This is the page you share with the newbie in your life when they want to call you about everything instead of taking the time to read and understand.
You will find 411 posts in the category Tech Tips on this blog.
Jump to 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y
2 (1)
3 (5)
- 3 Bad Techs That Don’t Know It
- 3 Phase Voltage Imbalance
- 3 Things I Would Do Different in Business
- 3 wire and 4 wire Condensing Fan Motor Connection
- 32° Saturation (Evap Temperature)
4 (3)
5 (4)
- 5 Capacitor Facts You Should Know
- 5 Things to Consider When Maintaining a Commercial Package Unit
- 5% vs. 15% Silver Solder (Brazing Rod)
- 500 BTUs per Person Per Hour?
8 (1)
A (27)
- A Case For Wireless Refrigerant Probes
- A Common Sense Look at Temperature Conversions
- A Critical Technician Trait in Decline
- A job well done….. Almost
- A Liquid Line Solenoid and What it Does
- A REALLY loud compressor
- A Simple Piping Practice
- A Steam Heating Primer
- Accumulator & Burnout Considerations
- Adiabatic Cooling, Blower Settings and Why You Care
- Adjustable Drive Pulley (Sheaves)
- Ain’t No Fooling With Free Cooling (Tales of the Economizer)
- Air Barrier vs. Vapor Barrier vs. Insulation
- Air Changes Confusion
- Air Filter Static Pressure Drop
- Air is Squishy – Measuring Airflow w/ Bill Spohn
- Air Velocity Quick Tips
- An Electric Heat Mistake
- An Evaporator Coil With No Fins?
- An even EASIER way to check capacitors
- An Old Timers Trick to Get Unstuck
- Are The Multi Taps on a Blower Run or Common?
- Are You a “Tom Brady” Tech?
- Attic Equipment Codes
- Averaging Sensors and How They Work
- Avoiding and Eliminating Callbacks
- Axial, Radial and Digital Scrolls
B (13)
- Balanced Port TXV
- Basic Refrigeration Startup & Commissioning
- Be Careful When Jumping Out a Blower
- Bending EMT
- Bernoulli’s Principle
- Better Temperature Measurements
- Beware of “Ghost” Voltage
- Boiler Basics Part 1 – Types and Components
- Boiler Basics Part 2 – Components
- Boiler Basics Part 3 – Steam
- Boiler Basics Part 4 – Piping
- Building Automation Basics for the HVAC Tech w/ Phil Zito (Podcast)
- But My Old Unit Worked Fine?!
C (41)
- C stands for “Common Mistake”
- Calculating Target Delta T w / Manufactures Data
- Can A Motor Run Backwards by Swapping Run & Start?
- Can Pulling a Vacuum too Fast Freeze Water / Moisture?
- Can You Discharge a Capacitor Using a Volt Meter?
- Capacitors – Series and Parallel
- Careful With Cleaners
- Careful With That 40VA Transformer
- Cased Coil Misalignment
- Change O-rings not Hoses
- Changing Liquid Filter/Drier Cores Tip
- Changing Refrigerants and Why it Matters to You
- Charging Systems with Accumulators
- Checking Disconnects
- Checking Evaporators on Furnaces
- Checking the Charge on a Heat Pump in the Winter
- Checking the Charge Without Gauges (Our Process)
- Choosing the Right Vacuum Pump Oil
- Clocking a Gas Meter (It’s not that hard)
- CO2 Booster Systems (Codenamed CO2 is Interesting and Weird)
- Combustion Air
- Combustion and Confined Spaces
- Commercial Contactor Considerations
- Commercial Refrigeration Compressor Operation
- Common Concrete Anchor Fails
- Comparing Manual J to Reality
- Compressor Mass Flow – Some Thought Experiments
- Compressor Multi-Position Service Valves
- Compressor Performance Analysis
- Condensate Drain Codes & Best Practices
- Condensate Drainage in a High Efficiency Gas Furnace
- Condensate Pump Drains
- Condensate Switch Controversy
- Condensation – It Isn’t Where Hot Meets Cold
- Condenser Coil Cleaning Step by Step
- Conditioned Makeup Air
- Connecting Transformers in Parallel
- Control Voltage Overamp – The Less Usual Cause
- Cooling Capacity Isn’t Always What it Seems
- Crankcase Heaters
- Crankcase Heaters and Single Pole Contactors
D (30)
- Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures
- Defrost Termination & Fail Safe
- Defrost Time & Temperature
- Dehumidifier Facts & Troubleshooting
- Density of Air & Water Part 2
- Design Temperature Difference for Chillers
- Determining the air-side charge of an expansion tank
- Diagnosing and Finding a Refrigerant Restriction
- Diagnosing ECM & X13 Motors
- Diffuser Placement is Important
- Do You Need to Be Recovering Into a Vacuum?
