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The EPAโs 15-Pound Refrigerant Threshold in 2026
Key Takeaways From the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium
How Attic Designs Need to Account for Heat and Moisture
Thermal Balance Point vs. Economic Balance Point
A Field Guide to Conductors for HVAC Techs
3 Bad Techs Who Don’t Know It
Three Steps to Deliver a Trades Education Talk
HVAC Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future
Upgrading Time & Temperature Defrost with Demand Defrost for Heat Pumps
The MERV 15 Filtration Physics – Short #300
Tips for Being On Call w/ Ty
The Florida “M-Word” โ Legal Boundaries & Tech Communication – Short #299
Becoming a GRIT Host or Mentor w/ Leilani
Behind the Drywall โ The Psychrometrics of a Hidden Moisture Failure – Short #298
HVAC Education. What NOT to Do w/ Jim F., Roman B. and Craig M.
Q&A What Uninsulated Refrigerant Lines Really Cost You – Short #297
Outdoor Air & Ventilation Strategies with John Semmelhack, Ty Branaman & Tim De Stasio
Selecting a Replacement Motor – Short #296
#hvac
Tech Tips:
As of January 1, 2026, refrigerant regulations in the United States have undergone YET ANOTHER big shift. Per Subsection H of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law in December 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially expanded leak repair and recordkeeping requirements to a […]
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This is a recap of the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium session, with a few key themes and takeaways. If you missed the symposium but find some topics of interest in this tech tip, you can still purchase a virtual ticket at hvacrschool.com/symposium. You must be logged in to your account with a ticket to […]
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This tech tip was heavily inspired by one aspect of Rick Simsโs 2021 HVACR Training Symposium session titled โConductsation.โ The entire presentation is worth a watch, but the advice in โConductsationโ and this tech tip are tailored to hot, humid climates. The contents of this tech tip may NOT work for colder climates. Dr. Allison […]
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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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HVAC work is never just “HVAC” work. One minute you’re brazing copper, and the next you’re troubleshooting a blown fuse in a disconnect or running a new whip to a condenser. Because our trade is so varied, you never know what you’re going to find when you open a service panel or crawl into an […]
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First, let’s state the obvious and clear the air a bit. The photo above is SUPER CHEESY!ย But this story is about three bad techs who don’t know it, so a photo of three models clearly posing in clean clothes makes as good a proxy for a bad tech as anything else. First off, I’m not […]
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This article detailing the three steps to deliver a trades education talk was written by David Richardson from NCI. David is an excellent educator with lots of public speaking experience under his belt, and he has shared some great tips to help people share their valuable trade knowledge. If you have any questions for him […]
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There have been many adaptations of A Christmas Carol over the years, but it all started with a novella written by Charles Dickens in the 1840s. It was early in the Victorian Era, fresh off the heels of the Industrial Revolution. The British were reflecting on past Christmas traditions, like caroling, and exploring new ones […]
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Since heat pumps work by extracting heat from the outdoors to bring it inside, the outdoor coil will almost surely freeze up. To mitigate the freezing, heat pumps enter a defrost cycle in which they run in cooling mode to send hot, high-pressure refrigerant back through the outdoor coil and melt the ice. While the […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ 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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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ 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 โ from pagers, radio codes, and outdated paper map books to MapQuest, early GPS units, and […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ 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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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this episode, Bryan sits down with Leilani for an introduction to GRIT Camps โ the hands-on program that brings skilled trades exposure to youth ages 12โ17 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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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ๏ปฟ 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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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ Join Roman Baugh, Craig Migliaccio (AC Service Tech), and Jim Fultz for an unfiltered conversation about training mistakes, teaching pitfalls, and educational failures in the HVAC industry. Recorded live at the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, this candid discussion reveals what experienced educators wish they knew when they started. Learn from their mistakes so […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan answers a question from Evan about the true cost of uninsulated refrigerant lines, especially in terms of efficiency losses and decreased longevity. Insulation keeps refrigerant cold, usually in the suction line; it makes it harder for cool vapor refrigerant to absorb heat. (Expansion lines are also insulated.) When […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this live-stream episode, Bryan is joined by Tim DeStasio, John Semmelhack, and Ty Branaman for a deep dive into residential ventilation โ the often-overlooked โVโ in HVAC. The group opens with quick life updates before launching into a wide-ranging conversation covering the three core ventilation strategies (circulation, extraction, and dilution), how tight home […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan covers the points to consider when selecting a replacement motor, particularly blower motors and condensing fan motors in residential and light commercial applications. Horsepower and amperage both matter for matching, but they are not the only items to consider. We also have to consider phase (three-phase vs. single-phase), […]
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