Fundamentals & Science

The first law of thermodynamics is an extension of the law of energy conservation. The latter states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed but converts from one form to another. Thermodynamics is the study of heat’s relationship with mechanical work, and it establishes heat as a form of energy that can be neither […]

As HVAC/R Technicians, we use tools and instruments to take measurements every day. In fact, 90% of our job could not be done efficiently without some kind of measurement.  “How do we measure?” “With what instruments?” “How accurate are these measurements?” These are all questions a thoughtful technician should ask before spending money on a […]

Most of the laws we refer to in air conditioning and refrigeration are pretty obvious and practical. Dalton's law of partial pressures is no exception. John Dalton observed that the air pressure was equal to the added pressures of each gas that make up air. That means that the pressure and density of air can […]

I got in one of these tiny torches the other day to experiment with brazing aluminum in tight spots, and one of the techs walked in and asked, “What type of torch is that?” I answered, “It's oxy/acetylene.” He picked it up and looked at it a bit, then asked, “Does that get hot enough […]

This article was written by my buddy and Canadian Supertech Tim Tanguay. Thanks, Tim! This P/E chart shows R410a at 100°F saturated condensing temp, 10°F SC, 40°F saturated suction temp, 20°F SH at the compressor. The green highlighted thumb shape is the saturation zone. Everything that occurs in the saturation zone is a latent (change […]

Breaking the Sound Barrier So, what do you think of when you hear an “ideal gas?” R22, R12 maybe… natural? Take a look at the F-18 above. It's breaking the sound barrier, and that cloud is a shockwave. It has nothing to do with this article, but I think it's pretty darn cool! An ideal […]

The gas laws. We all learned about them in school and promptly forgot all about them. I really think that we need to dig our books out, dust that information off, and work to understand and apply it. Many will say that nitrogen pressure doesn't change with pressure like other gasses. That is false, but […]