Tech Tips

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 […]

We don't work in a trade of dreamers and unrealistic New Years' resolutions. We are doers who know that nothing worthwhile comes easy, and 2018 is no different. We have some “threats” entering the residential segment of the trade. Amazon and Google are looking to make a bigger entry into the home services trades, standardizing […]

  Dehumidification features have been common on residential systems ever since the introduction of variable speed blower motors. The system is set up so that the blower can produce less CFM per ton when the latent load (humidity) in the space is higher than the setpoint relative humidity. Slowing the blower increases moisture removal by […]

We get a lot of questions about both evacuation procedure and TXVs so last week we produced videos on both topics, including: • Before and after testing of piston vs. TXV • Using the Bluvac Measurequick app • Use of core remover tools for evacuation • Flowing nitrogen • creating an external equalizer port and […]

We've seen it before. A tech diagnoses a failed blower relay or board. They leave the blower jumped out by putting a terminal multiplier on the common terminal of the relay/board and connecting the fan speed tap right to power. There can be an issue with that. Some electric heat fan coils have a heat/blower […]

There are several types of ice machines, but in this article, we will focus on cuber style and flaker or nugget style. Both types produce ice, but the process of freezing and harvesting is a little different. The application in which the ice will be used will determine what style of machine is needed. I […]

My good friend and contributor to HVAC School, Neil Comparetto, made this video showing how he creates access ports for static pressure and gas combustion analysis. As techs, we find ourselves in the tough position of needing to drill access holes to take measurements, but the drilling and sealing of the holes can sometimes create […]

This article is the second in a series on boiler basics by senior boiler tech Justin Skinner. Thanks, Justin. There are many types of boilers that do many different things, but almost all of them have some of the same basic components. It's partially because regulatory agencies require them, and other times, it's because they […]

This series of articles is written by senior boiler tech (and all-around swell guy) Justin Skinner. Thanks, Justin. There are quite a few different types of boilers out in the world. They come in all shapes, sizes, pressures, and types of fuel burned. I'm going to go over some of the more common ones, their […]