#women in hvac

Tech Tips:

To Glass Ceilings And Those Who Lend Us Their Hammers

This tech tip was written by Jennifer Manzo, an HVAC technician and the founder of the HVA-Chicks coalition, which offers tech support and training as well as resources for women in the industry. She was one of our panelists on this year's Women's Panel at the symposium and was recently featured on a livestream and […]

The Gift of Security and Learning w/ Jennifer Manzo

In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan Orr speaks with Jennifer Manzo, founder of HVA-Chicks Coalition. Jennifer shares her unique background as a longtime teacher and homeschooler who stumbled into the HVAC trade while researching vocational options for her homeschooling students. They discuss the inspiration behind HVA-Chicks, a free training coalition […]

Women in HVAC (Live Rebroadcast)

This podcast brought together several women working in the HVAC industry to discuss their experiences and offer advice. The conversation focused on the positives of working in HVAC as a woman, the importance of community, and the resources available. The women talked extensively about how welcoming and supportive the HVAC community, and particularly HVAC […]

Women’s Panel

NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.

Check out our most recent video

How to Evacuate an AC system, Full Vacuum Procedure

Our latest Podcast

HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In today’s podcast, Bryan talks with legendary Hydronics author and trainer Dan Holohan about the history of steam heating and some practical applications of old ideas. Recently, Dan has been working on more novels, having published two of them over the past few months.

Steam heating is a “lost art” nowadays; it has become increasingly uncommon and has been disappearing since the Vietnam War. Many people who understood steam heating either retired or died after the Vietnam War. Many elements of steam heating are difficult to understand or surprising. (For example, steam pressure has a surprising relationship with velocity: low-pressure steam moves through piping much more quickly than high-pressure steam.) So, Dan Holohan is on a mission to revive that knowledge and teach the newer generations about the lost art.

There are many older steam heating systems still operating today, especially in the older large buildings in New York. Dan learned a lot about steam heating when working on these old systems and optimizing them. Most of the time, he optimized those systems by removing unnecessary accessories, not by adding components like steam traps.

Many old boilers used coal as a heat source. Nowadays, many old boilers have been fitted with conversion oil burners with thermostats, but they are still piped for coal. Some systems now have multiple risers or massive vents on the main riser to prevent the thermostats from getting too hot too early and satisfying the thermostat too early. We call that master venting, which reduces pressure and allows steam to move very quickly and efficiently.

Dan also discusses:

The 2-PSI standard
Transportation metaphors for BTUs in steam
Harmful renovations for old boilers
Replacement vs. restoration mindsets
Gaps in steam boiler education
Monopolizing the market if you HAVE the education
Boiler piping and venting
Two-pipe vs one-pipe steam

Find out more about Dan and hydronic heating at HeatingHelp.com.

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.