- Does a Furnace Decrease Humidity?
- Does a Motor Draw More or Less at lower Voltage?
- Does Air or Nitrogen Absorb Water?
- Does Nitrogen Pressure Change with Temperature – Practical Application of Gas Laws
- Does Refrigerant Get Old or Wear Out?
- Does Set Point Lead to Freezing?
- Don’t forget the Panel
- Don’t Forget the Suction Filter / Drier
- Don’t Install Your Micron Gauge at the Pump
- Don’t Squeeze Radiant Barrier
- Don’t Use Barometric Pressure For Calibration
- Don’t use Tank Caps on Systems
- Don’t Forget the Service Wrench
- Double Lugging, A Common Mistake
- Drains and Double traps
- Drip Loops and Straws
- Duct Leakage Can Be Costly
- Duct Smoke Detectors / Alarms and the Code
- Ductless Cleaning and Maintenance Start to Finish
E (8)
- ECM, VFD and Inverter – What’s the Difference?
- EcoBee Thermostats and Dehumidification
- Electronic Leak Detection
- Electronic Leak Detection DOES WORK
- EPR valves 101
- Equipment Grounding
- Ever Hear of Copper Plating Inside the Compressor?
- Exposed Duct High Temperature Limit
F (10)
- Famous Last Words (Before a Callback)
- Fan Blade Shroud Depth
- Fan On or Fan Auto
- Fancy Refrigerant Words
- Finishing Trade School? Some Things you Need to Know
- Fire Damper Tips
- Flame Sensing – The Basics
- Flash Gas
- Flex Ducts – Best Practices
- Furnace Air Temperature Rise
G (7)
- Gas Defrost
- Gas Law Conceps for HVAC/R
- Get an EEV Open (Like Magic)
- Giving Static for Failing to Take Static
- Glide at Static Pressure
- Gluing Tubing Insulation
- Grounding and Bonding Myths
H (23)
- Heat Doesn’t Rise
- Heat Exchanger Crack Diagnosis
- Heat Pump Defrost Boards and W2
- Heat Pump Defrost Sensor vs. Thermostat
- High Capacity Amperage Measurement
- Hit Your Spots
- Hot Pull Down and What it Means
- Hot Weather Preparedness / An Open Letter (Surviving a Heat Wave)
- How “Hot” Does That Get?
- How Long Should I Evacuate a System?
- How to Determine the Friction Rate for Residential Duct Design
- How to Diagnose a TXV Failure
- How to Evacuate an Air Conditioning System (Fast and Deep Vacuum)
- How to Make Better Decisions
- How to Reduce Indoor Humidity
- How to Set a Charge by Superheat
- How to use an Adjustable (Crescent) Wrench, Pipe Wrench and Tongue & Groove (Channel Locks) Wrenches
- Humidifier Facts
- HVAC Fire Safety Systems in Restaurants
- HVAC/R Brazing Indicators
- HVAC/R Refrigerant Cycle Basics
- Hydronics GPM Calculation and more…
- Hyperion Troubleshooting
I (15)
- I Really Want to Learn More!
- Ice Machine and Scale (Limescale)
- Ice Machines – Cuber, Flaker & Nugget Basics
- Ideal Gas Rulebreakers
- Ideas Have Consequences
- Inches of Water Column
- Incorporating Electrical Quality Into Diagnosis
- Infrared Thermometers.. Can Cause Confusion
- Infrared vs. Heated Diode Leak Detectors
- Introduction to Pool Heat Pumps
- Introduction to SORIT Valves
- Is It OK To Top Off With R410a?
- Is it too cold to set the charge?
