Tools & Instruments

Whether you love it or hate it, leak detection is one of those staples of HVAC, and the stakes are pretty high. Leaks that go undetected can also cost the customer quite a bit in refrigerant over time, especially with the rising prices of R-22 and R-410A. Worst of all, we could end up replacing […]

Every HVAC/R tech needs an electronic leak detector nowadays, and with low-GWP HFC and HFO refrigerants getting more and more commonplace, every HVAC/R tech needs a VERY sensitive electronic leak detector. (Yes, electronic leak detection does work.) We often see three types, but let's toss out the corona discharge leak detector right off the top. […]

There are three reasons why I don't like infrared thermometers for many HVAC tasks. #1 – The laser can be misleading The laser dot is just a point of reference, not an exact point where it is reading. Often the thermometer will read lower, higher, or over a MUCH wider area. Unless you are right […]

Electronic leak detection is a critical part of any HVAC technician's common practice. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most common sources of misdiagnosis. Here are my tips to make your leak detection more successful: Use Your Senses First and Your Detector Second  Before starting to use your detector, STOP! Look for signs of […]

My grandfather is a really interesting guy. He grew up working in the Pennsylvania coal mines starting at the age of 7 or 8. Then, he worked as a well driller, was a plumber, went to HVAC school, did some gas work, worked a while as an electrician, became a welder, was a diver, and […]

Let’s face it, refrigerant leak detection and prevention will always be important in our trade. Whether we’re dealing with leaks from corrosion or poor connections, we will always run into them in some form. We’ve touched on refrigerant leak prevention and detection quite a lot at HVAC School. Many of our articles, podcasts, and videos […]

One of my most popular YouTube videos goes over how to adjust TXV superheat. It's a very simple little video that I did at my desk, and the other day I got this comment: “Good Video but I hate to say this BUT, with the title SCHOOL, why would you show the public an instructional […]

Take a look at the screenshots above. The one on the left is for Death Valley at 282′ below sea level, and the one on the right is Denver, CO, at 5,280′ above sea level. Notice the barometric pressure values; they are almost the same. That means that barometric pressure is corrected or “normalized” to […]

Not if you are hungry, anyways— A true story. I have a good friend who owns an HVAC company. Not much of a Ph.D., but he is known to be honest, doesn’t pull vacuums through manifolds, and claims to almost always use American-made capacitors. We’ll call him Captain Kirk. He called me recently, quite worked […]