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How to Eliminate Surprises on Install Jobs
The 1/7 (or 1/10) Rule for Oxy-Acetylene Torch Tips
Evaluating HVAC Tape Performance Under High Heat and Static Load (Part 1)
Oxy-Acetylene Torch Tips and BTUs
Using the Socratic Method to Meet Trainees Where They’re At
Stay On Your Game During Summer Service Calls
When Fear Gets On the Truck With You
Techs are Under Pressure
The “Bad” Contactor That Wasn’t
The A2L & Refrigerant Transition – Short #302
Invented For Techs, by Techs: Inside Refrigeration Technologies’ “The Lab”
The Ethics of IAQ – Testing vs. Remediation Conflicts – Short #301
Is 400 CFM per Ton Always Right? w/ Ty
The MERV 15 Filtration Physics – Short #300
Tips for Being On Call w/ Ty
The Florida “M-Word” – Legal Boundaries & Tech Communication – Short #299
Becoming a GRIT Host or Mentor w/ Leilani
Behind the Drywall – The Psychrometrics of a Hidden Moisture Failure – Short #298
#hvac
Tech Tips:
HVAC installs sometimes come with surprises. Some of them are good, like when you have a really nice customer who buys you lunch or leaves you a generous tip. But HVAC installs can also come with plenty of bad surprises, like a defective part, not enough space to install the unit, an incorrectly sized platform […]
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We already know that oxy-acetylene torches have a lot of safety considerations attached: don’t oil regulator threads, bubble-test your hoses, you get the picture. But there’s one more we haven’t really covered: the 1/7 rule (or 1/10 rule, based on the latest industry guidance). This commonly cited rule reduces the likelihood of flammable acetone coming […]
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When sealing ductwork or repairing HVAC insulation, the tape you choose dictates the long-term integrity of the system. Temperatures fluctuate wildly in attics and mechanical rooms, and the tape must be able to withstand these environments without degrading. To better understand how different professional-grade adhesives actually perform under elevated temperatures, we decided to put them […]
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Oxy-acetylene torch tip manufacturers publish charts that tell us the ideal applications for each tip size, which is quite useful on its own. After all, a small tip may be great for a ⅜” liquid line but would hardly make a dent in 2” commercial refrigeration piping. But we can also take the information from […]
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We’ve all probably been in this situation before (maybe in both people’s shoes at different points of our careers): A technician is on the job with their apprentice. The technician tells the apprentice where the probes go on the service ports and exactly what the superheat and subcooling are. The apprentice’s eyes glaze over, and […]
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The summer is a season of opportunity for HVAC technicians, and by opportunity, I mean a super high volume of service calls with a greater chance of callbacks. We’re based in Florida, so our techs have to deal with the combination of blistering heat and higher humidity. That combo can cause all sorts of problems: […]
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You know the feeling that sets in your chest before you finish reading that nine-word text: Hey you got a minute? I need some help. No details. No system description. Just that, from someone who doesn’t send that text unless they’ve already exhausted everything else. Let’s talk about that feeling. What’s Actually Happening to You […]
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The amount of pressure you’re under depends on where you live. I live in Florida, so I’m very close to sea level. Therefore, the weight of the atmosphere is exerting exactly 14.7 pounds per square inch (PSIA) of pressure on every surface in every direction. There is no such thing as negative pressure—only pressure lower […]
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I wanted to share a recent “rediscovery” with you out of pure humility. I call it a rediscovery because it’s a basic fundamental I already knew, but it just hadn’t come up recently enough to be top of mind until the other day. I found myself troubleshooting a single-pole Mars 91311 contactor. I had voltage […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the A2L & refrigerant transition again, particularly sensors on R-454B and R-32 equipment. Since the beginning of the A2L transition, we have seen the equipment evolve and begin requiring accessories, including refrigerant sensors and blower recirculation systems (BRS) or dissipation boards. In a BRS, […]
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In this episode, Bryan sits down with Mike Pastorello, owner of Refrigeration Technologies, and Ashley Lynds, director of education and brand management for Viper, to talk about the company’s roots, its newest product launches, and where the brand is headed next. This podcast focuses on “The Lab” and how it integrates field technicians with […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the ethics of IAQ, particularly in terms of microbial growth testing vs. remediation conflicts, based on Roman’s recent experience hiring a mold assessor and then a remediation expert in his home. Remediation is governed by S520 of the IICRC. Microbial growth is tricky because […]
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400 CFM per ton is useful—until it isn’t. In this episode, Bryan and Ty take on one of the trade’s favorite rules of thumb. It can be a reasonable starting point for many systems under moderate, near-sea-level conditions, but it is not a universal target. Proper airflow depends on actual delivered capacity, sensible and […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman Baugh talk about indoor air quality and microbial control, specifically MERV 15 filter physics and how it all works when bringing in outdoor air. We filter indoor air to keep dust and particles off the equipment and keep them from circulating through the air. However, we […]
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In this episode, Bryan Orr sits down with Ty Branaman for a wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to be a good on-call technician. They open by reminiscing about how dispatch technology has evolved over their careers — from pagers, radio codes, and outdated paper map books to MapQuest, early GPS units, and […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about Florida law and how it relates to the “M-word” (mold) and the legal boundaries our techs must respect when they communicate with customers. HVAC School and Kalos are NOT mold experts, but we have experience as HVAC professionals who encounter suspicious microbial growth in […]
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In this episode, Bryan sits down with Leilani for an introduction to GRIT Camps — the hands-on program that brings skilled trades exposure to youth ages 12–17 through community events led by working tradespeople. Leilani explains that a GRIT Camp pairs recruited mentors with students for a day of modules covering safety, carpentry, electrical, […]
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In this short episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the psychrometrics of a hidden moisture failure… behind the drywall. Roman had an indoor air quality and mold assessment in his own home, and he learned that there were active mold spores in his home; he shares what he learned from the experience. Roman had […]
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