- It has a flat for a reason
- It’s a Wonderful Life (Compression Refrigeration Edition)
K (2)
L (11)
- Laws of Energy and Matter
- Leak Detection on Large Systems
- Leak Detector Maintenance and Care
- Lifting Techniques Part 1 – Basics
- Lifting Techniques Part 2 – Pulleys
- Lifting Techniques Part 3 – Complex Block & Tackle
- Lifting Techniques Part 4 – Using Unistrut
- Lifting Techniques Part 5 – Really HEAVY Stuff
- Low Airflow – Beyond the Obvious
- Low Airflow / Beyond the Basics
- Low Ambient, Condenser Flooding and Headmaster Valves Podcast Companion
M (14)
- Maintenance During Major Repairs
- Making a Flare – Quick Tips
- Market Refrigeration TXV Adjustment
- MeasureQuick Launch Is HERE
- Micron Gauges Gone Wild
- Milivolt Systems w/ Modern Thermostats
- Mistakes in Measuring Ohms
- Modulation Motors
- Motor Overheating
- Motor Service Factor
- Motor Speed – The Basics
- Motor Types
- Multi Tap Primary Transformers
- Multimeter Categories
N (4)
- Negative Superheat? Time to Check Your Tools
- No, It’s NOT a Ground!
- No, Recharging R22 Isn’t “Illegal” in the US
- Non-noncondensables
O (9)
- Ohm my
- Ohms / Continuity Basics
- Oil and Refrigerant
- Oil Management and Diagnosis
- Oil Nozzles
- Oil Pressure Controls
- Old Books
- Open and Closed Case
- Other Great Sources
P (16)
- Parallel Circuit Resistance
- Piston Design and Bypass
- Piston vs. TXV Metering Devices
- Pitch on Line Penetrations
- Pool Heat Pumps, The Basics
- Pool Heater Water Flow Issues
- Potential for Good and Evil (The Hard Start & Potential Relay)
- Powered Attic Ventilation
- Pre-Cleaning Copper
- Pressure / Enthalpy Diagram Example
- Pressure Difference and Pump Flow
- Proper Liquid Line Drier Location
- Properly Deburring (Reaming)
- Properly Diagnosing a Gas Furnace Pressure Switch
- Pull The Top
- Purge Your Hoses
R (18)
- R22 Retrofit Tips
- Reach-In Temperature Controls
- Receiver Basics
- Recovery Tank Capacity
- Refrigerant Basics
- Refrigerant Charging Basics For Air Conditioning & Heat Pump Systems
- Refrigerant Oil Basics
- Refrigerant Recovery Practices
- Refrigerants, Flammable & Toxic
- Refrigeration Equipment Diagnosis Method
- Refrigeration Pump-down Cycle
- Relative Humidity in the Supply Air Stream
- Relative Humidity of Air Below Freezing
- Remote Ice Machines- The Basics
- Remove “Weep” Plugs on Motors
- Removing Water From a Float Switch
- Replacing a Piston w/ TXV and Evacuation
- RH, DB and WB
S (36)
- Salamander Broiler Cleaning
- Scroll Compressor Pump Down, Megohm Test & Fusite Terminals
- Sealing Boxes / Boots / Cans
- Sensible Heat in Air and Water
- Sensible Heat Ratio (SHR)
- Setting & Checking a Charge in the Rain
- Shielded Control Cable & Communicating Controls
- Short Circuits
- Short Cycling
- Sight Glass / Moisture Indicator
- Simple Pump Selection Exercise
- Simple Pump Selection Part 2
- Size and Orientation of Return Grilles and Supply Registers
- Skills in the Toolbag
- Solenoid Facts
- Some Belt Tensioning Thoughts
- Some Furnace Questions
- Some Important Terms to Know
- Something to Watch For When Replacing a Thermostat
- Something You May Want to Consider on Every Call
- Splicing Wires – Bad, Good, Better, Best
- Stacking Evaporator Coil Stages
- Start Capacitor & Inrush Facts and Myths – Part #1
- Start Capacitor & Inrush, Facts & Myths – Part 4
- Start Capacitor and Inrush Facts & Myths – Part #2
- Start Capacitor and Inrush Facts & Myths – Part #3
- Start Flowing Nitrogen Sooner
- Static Pressure – Why Measure It?
- Static Pressure and Combustion Test Ports and Plugs
- Static Pressure, Manometers and Magnehelics
- Storming the Gates to Trade Education
- Strip Control Wires Properly
- Subcool and Liquid Line Length
- Sweeping with Nitrogen
- Switch Terms
- Switch voltage
T (51)
- TD of Refrigeration Evaporators
- Tech Question – Why Do ECM Motors Trip a GFCI?
