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Michael Faraday: Patron Saint of HVAC Technicians
Blower Fan Watt Draw Considerations for ECMs
Tool Selection: Electrical Meters
Tool Selection: Combustion Analyzers
Tool Selection: Manometers for the Right Job
Condenser Fan Blade Placement
Tool Selection: Analog vs. Digital vs. Probes
Two Ways to Prevent Freezing in 90%+ Furnace Condensate Lines
Decoding Measurement Lingo
Is Starting an HVAC Business Smart?
What to Do in a Nuke Disaster – W/ Bill Nowicki
Making Stuff Real – Short #254
Is HVAC School Worth It?
Split-Phase vs. 3-Phase – Short #253
IAQ for the HVAC Technician w/ Brynn Cooksey
Bi-metal & Magnetic Switches – Short #252
Fan Law 2 for Techs w/ Adam Mufich
Understanding Voltage Drop – Short #251
Understanding Dual Fuel
Why Home Performance and HVAC are One
The Quality Installation Conundrum
The Devil is in the Data
Women’s Panel
30 Minutes or Less and You Only Have…
#hvac
Tech Tips:
Who was Michael Faraday—besides the guy we named the capacitor after? Well, actually, we named the measure of capacitance after him (the farad), but let’s not get all caught up in semantics. Faraday was a scientist who lived from 1791 to 1867. He was an experimental scientist who had little to no formal education but […]
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I'd like to give special thanks to Steve Rogers from TEC for helping write this tech tip about ECM blower fan watt draw and sharing some helpful visuals. Thanks, Steve! ACCA Standard 310 introduced a grading protocol for HVAC systems. While HVAC practitioners won’t be the ones carrying out the tasks laid out in Standard […]
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I'd like to give a special thanks to Tony Gonzalez from Fieldpiece for providing technical guidance about the SC680's power measurement capabilities, as well as VAC and AAC measurements on ECMs. You can learn more about the SC680 and other electrical meters on Fieldpiece's website. We’ve talked through specifications, applications, and features for a few […]
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While gauge manifolds and manometers may only have one main function, some tools take several different measurements and will have more expansive specs. The combustion analyzer is one such example—combustion has so many elements, and we need something that can analyze the concentrations of several different substances as well as temperature. As such, a combustion […]
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Last week, we briefly looked at the spec sheet of a gauge manifold. All things considered, it was quite short; we only had to worry about the refrigerant types, pressure ranges, and hose diameters. However, manometers’ spec sheets are quite a bit longer than gauge manifolds’ because they have resolution and accuracy specs, among other […]
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In a previous article, I talked about wiring permanent split capacitor (PSC) condenser fan motors. While researching the topic, I realized that there isn’t as much information available on condenser motors as there is on their counterpart—the indoor blower motor. I had never really given it much thought, as I assumed that the condenser motor […]
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The original tools of the trade were all analog: electrical meters, gauges, and even manometers (Magnehelic, anyone?). However, digital tools have also become a staple of the skilled trades—where would most of us be without digital multimeters? And then probes also joined the fray with the rapid improvements to smartphone technology over the last 15–20 […]
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This tech tip came from an email sent by Adam Blunkall, a Tennessee-based HVAC technician. He shared some tips to help prevent the issue of freezing in 90%+ furnaces in his market, and we appreciate his insight. Thanks, Adam! If we’re draining our 90%+ furnaces (or any condensing heating system) outside the structure in a […]
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Troubleshooting and commissioning are entirely data-dependent processes. How can you know that a system is undercharged unless you measure the superheat and subcooling? How can you know how much static pressure a blower motor has to overcome? In both cases, we use tools and measurements to help us determine the next steps. However, using the […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
In this insightful episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan Orr sits down with successful small business owner Matt Bruner to discuss how to build and maintain a thriving HVAC business without the typical stress and overwhelming challenges that many entrepreneurs face. Matt, who has been running his own HVAC company for about two […]
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In this fascinating episode, Bryan welcomes back longtime friend and nuclear industry veteran Bill Nowicki to discuss a recently released document from DHS and NUSTL that provides new recommendations for HVAC operations during nuclear events. Bill brings over 40 years of nuclear experience, starting as a 19-year-old Navy nuclear operator (after being deemed “not […]
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In this short podcast episode about a bigger-picture topic, Bryan talks about making stuff real. He talks about how to make ideas, businesses, podcasts, and other large projects come to life based on his experiences with HVAC School, Kalos, and several other current and past projects. Understanding yourself and the thing you want to […]
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In this comprehensive discussion, Bryan sits down with Brad Cooper, an experienced HVAC instructor from Arkansas, and JD Kelly, a trade school graduate, to tackle one of the most pressing questions in the HVAC industry: Is trade school worth it? Rather than offering a simple yes or no answer, the trio dives deep into […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan breaks down the differences between split-phase and 3-phase power in HVAC systems. Split-phase is a form of single-phase power, and it’s common in residential HVAC. Three-phase power is more common in commercial and industrial applications. Single-phase power uses only one of the three phases of power produced by the […]
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In this episode from the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium, Brynn Cooksey, a home performance contractor from Michigan and technical training business owner, reveals how indoor air quality (IAQ) testing transformed his contracting business from a commodity service into a profitable specialty. Cooksey shares his proven methodology for turning IAQ into an “instant profit […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan covers some basics on bi-metal and magnetic switches. Bi-metal switches are made of two dissimilar metals that are bonded together and are often integrated into motors. When the temperature changes, the metals bend. In an overload circuit, they’re designed to bend and open the circuit in an overheat […]
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In this educational session, Adam from National Comfort Institute (NCI) delivers a comprehensive deep dive into Fan Law 2 and its practical applications for residential HVAC systems at the 6th Annual HVACR Training Symposium. Adam begins by establishing the fundamental concepts of CFM (cubic feet per minute) and static pressure, explaining how these measurements […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan drops some knowledge to help with understanding voltage drop, a few different causes of it, and NEC recommendations. Voltage is electrical potential or “pressure,” and voltage drop is the reduction in electrical potential energy. We often think of it happening across conductors (which add resistance), but it also […]
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Events:
NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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NOTE: If you cannot view the recording, the video may still be processing. The maximum wait time is 24 hours. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience.
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