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Plenum Takeoffs Best Practices
What is Enthalpy?
What are Dry and Wet Contacts?
8 Tips for New Techs (So You Don’t Get Fired)
Cooling Capacity Isn’t Always What it Seems
5 Money Mistakes to Avoid in Service Business
Get (and Give) More From Remote Training
Nomenclature and How to Use It
Removing a Blower Motor
Water Issues – Spidey Sense
Q&A – Cultural Diversity – Short #212
Aux Lockout & Balance Point w/ Sensi
Q&A – How to Deploy a Dehum – Short #211
Leak Detection – Spidey Sense
Q&A – Why Didn’t You Notice it Last Time? – Short #210
Q&A – Vacuum Questions Answered
Q&A – Drain Traps & Static – Short #209
Q&A – Condensating Vents – Short #208
#hvac
Tech Tips:
In my second year in HVAC, I went out with a senior technician to install a supply duct for a bathroom in a house. While he ran the duct, I cut a hole in the plenum and attached the collar. He crawled back across the attic and very nicely told me that people don’t typically […]
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Enthalpy is easy. It's just a state function that depends only on the prevailing equilibrium state identified by the system's internal energy, pressure, and volume. It is an extensive quantity. Simple. Like most things, the scientific definition is as clear as mud. In HVAC/R, we use enthalpy measurement to come up with the total heat […]
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I was talking about dry contacts with one of my techs, and he looked at me like I had three heads—and one of them was on fire. So, I figured it would be good to cover the difference between wet and dry contacts in a tech tip. Basically, “dry” contacts are switches with no shared […]
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If you are new to the trade, I'd like to welcome you. Like many skilled trades, the HVAC/R trade has many opportunities and can help you make a good living. If you are young and new to the trade, we need you. We are grateful to have you. However, if you aren't thoughtful, you might […]
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We all learned how to read the tonnage off of a model number within a few weeks of beginning in the trade. What you may (or may not) have learned is that just because something has an 036 in the model number, that does NOT mean it actually produces 36,000 BTU/hr. It doesn't reach the […]
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Even though there will almost surely be a healthy demand for HVAC service businesses, any service business is still at risk of going under. Most of the trouble comes down to money mismanagement or misunderstanding. The good news is that the risks are avoidable with proper education and care. We aren’t accountants or lawyers, but […]
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Most of the content in this article is based on Alex Meaney’s contribution to the HVAC School podcast in the October 2nd, 2020 episode: “How to Get The Most From Online Education,” which you can listen to HERE. Attending a class from your bedroom or home office sounds very convenient, right? That was probably what […]
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Nomenclature on HVAC/R equipment is a sequence of numbers and letters a manufacturer uses to speak directly to the technician. Lots of initial upfront information is handed to the technician by the manufacturer the moment the technician reads the nomenclature in the model and serial numbers. So, how do we make sense of these seemingly […]
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I’ve seen a lot of guys recently who reach for the motor puller tool first thing when attempting to remove a blower motor from a wheel/fan blade. Motor puller tools are an awesome backup tool when needed, but using a motor puller tool shouldn’t be the go-to method of removing a motor. The main issue […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
This episode of the HVAC School podcast dives deep into the often-overlooked but critical topic of water issues in HVAC systems. Bryan and Bert discuss the various causes of water leaks and condensation problems, and they explain how to prevent them. They emphasize that water damage is not an inevitable part of HVAC systems […]
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In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about cultural diversity in the workplace, especially at an HVAC company. He addresses how we can deal with cultural and language differences in a field where communication is so important. Being open to different demographics of people is great for the industry, especially […]
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In this informative episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan Orr sits down with Tom Lorenz to talk about some of the Sensi thermostat features, particularly aux lockout and balance point. Tom leads the traditional and smart thermostat lines at Copeland and has over 25 years of experience in the industry. The discussion […]
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In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers Howard's question about how to deploy a dehumidifier (dehum) in a sealed home. He addresses things like location and fresh air requirements in green-grass markets with high dew points. Before deploying a dehumidifier, you will need to know about the climate, the structure, and the client's […]
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In this episode of the Spidey Sense series, Bryan and Bert dive deep into the art of refrigerant leak detection, sharing their wealth of experience and practical tips for HVAC technicians. They emphasize the importance of using one's senses and observation skills before relying solely on electronic tools, highlighting how this “Spidey Sense” approach […]
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In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers Edward's question about how to deal with customers who ask, “Why didn't you notice it last time?” There isn't an easy answer to that question. The truth is that air conditioning and home health and comfort issues are complicated, and it's entirely possible that an issue […]
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In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan dives deep into the topic of vacuum in HVAC and refrigeration systems. He addresses two questions from social media about vacuum, expanding them into a comprehensive discussion of best practices, common issues, and techniques for effective vacuum procedures. Bryan starts by explaining where to […]
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In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers a question about drain traps and static pressure. This question was sent by Stephen with The Comfort Squad when he noticed an uptick in nuisance calls on retrofit systems that kept having their secondary drain pans filled. In negatively pressurized systems (i.e., straight-cool or heat pump […]
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In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers Kenton's question about how to stop vents from condensating, especially when sealing and insulation don't do the trick. When approaching a condensation problem, we have to consider the source of moisture and where the condensation is happening. Moisture that builds up on top of the vent […]
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