- Technician Head Trash
- Techs are Under Pressure
- Testing a Thermocouple
- Testing Electric Heat – A Cautionary Tale
- Testing Run Capacitors the Smart (and Easy) Way
- Testing the Leak Rate on Your Micron Gauge Itself
- Testing, Recovery and Charging a Sealed System
- TH, TR and TH/TR Gas Valve Terminals
- That Rusty Coil / Galvanic Corrosion
- The “5 Pillars” of Residential A/C Refrigerant Circuit Diagnosis
- The “Approach” Method of Charging and Condenser Efficiency
- The “Other” Pressure Switch
- The 10 Commandments of the HVAC/R Technician
- The Basic Residential Maintenance for a Heat Pump / Electric Systems
- The Case for Checking the Charge Without Using Gauges
- The Case For Pulling The Blower Housing
- The Dangers of the “Diesel Effect” (Compressor Explosion)
- The Diagnosis Game (and Why Van Sleeping Bothers Me)
- The Difference Between Variable Speed and X13 Motors
- The Extension Cord Puzzle
- The Friction Rate Chart (and What it Means)
- The Good Old Heat Anticipator
- The Impact of Adding or Removing Water From Air
- THE MOST IMPORTANT skill a tech can have
- The Secrets to Happy HVAC Customers
- The Slow Death of the Honest Technician
- The Sneaky Effects of Radiant Heat Transfer
- The Surefire Way to Get a Blower Wheel Off
- The Troubeshooting Mindset
- The Two OTHER EPA violations
- The Unexpected Result of Series Circuits
- The Why Behind the Lies
- Thermal Expansion & Dissimilar Metals
- Think Before You Drill
- This is Not a Soft Start
- Thoughtful Termination (Of Wires)
- Trades and the Skills Gap – A Manifesto
- Triple Evacuation and Nitrogen FACTS
- Troubleshooting Advanced Systems
- Troubleshooting for HVAC/R – Data Analysis
- Troubleshooting For HVAC/R – Gathering Data
- Troubleshooting for HVAC/R – Repairs, Reevaluation and Wrap up
- Troubleshooting For HVAC/R, The Don’t List
- Try and Stay Warm (Yes this is a Tip About Staying Warm)
- Tubing and Piping Support
- Tunnel Vision and How to Avoid It
- Two Less Common TXV Issues to Watch For
- TXV Bulb Placement
- TXV Power Element of Surprise
U (6)
- Unapologetically a Technician
- Uncommon start and run
- Understand Dew Point and Absolute Moisture, The Right Side of the Psych Chart
- Understanding Relays With the 90-340
- Use Your Senses First
- UV Lights
V (6)
- Vacuum Pump Oil
- Venting for High efficiency Gas Furnaces – Part 1 Materials
- Venting for High efficiency Gas Furnaces – Part 2 Assembly
- VRV / VRF Installation Tips
- VRV Basics
- VRV Operation
W (49)
- W1, W2 & E
- Walk-In Cooler Defrost
- Watch it Hercules
- Watts so confusing?
- Weighing Refrigerant In and Out
- Wet Bulb and Enthalpy – The Left Side of the Chart
- What ‘s the scoop on PM10 and PM2.5 Particles?
- What 2018 Holds for Techs
- What are Dry and Wet Contacts?
- What Causes Dirty Sock Syndrome?
- What Does “Air Free CO” (Carbon Monoxide) Mean?
- What does “RES” mean on a contactor or relay?
- What does “Saturated State” mean for Techs?
- What if you Only Have One Large Hose?
- What is “Cascade” Refrigeration?
- What is a DIN Rail?
- What is a GFI?
- What is a Micron?
- What is a Suction Accumulator
- What is a Thermocouple?
- What is an ERV?
- What is Enthalpy?
- What is Fenestration and Why Do I Care?
- What is Flux?
- What Is Temperature Glide?
- What is the “Mid Point” of a refrigerant blend
- What is the Difference Between ACH & ACH50?
- What Makes an Autotransformer Different?
- What Should My Subcooling Be?
- What Should My Superheat Be?
- What Willis Understood
- What You Need to Know About MicroChannel
- What’s So Wrong With “Beer Can Cold”?
- Which valve do I open first?
- Why (and When) Do We Need Defrost?
- Why A/C Systems Freeze
- Why and how to adjust a TXV / TEV
- Why Compression Ratio Matters
- Why Discharge Line Temperature is a Useful Reading
- Why is 240V called “Single Phase”?
- Why is the Breaker Tripping?
- Why Many Techs Confuse Overload, Short & Ground Fault
- Why Measuring Static First Isn’t Always Productive
- Why Selecting Equipment is Important (and Hard)
- Why the 20° Rule is Driving The Internet Crazy
- Why You Need a Torque Wrench (or Two…)
- Wide, Narrow, Wide Diagnosis
- Work Vehicle Entropy
- Workers of The World UNITE!
