Tech Tips

Many of you may already know that our HVAC company, Kalos Services, is also a GC. We do a lot of construction projects with HVAC, plumbing, and electrical scopes of work. Estimating is a crucial part of winning those projects, and those of you who work on HVAC for new construction probably already have an […]

HVAC systems often fail early or don't perform well due to inconsistent power. While technicians can't control a home's main power supply, they can stabilize it at the system using buck-boost transformers. These devices adjust voltage up or down to meet the equipment’s needs. As HVAC systems become more advanced, understanding buck-boost transformers will be […]

Evaporator temperatures below 32°F (or 0°C) are common and acceptable in refrigeration; that's why there is a defrost sequence. It's the same story for a heat pump running in heat mode; freezing is a part of the process, and defrost is necessary. In comfort cooling, we can't allow the evaporator to get below 32°F, or […]

Along the path to becoming a great HVAC technician lies the dreaded wiring diagram. It's meant to be a helpful map of the equipment's electrical system, but with its crisscrossing lines and cryptic symbols, it often feels more like a barrier than a guide. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. But what if you […]

This tech tip was written by Eric Kaiser from TruTech Tools. Thanks, Eric! Filling refrigerant recovery cylinders is a task HVACR technicians perform regularly, but figuring out how much refrigerant to safely put into a cylinder can still be confusing. The challenge almost always comes back to refrigerant density or specific gravity. Specific gravity, also […]

Depending on what segment of the business you are in and your location, you either work on pump-down solenoid systems all the time, or YOU HAVE NO CLUE what a liquid line solenoid is. A liquid line solenoid valve (LLSV) is just a valve that opens and closes; it has a magnetic coil. Depending on […]

Maintaining the correct vapor-liquid refrigerant balance is crucial for air conditioning and refrigeration system performance. Longer line sets hold more refrigerant, which increases the risk of liquid accumulating in the suction line or entering the compressor during off-cycles. Heat pumps are one common application that requires additional measures. Refrigerant flow reverses during heating, turning the […]

The HVAC/R industry isn’t short on tragic figures. There’s John Gorrie, whose ice machine showed a lot of promise but didn’t have enough financial backing due to the lucrative ice industry and the death of his business partner. While Gorrie may have died without seeing his vision reach the masses, he was ahead of his […]

This tech tip is based on a conversation with Nikki Krueger and David Schurk. Nikki is a longtime contributor to HVAC School and is a relatively frequent podcast guest and symposium speaker. David Schurk is the Director of Applied Engineering and National Sales Manager at Innovative Air Technologies. Nikki specializes in traditional cold-coil dehumidifiers, and […]