#motor

Tech Tips:

Fundamentally, three-phase, alternating current (AC) motors are about as simple as a motor gets. The power company produces three phases by spinning magnets. Then, on the other end, we produce electromagnets that spin the motor according to the same 60 cycles per second frequency (60hz). All three phases are 120 degrees out of phase from […]

Blower Fan Watt Draw Considerations for ECMs

I'd like to give special thanks to Steve Rogers from TEC for helping write this tech tip 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 310, energy raters will conduct them […]

Why Many Techs Confuse Overload, Short, & Ground Fault

The point of this article is to give you a full understanding of the role fuses, overloads, and circuit breakers play in the protection of HVAC/R equipment. If you skim-read or jump to conclusions, you will be tempted to argue. Be patient; if you want to understand, you will need to read all the way […]

Removing a Blower Motor

I’ve seen a lot of guys recently who reach for the motor puller tool first thing when attempting to remove a blower motor from a wheel/fan blade. Motor puller tools are an awesome backup tool when needed, but using a motor puller tool shouldn’t be the go-to method of removing a motor. The main issue […]

Aftermarket Motor Selection & Considerations

This article was written by technician and HVAC School community star Kenneth Casebier. Thanks, Kenneth! When looking at replacing a single-phase A/C motor with an aftermarket motor from your van, there are a few things you should know and pay attention to. First, the factory OEM motor will always be the best option, especially when […]

Motor Service Factor

“Service factor” is an interesting motor rating that you will see on many motor data tags. It simply means how much additional “work” a motor can do or how much “load” it may be placed under for short periods of time without failure or overload. For example, the FLA or full load amps of the […]

Can A Motor Run Backwards by Swapping Run & Start?

Can a single-phase motor run backward when start and run are swapped? The answer is (generally) yes. Is the motor designed to run backward by simply swapping run and start? The answer is (generally) no, with a few notable exceptions. Before we jump in, this article has two purposes. #1 – it helps you understand […]

ECM and RTFM, This Is the Way!

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In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question and gives some of his tips for moving to HVAC sales from field technician/installer roles. The world of sales has a different pay structure, which makes it an appealing option to many technicians.

Salespeople need to be able to have money conversations with confidence and not be afraid to talk about pricing. You can practice these conversations with friends or fellow technicians, including answering questions and responding to objections.

Sales confidence is another key to success in sales. Many successful sales techs go into sales with the assumption that the client wants to work with them and aren’t timid because they’re confident they’ll make the sale. Great salespeople also seek out feedback to learn and grow from.

Many great salespeople in the HVAC industry also benefit from learning about load calculations, equipment selection, and duct design, particularly via the ACCA manuals and software like Wrightsoft and Kwik Model 3D. The HVAC Grapevine, NCI, and TEC all have great educational resources about building science. Deploying test instruments, including blower doors, duct blasters, and thermal imaging cameras, also gives you vital information about the structure and shows clients that you’re going above and beyond for their comfort; you’re delivering quality and doing so with integrity.

Communication skills are a crucial part of sales, and the best thing you can do to start honing your communication skills is to ask good questions and listen for valuable answers. Empathy is also important in sales, and it’s most effective when you can understand your client’s priorities.

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