plumbing business to running his own HVAC company. Manly shares his experiences working in extreme cold weather conditions, where temperatures can drop to -30°C (-22°F), and discusses the unique challenges and emergency response […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about the standing pilot gas systems and the ignition strategy in gas-fired appliances. Standing pilots are very simple devices that are common in fuel logs, water heaters, and some pool heaters. These devices have a thermocouple or thermopile; in a thermocouple, two dissimilar metals are connected at […]
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Jim takes us all the way through the history of furnaces, from the Stone Age when he was a child to modern modulating condensing types. The goal of a furnace is to move heat, so a furnace uses heat exchangers to facilitate heat transfer. Furnaces have primary and secondary air. The primary air goes […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about heat exchangers and temperature rise in gas furnaces, especially 80% open-combustion gas furnaces. Temperature rise is the difference between the return air temperature and supply air temperature; in cooling, we usually refer to this difference as a delta T or temperature split. The manufacturer sets a […]
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Events:
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