5 HVAC/R Terms That Sound Worse Than They Are

The first of many unfortunate names is “Pookie,” which is a brand and slang term for mastic or duct sealant. Some refrigeration techs call themselves “refer” techs or call leak detectors “refer sniffers.” “Refer” sounds like a term of a totally different meaning with two consecutive letter Es. Male-to-male fittings/stubs and gas shut-off valves have some crude terms that deal with human anatomy. Hoarfrost sounds bad, but it refers to a crystalline frost that we sometimes see in refrigeration.