#hvac

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 […]

Assessing the Situation It is fairly common for a service technician to come across a failed condenser fan motor in the field. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about really old or fairly new equipment—condenser fan motors sometimes fail. The issue is deciding whether to use an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or a universal […]

This tech tip was written by Casey Contreras. Casey is a field coach and instructor for the National Comfort Institute (NCI). Thanks, Casey! As HVAC technicians, our careers often focus on either cooling or heating. Because of this split view, we typically ignore gas-fired appliances during the cooling season. There are dangers lurking in any […]

This tech tip was written by Luke Peterson, the president of The Maintenance Department in Louisville, KY. Luke was a speaker at the 5th Annual HVAC Training Symposium in 2024 and has been on HVAC business panels at the symposium in 2023 and 2024. Thanks, Luke! As an HVAC technician, your primary goal is not […]

With Father's Day passing recently, I have been reflecting on my relationship with my Dad and how he has helped shape my journey through HVAC. It is more common than not to find people in residential HVAC to be a second or even third-generation tradesperson. Deciding to get into trade is easy when you grow […]

It’s easy to see yourself as a hero during the summer months. Desperate families in sweltering houses sing your praises after you quickly swap out that capacitor or install that new unit and the first blast of cold air comes out of the vents. Most companies make or break in the summer months, using the […]

This is a quick tip from the “Expansion Valves – What Does and Doesn't Matter?” livestream on our YouTube channel featuring Joe Shearer, Matthew Taylor, and Corey Cruz. Thermostatic expansion valves (also known as TXVs or TEVs) don’t have little brains that tell them when to open or close to maintain a specific superheat. They […]

 In this episode of the Spidey Sense series, Bryan and Bert dive deep into the art of refrigerant leak detection, sharing their wealth of experience and practical tips for HVAC technicians. They emphasize the importance of using one's senses and observation skills before relying solely on electronic tools, highlighting how this “Spidey Sense” approach […]

 In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers Edward's question about how to deal with customers who ask, “Why didn't you notice it last time?” There isn't an easy answer to that question. The truth is that air conditioning and home health and comfort issues are complicated, and it's entirely possible that an issue […]

 In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan dives deep into the topic of vacuum in HVAC and refrigeration systems. He addresses two questions from social media about vacuum, expanding them into a comprehensive discussion of best practices, common issues, and techniques for effective vacuum procedures. Bryan starts by explaining where to […]

 In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers a question about drain traps and static pressure. This question was sent by Stephen with The Comfort Squad when he noticed an uptick in nuisance calls on retrofit systems that kept having their secondary drain pans filled. In negatively pressurized systems (i.e., straight-cool or heat pump […]

 In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers Kenton's question about how to stop vents from condensating, especially when sealing and insulation don't do the trick. When approaching a condensation problem, we have to consider the source of moisture and where the condensation is happening. Moisture that builds up on top of the vent […]

 In this episode of the HVAC podcast, Bryan and Max Johnson from Kalos discuss the critical role of a startup and commissioning technician in the HVAC industry. Max, who has experience in both residential and commercial HVAC, shares his insights on the importance of understanding the scope of work, equipment specifications, and code requirements. […]

 In this short podcast of the Q&A series, Bryan answers a question about “stubborn old techs” (submitted by Luke via Speakpipe). In several cases, old-school techs are “being positional,” which means they feel that they have a piece of turf to protect; they see challenges to the status quo as a threat. They may […]

 In this episode, Josh Souders from Copeland joins the HVAC School Podcast to discuss modulating and variable capacity technologies in HVAC systems. Josh provides an in-depth look at the different levels of modulation available in residential HVAC equipment, from traditional fixed-speed systems to two-stage, multi-stage, and true variable-speed compressors. The conversation covers the benefits […]

In this short podcast episode of the Q&A series, Bryan answers a question about testing dehumidifiers (submitted by Steven via Speakpipe). Dehumidifiers run air over a cold evaporator coil (to pull moisture out of the air and drain it out) and then reheat it over a condenser coil. The air leaving a dehumidifier is of […]