Bill Spohn / TruTech Symposium and AHR Recap

By Bryan Orr Bill Spohn

Join us for a candid conversation with Bill Spohn from TruTech Tools at AHR Expo 2025! Bill shares exciting news about his planned retirement and transition plan for TruTech Tools, plus gives his insights on this year's 6th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium where TruTech Tools was the title sponsor. We discuss the unique community atmosphere of both the Symposium and AHR Expo, exploring what makes these events special for the HVAC industry.

In this livestream, we dive into:

Bill's announcement about transitioning TruTech Tools leadership to his son over the next 3 years
A detailed recap of HVAC School Symposium and what made it successful
Thoughts on building authentic industry communities and fostering connections
Leadership insights and maintaining vision while giving team members agency
Perspectives on AHR Expo 2025 and why it matters for HVAC professionals

Don't forget to use offer code GETSCHOOLED for a great discount at trutechtools.com!

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android

Comments

Superheat Talk w/ JD Kelly

How to Deal w/ Too Much – Short #240

Delta T Talk w/ JD Kelly

Fire Sprinklers – Short #239

The PATH to High Performance HVAC w/ David Richardson

Estimating Tips and Software

Nylog, Oil? Where does it go? – Short #238

Growing your HVAC Business the Smart Way w/ Copeland

Oversized Evap Coils? – Short #237

ERVs – What You Need To Know w/ Dr. Bailes

#AHR #HVAC/R Training Symposium #trutech

Author:

Bryan Orr

Company: HVAC School

Position: Founder

Bill Spohn

Company: TruTech Tools, LTD

Position: President & CEO

Check out our most recent video

How to Evacuate an AC system, Full Vacuum Procedure

Our latest Podcast

HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan discusses superheat with guest JD, who recently co-authored an article on the topic with Ty Branaman. The conversation explores the often misunderstood concept of superheat, its importance in HVAC diagnostics, and common misconceptions technicians have when measuring and interpreting it.

Bryan begins by sharing how superheat was initially taught to technicians in the late 1990s and early 2000s, primarily as a method for charging fixed metering device systems. He explains how this limited view led to problems, as technicians would often add or remove refrigerant based solely on superheat readings without considering other system factors or giving the system time to stabilize. JD points out how the industry shifted when TXVs (Thermostatic Expansion Valves) became standard, with many technicians abandoning superheat measurements altogether in favor of subcooling measurements, missing crucial diagnostic information in the process.

The discussion then evolves into a more sophisticated understanding of superheat as an indicator of evaporator coil “fullness.” Bryan explains that lower superheat indicates a fuller evaporator coil, while higher superheat suggests a starved coil. They discuss the importance of measuring superheat in the correct location, noting that TXVs control superheat at the evaporator outlet, not at the condensing unit where technicians often measure. This misunderstanding leads to many incorrect diagnoses of “bad TXVs” when the real issues might be related to airflow, heat pickup in line sets, or other factors. Both experts emphasize the value of measuring superheat both inside at the evaporator outlet and outside at the condensing unit to get a complete picture of system operation.

Key Topics Covered:

Definition of superheat and its importance in HVAC diagnostics
How superheat indicates evaporator coil “fullness” (flooded vs. starved conditions)
The distinction between charging by superheat and using superheat as a diagnostic tool
Common misconceptions about superheat measurement on TXV systems
Why measuring superheat location matters (evaporator outlet vs. condensing unit)
How to properly diagnose TXV issues using superheat measurements
The relationship between airflow problems and superheat readings
Normal superheat ranges for residential systems (7-14 degrees at evaporator outlet)
How superheat affects both system capacity and compressor safety
“Exercising” TXVs as a troubleshooting technique
How line set conditions and installation factors can impact superheat readings
System behavior during “hot pull down” conditions when starting with high indoor temperatures

JD and Ty’s superheat tech tip and worksheet: https://hvacrschool.com/solving-superheat/

Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android

Search Episodes

Superheat Talk w/ JD Kelly

05/15/2025

Bryan Orr

How to Deal w/ Too Much – Short #240

05/13/2025