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The Evolving Career of the HVAC Contractor: Embracing Change to Stay Ahead
How To Do a Heat Maintenance That Actually Matters
Technology Trade-offs
3 Tips for Training Apprentices
Not All CFM Are Created Equal
3 Things to Check When the Unit Won’t Keep Up
Drain Trap Depth and Negative Pressure
Observations from the Field: Insights Gained from HVAC Ride-Alongs
8 Reasons Why Teamwork is Important in HVAC
Motor Ambient Rating – Short #241
Superheat Talk w/ JD Kelly
How to Deal w/ Too Much – Short #240
Delta T Talk w/ JD Kelly
Fire Sprinklers – Short #239
The PATH to High Performance HVAC w/ David Richardson
Nylog, Oil? Where does it go? – Short #238
Growing your HVAC Business the Smart Way w/ Copeland
Oversized Evap Coils? – Short #237
#hvac
Tech Tips:
This tech tip was written by Shelby Breger, co-founder of Conduit Tech. You can check out everything Conduit has to offer and learn more about that interesting platform and how it helps contractors at https://getconduit.com/. Thank you, Shelby! Before starting Conduit Tech, Marisa and I spent a year doing everything we could to learn about […]
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I know I’m not the only one who has sometimes felt a little bad doing heat maintenance. I remember many a day when my lead technician and I (as an apprentice) would crawl into an attic, clean the flame sensor, and then play FarmVille on our phones for 15 minutes before crawling down, giving the […]
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As a small business owner in the 21st century, I have recently been exposed to the overwhelming amount of new technologies and processes that I could use within my business. In the last few years, there has been a surge of software and connected tools that are entering the marketplace. All of them promise to […]
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I hired and trained an apprentice who has worked 2 days a week for me over the last 4–5 months. I've been in business for almost two years, and I had a pretty good sense that I would need some help this summer. Hauling a few air handlers and furnaces into an attic by myself […]
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We’re in the business of moving heat, but we have to move air to accomplish that. We use CFM (cubic feet per minute) to quantify the air we move over the indoor coil, and it helps to imagine hundreds of 1’x1’x1’ boxes of air moving over that coil each minute. (After all, 400 CFM is […]
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What is your methodology for troubleshooting an HVAC system that “can’t keep up” on the hottest days of the summer? Let me walk you through my process and hone in on one or two ideas that have been overlooked for too long in our industry. In this article, I’m assuming we have ruled out intermittent […]
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We recently received a Speakpipe question for the podcast about a common nuisance call on straight-cool A/C units and heat pumps. The systems, often retrofit units, were backing water up into the secondary drain pan and overflowing it. This issue isn’t happening on furnaces, which are positively pressurized, which means we have to take a […]
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When we started Conduit, one thing that was incredibly important to us was that we constantly took lessons from the field to make sure we’re building the best product and process. HVAC Contractors around the country graciously let us ride in their trucks with them to visit customers. Our goal was to better understand the […]
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This tech tip was inspired by a Facebook post by Jason Julian in the HVAC School Group. Jason is the owner of his own HVAC business, Julian Heat & Air, and was part of the 2024 HVACR Training Symposium's Small Business Roundtable. Thanks, Jason! HVAC work is NOT easy. Some installs (and even service calls) […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about what the ambient rating means on a motor. These ratings can be found on both condensing fan motors and blower motors. They have Cs in their rating, which represents the maximum ambient temperature the motor can handle in degrees Celsius (like 40C or 60C). Heat and […]
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In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan discusses superheat with guest JD, who recently co-authored an article on the topic with Ty Branaman. The conversation explores the often misunderstood concept of superheat, its importance in HVAC diagnostics, and common misconceptions technicians have when measuring and interpreting it. Bryan begins by sharing […]
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In this short podcast, Bryan talks about how to deal with too much at work and in life. He gives some practical tips to help you when you feel overwhelmed. One of the best ways to get ahead is to wake up early, exercise, get sunlight, stay hydrated, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. […]
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Bryan from HVAC School interviews JD Kelly, known as “student of HVAC” on Instagram, about Delta T measurements in HVAC systems. This episode dives into the fundamentals of Delta T, common misconceptions, and proper measurement techniques. JD explains that Delta T is simply a temperature difference between two points of the same medium, which […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about fire sprinklers and how to avoid setting them off on job sites. Fire sprinklers have an element in the center that expands when exposed to heat (like a TXV sensing bulb) and breaks the glass. When the glass breaks, the fire sprinkler starts pouring out water. […]
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In this engaging session, David Richardson breaks down the concept of high-performance HVAC, offering a clear roadmap for industry professionals looking to elevate their craft. Richardson argues that the HVAC industry has long been focused on equipment rather than complete systems, leading to widespread inefficiencies. The average system delivers only about 57% of its […]
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In this short podcast, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about Nylog, oil, and where you put them when you're making flares. Nylog is a thickened refrigerant oil (which is either POE for Nylog Blue or mineral oil for Nylog Red), and it's miscible with the refrigerant and moves with it through the circuit. You […]
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In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan and Jim discuss strategies for growing an HVAC business, focusing on the importance of maintenance contracts, consistent service, and effective branding. Drawing from Jim's 15 years of experience running a successful HVAC company in California, they explore how maintenance contracts not only provide consistent revenue […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about oversized evaporator coils, particularly when they're half a ton or a full ton larger than the condenser. The expanded performance data contains the information that'll tell you whether the coil is right for the system. However, when it comes to the specific issue […]
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