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Thomas Talhelm
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Tech Tips written:

Don’t Get Depressed (Unless You’re a Core)
This website is for professional HVAC techs and those actively learning to become professional HVAC techs, not DIY homeowners. I feel like that needs to be said before I state these seemingly obvious facts, but these very obvious facts are so commonly mistaken that they need to be covered. Take a look at the two […]
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Design and Performance Challenges of Air-Source Heat Pumps Across Diverse Climatic Conditions
This tech tip was inspired by Alex Meaney and Ed Janowiak’s session at NCI’s High-Performance Summit 2025: “Good Design Isn’t a Buffet: The Importance and Interconnection of Manuals J, S, and D.” Alex is a building science expert who worked at Wrightsoft (now MiTek) for several years before launching his consulting firm, Mean HVAC Consulting […]
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Brownouts and How They’re Killing HVAC Equipment
HVAC technicians typically focus on diagnosing issues related to mechanical wear, refrigerant leaks, or control problems within the equipment. However, damage can also originate from external sources. For instance, a failed control board might be attributed to internal shorts or rubouts. Yet, the root cause could be external, such as the voltage spike that can […]
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Podcast guest:

Filter + Fan = IAQ Revolution
Thomas Talhelm, the founder of Smart Air, joins Bryan on the podcast to talk about how a filter and a fan in China sparked an IAQ revolution. The simple device changed his thinking about air purification. As a graduate student in China, Thomas witnessed the Beijing “Air-pocalypse” firsthand. That was when he became aware of […]
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