BACK
Decoding Measurement Lingo
History of Thermometry and the Invention of Thermometers
Itโs All Relativeโฆ Humidity
The Heating Sequence of Operations and Onions
Electronic Expansion Valve Troubleshooting
The Best (and Worst) Ways To Duct a Dehumidifier
The Evolving Career of the HVAC Contractor: Embracing Change to Stay Ahead
How To Do a Heat Maintenance That Actually Matters
Technology Trade-offs
How To Be a REAL Comfort Consultant
Non-bleed TXVs and Hard Starts – Short #257
Scroll Compressors & New Refrigerants w/ Copeland
Leaky Ducts = Sweaty Houses – Short #256
Is Starting an HVAC Business Smart?
What to Do in a Nuke Disaster – W/ Bill Nowicki
Making Stuff Real – Short #254
Is HVAC School Worth It?
Split-Phase vs. 3-Phase – Short #253
#hvac
Tech Tips:
Troubleshooting and commissioning are entirely data-dependent processes. How can you know that a system is undercharged unless you measure the superheat and subcooling? How can you know how much static pressure a blower motor has to overcome? In both cases, we use tools and measurements to help us determine the next steps. However, using the […]
Read more
So, what is thermometry anyway? Thermometry is the scientific study of measuring temperature and has roots that date back to as early as 220 BC. During this time, Philo of Byzantium began to study the effects that temperature had on air. Specifically, he observed expansion and contraction caused by temperature change. He did this using […]
Read more
Floridaโs got a lot of great qualities: some pretty neat wildlife, beaches all around, and theme parks. On the flip side, Florida also has hurricanes and a lot of humidity. As much of a pain as it might be for residents and contractors alike, humidity is one of my favorite topics.ย We see relative humidity (RH) […]
Read more
Just like Shrek, I like to think about the heating sequence of operations as an onionโit 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 […]
Read more
Electronic expansion valves (or EEVs) are metering devices that youโll find in a variety of modern HVAC equipment, including heat pumps, VRF units, inverter mini splits, and chillers. This valve is electronic rather than mechanical and can precisely control the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator and optimize efficiency for heating and cooling units. Other […]
Read more
There are a couple of really important things to understand when ducting a dehumidifier. Getting one or both of these things wrong can throw off your entire dehumidifier install. Instead of just telling you the different ways you can install a dehumidifier, letโs talk through some dehumidifier basics, which will help us understand why itโs […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
I know Iโm 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 […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
Videos:
Podcasts:
๏ปฟ In this comprehensive episode, Bryan Orr sits down with Tim De Stasio to explore the world of comfort consulting and performance contracting in HVAC. Tim, who sold his contracting company to focus on this specialized field, shares his methodical approach to diagnosing home performance issues that go far beyond traditional HVAC troubleshooting. Working primarily […]
Read more
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about non-bleed TXVs and whether they need hard starts. A non-bleed (hard shutoff) TXV is a metering device that shuts off during the off cycle; it closes shut when there is no superheat. This strategy prevents refrigerant migration, especially in cases where we have long line sets. […]
Read more
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this essential episode, Bryan sits down with Jeff and Tom from Copeland to dive deep into the world of scroll compressors and the critical topic of refrigerant compatibility. As the HVAC industry navigates new refrigerant standards and regulations, understanding how compressors are specifically designed and optimized for different refrigerants has never been more […]
Read more
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan explains how leaky ducts can lead to sweaty, uncomfortable houses. Moisture issues are common all across humid and “green-grass” climates in the United States. Hot, unconditioned attics and crawl spaces also often have high dew points, which can cause moisture problems in those spaces. Plants also release moisture, […]
Read more
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this insightful episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan Orr sits down with successful small business owner Matt Bruner to discuss how to build and maintain a thriving HVAC business without the typical stress and overwhelming challenges that many entrepreneurs face. Matt, who has been running his own HVAC company for about two […]
Read more
๏ปฟ In this fascinating episode, Bryan welcomes back longtime friend and nuclear industry veteran Bill Nowicki to discuss a recently released document from DHS and NUSTL that provides new recommendations for HVAC operations during nuclear events. Bill brings over 40 years of nuclear experience, starting as a 19-year-old Navy nuclear operator (after being deemed “not […]
Read more
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode about a bigger-picture topic, Bryan talks about making stuff real. He talks about how to make ideas, businesses, podcasts, and other large projects come to life based on his experiences with HVAC School, Kalos, and several other current and past projects.ย Understanding yourself and the thing you want to […]
Read more
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this comprehensive discussion, Bryan sits down with Brad Cooper, an experienced HVAC instructor from Arkansas, and JD Kelly, a trade school graduate, to tackle one of the most pressing questions in the HVAC industry: Is trade school worth it? Rather than offering a simple yes or no answer, the trio dives deep into […]
Read more
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan breaks down the differences between split-phase and 3-phase power in HVAC systems.ย Split-phase is a form of single-phase power, and it’s common in residential HVAC. Three-phase power is more common in commercial and industrial applications. Single-phase power uses only one of the three phases of power produced by the […]
Read more
