Tech Tips

There's a moral to this story, though it is a bit more of a cautionary tale than most I write. While it doesn't rank with the story of three wise men or even Frank Capra's Christmas classic “It's a Wonderful Life,” you may find some common threads with both learning wisdom and remembering why throwing […]

One aspect of motor selection that can get overlooked is motor bearings, and it can have big consequences. Sleeve bearings are most common in residential and light commercial applications because they are less expensive and quieter. They don't have rolling “balls” but rather rely on a thin film of oil on metal sleeves. Sleeve bearings […]

I started working as a tech when I was 17 years old, fresh out of trade school. My first winter out on my own, I went to a service call in an older part of Orlando, a part of town I had never worked in before. It was an especially cold winter that year, and […]

Here's another quality tech tip from senior refrigeration and HVAC tech Jeremy Smith. Jeremy lives in Ohio, so he knows a thing or three about the cold. As HVAC/R techs, we're often called on to work in some of the worst weather conditions. With the cold weather, I thought it timely to share some tips […]

When I started in the trade, the idea of flowing nitrogen while brazing was nothing more than the punchline of a joke. Like pulling a vacuum with a micron gauge or proper recovery, it was a wink and nod proposition rather than a real practice. I've had to unlearn many bad habits since those early […]

I've heard a lot made of clocking gas meters over the years, and honestly, in Florida, there isn't too much call for heat. There are even fewer furnaces. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out how easy it actually is. Here is how you do it, step by step: #1 – Make sure all […]

  To start, I'm going to cut straight to the part that most of you want to know. This information is based on calculations I have done personally based on typical Mastercool DOT tanks, but feel free to come to your own conclusions based on your own calculations. I prefer to stay on the safe […]

See the photo above? This is a unit we (my company) serviced for a commercial customer. It doesn't matter if we aligned the belt, dialed in the charge, cleaned the condenser (using THIS thorough process), and got the drain pan clean. We look like dummies because the panel fell off. Also, as you may notice, […]

Do you remember the first time you used a ratchet? Neither do I, but I DO remember the context in which I first used one. In order to understand my story with ratchets, I need to introduce you to my grandpa, Don, the man who I have always called “Papa.” My grandpa has done so […]