#hvac

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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) […]

This tech tip is based on the podcast with Joey Henderson, “Using Refrigerant Troubleshooting Charts w/ Joey Henderson.” You can listen to that podcast HERE. The HVAC trade is very much a visual one; I wouldn’t recommend doing a drinking game where you take a shot each time you read “Do a thorough visual inspection” […]

This tech tip is based on a segment of a recent podcast episode with Joey Henderson, “Using Refrigerant Troubleshooting Charts w/ Joey Henderson.” You can listen to that podcast HERE. Credit: efficientcomfort.net If you’ve seen a superheat charging chart (like the one above), you’ll notice that you need to take the dry-bulb (DB) temperature entering […]

This tech tip was heavily informed by Ed Janowiak’s past symposium presentations. You can watch his presentation about setting proper airflow HERE. You can also now purchase your tickets for the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium HERE. HVAC School was founded by a Floridian—representing Climate Zone 2, to be exact. So, it’s no surprise that […]

A friend of mine was telling me that a utility had the idea that they could reduce energy consumption by turning HVAC equipment on and off rapidly during times of high load. In their minds, wouldn't it be better to spread out the off time rather than keeping the system off for longer periods and […]

 In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about the CPS Molecular Transformator and what it does. The Molecular Transformator is a version of a tube-in-shell heat exchanger, which is a method of exchanging heat from one fluid medium to another fluid medium. Tubes containing a fluid pass through a shell containing water or glycol, […]

 In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Mike, a 20-year veteran from DITEK, a leading American manufacturer of surge protection devices based in Largo, Florida. The conversation begins with a brief discussion about recent hurricane impacts in the Tampa Bay area, where DITEK maintains its 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Mike shares how the company, […]

 Bryan answers a listener-submitted question: “Am I toxic for caring?” He gives advice on how to maintain professional relationships while still maintaining very high standards of quality for your own work. Having high standards is great, but it can be frustrating when you perceive coworkers as having lower standards than you. A poor-quality end […]

 Ruchir Shah joins the podcast to share his journey into HVAC education technology and the founding of SkillCat, a comprehensive training platform for skilled trades. As a five-time entrepreneur in educational technology, Ruchir's path to HVAC was influenced by his earlier work studying the BP oil spill and developing training solutions for oil and […]

 In this short Q&A podcast, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about apps for doing proper loads. Fred specifically asks about apps or charts that can help an HVAC contractor determine the insulation value of a home without assuming numbers or drilling into walls during load calculations. Load calculations account for all the ways that […]

 Bryan sits down with Jim Bergmann at the NCI Summit in Asheville, North Carolina, to discuss the latest developments in HVAC technology, training, and industry trends. The discussion delves into the evolution of MeasureQuick 3.0, highlighting the shift back to a more technician-centric approach. Jim explains how they've redesigned the software to put gauges […]

 In this short podcast episode, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about an HVAC system that won't dehumidify. This question was submitted by a homeowner with a Carrier heat pump with an attic air handler that cools but won't dehumidify on the hottest days of summer. One of the past companies that serviced the system […]

 Bryan Orr and Steve Rogers dive deep into measuring power consumption in HVAC blower motors, particularly focusing on the differences between PSC (Permanent Split Capacitor) and ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor) technologies. The discussion stems from a question raised at an educators' conference about the accuracy of clamp-on meters in measuring blower motor watt draw, […]

 In this short Q&A podcast, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about sizing heat pumps for heat load in heating mode, something that we haven't talked much about in the past due to the greater need for cooling in our market. In most cases across the country, a heat pump's heating loads will be greater […]