BACK
“White Shirt Techs – Manifesto” in Practice
Solving Subcool
Contactor Alternatives and Upgrades
Using Heat & Nitrogen In Vacuum
The Chemistry of Combustion In the Wild
Why Discharge Line Temperature is a Useful Reading
Heat Pump Defrost Troubleshooting Tips
Michael Faraday: Patron Saint of HVAC Technicians
Blower Fan Watt Draw Considerations for ECMs
IAQ, Ethical Selling & Building Better Techs w/ Brynn Cooksey
Crankcase Heaters – Short #248
The Contactor Reimagined w/ Copeland
Capacitor Testing and Replacement – Short #247
Cold Coil vs. Desiccant Dehumidification
Learning Better – Short #246
Intro to The Sigma Capacitor
What’s up with Refrigerant & System Regulations w/ Copeland
TXV Troubleshooting – Short #245
#hvac
Tech Tips:
I wanted to offer some practical advice from Bryan’s last podcast, “White Shirt Techs – Manifesto.” The link can be found HERE. In this episode, Bryan strongly (and rightfully) critiques sales tactics that are divorced from technical skills and meaningful benefits for homeowners. As a one-man HVAC company, I wanted to offer a suggestion for […]
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I teamed up with Ty Branaman to design an intuitive way for techs to solve some of the “what should it be?” questions in the HVAC field. The topic for this sheet is subcooling (or subcool). Subcooling is a measurement of the temperature DECREASE of a liquid below its saturation (mixed liquid/vapor) temperature at a […]
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Our HVAC equipment can’t run without the contactor coil, but contactors can develop problems with age and during high-voltage electrical events. Contact pitting is unmistakable, and it’s unfortunately all too common in areas where bugs can get into the coil and fry on the contacts. Factor in problems with the utility, such as brownouts and […]
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In these tips and on the podcast, we talk a lot about the importance of deep vacuum. Pulling a deep vacuum using proper processes and tools is really the ONLY way to ensure that a system is clean, dry, and tight. Just for review, that means: Nitrogen purge, flow, and pressurize > Cores removed > […]
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If you’ve been following my writing for the last couple of years, you know that I like to blather on and on about combustion analysis. Now, I am by no means an expert on the subject, as I live in North Texas (which is not known for its intense heating season), but I love using […]
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For this tech tip on discharge line temperature, I’d like to give special thanks to Roman Baugh for the section about compressor superheat. It’s not something we talk about very often outside of chiller and commercial refrigeration applications, but it definitely has value in the HVAC world as well. Thanks, Roman! Since I started in […]
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We’ve entered that season of service calls for “smoking heat pumps,” and I figured now is as good a time as any to share a few quick tips for troubleshooting defrost. Of course, the “smoking heat pump” calls can be solved over the phone with a quick explanation of normal defrost conditions—as can the service […]
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Who was Michael Faraday—besides the guy we named the capacitor after? Well, actually, we named the measure of capacitance after him (the farad), but let’s not get all caught up in semantics. Faraday was a scientist who lived from 1791 to 1867. He was an experimental scientist who had little to no formal education but […]
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I'd like to give special thanks to Steve Rogers from TEC for helping write this tech tip about ECM blower fan watt draw and sharing some helpful visuals. Thanks, Steve! ACCA Standard 310 introduced a grading protocol for HVAC systems. While HVAC practitioners won’t be the ones carrying out the tasks laid out in Standard […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan welcomes back Brynn Cooksey from Air Doctors and HVAC U to discuss critical topics facing the HVAC industry today. Brynn brings his unique perspective as both a successful contractor in southeast Michigan and an industry educator who has made the transition to focusing primarily on […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about crankcase heaters, including their different types, what they do, and when we need to use them. Crankcase heaters usually come in belly band varieties, but some can be inserted into the sump of the compressor. As their name suggests, crankcase heaters heat the crankcase when the […]
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In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan welcomes back Jim to discuss the groundbreaking SureSwitch contactor technology from Copeland. This isn't just another incremental improvement – it's a complete reimagining of how contactors should work in modern HVAC systems. Jim brings his expertise and even demonstrates the technology with a special cutaway […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan goes through the process of testing and replacing a run capacitor. Run capacitors provide continuous phase-shifted current to the start winding, allowing the motor to run in the right direction and with the appropriate amount of torque. These capacitors are needed in most of the single-phase PSC motors […]
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In this comprehensive episode of the HVAC podcast, Bryan hosts an in-depth discussion about dehumidification technologies with two industry experts: David Schurk, National Sales Manager for Innovative Air Technologies, and Nikki Krueger from Santa Fe Products. The conversation explores the fundamental differences between compression refrigeration dehumidification and solid desiccant systems, providing valuable insights for […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about learning styles and gives some tips for “learning better” and getting more out of continuing education opportunities. The first step to getting more out of educational opportunities is to know your learning style. There are three main styles: visual, kinesthetic (hands-on), and auditory. Most tradespeople will […]
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Sharon Goepferich from Cool Air Products joins the podcast to discuss cutting-edge capacitor technology and innovative HVAC solutions in an introduction to the Sigma capacitor. Sharon brings a decade of industry experience, having worked extensively with capacitors and HVAC components while traveling across the country to educate technicians and contractors. The conversation begins with […]
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In this insightful episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan sits down with Jennifer Butsch, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Copeland, to discuss the rapidly evolving regulatory environment affecting the HVAC industry. With eight years of experience at Copeland and a background spanning codes, standards, and regulatory affairs, Jennifer provides a unique perspective […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan walks through some common thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) troubleshooting scenarios. Many of the same principles apply to troubleshooting electronic expansion valves (EEVs). These dynamic metering devices maintain a constant superheat. Troubleshooting does NOT start and end with the TXV. First, you need to inspect components (especially filters, ductwork, […]
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