Tech Tips

When we think of air leakage, a few common scenarios probably come to mind: disconnected ducts at connections, poorly sealed connections, and air leakage around vents are ones we’ve mentioned quite a bit in tech tips and videos over the years. However, there are a few that we haven’t really talked about, particularly for fan […]

The condensate drain is the source of many a service call in Florida. A lot of the time, the problem is just a clogged drain; bacterial zoogloea (drain snot) loves humidity, and the all-aluminum coils don’t do us any favors. Other times, there are some clear drain design or installation flaws that present hazards to […]

This tech tip about tandem compressors was inspired by the recent HVAC School podcast episode with the Copeland team. You can listen to that podcast episode HERE. One compressor is great, but how about two in the same circuit? Or three? We see multiple compressors in rack refrigeration circuits, but the concept isn’t as common […]

This HVAC system we recently installed has been causing quite a bit of trouble for us with inspectors. If you look at the label, you will see that the breaker size is 25 amps, and the minimum circuit ampacity (MCA or wire size) is 29 amps. The MOCP (maximum overcurrent protection, max fuse, or max […]

This tech tip about humidity control, particularly as it relates to VRF systems and others that use inverter technology, is a companion piece to a podcast episode with Roman Baugh. You can listen to that podcast episode HERE. Those of you who work in humid climates and install or repair ductless systems are probably well […]

Every once in a while, especially on humid days, you’ll sit on an airplane waiting for takeoff and see fog pouring from the ceiling vents like a low-budget concert. Someone always panics and asks if something’s on fire. It’s not smoke—it’s condensation. You’re looking at thermodynamics and psychrometrics in action. So, why does it happen, […]

I admit it, I'm a sauna guy now. The ones at the gym are pretty gross, so I got a small one at home because I guess I’ve missed sitting in attics or something. If you’ve ever sat in a traditional sauna, you know the drill: the heat’s already intense, and then you or someone […]

The ignitor of a furnace (or a gas pool heater or other gas-fired appliance) is the heat source, and it can come in one of four varieties: standing pilot, direct spark (DS), intermittent spark (ISI), and hot surface (HSI). We have a tech tip explaining each of these ignitor types in detail, but we’re going […]

When most of us think about tools of the trade, a few main ones come to mind: manifold, multimeter, vacuum pumps, recovery machines… the list goes on. One that may NOT come up nearly as often as it probably should is the thermal imaging camera.  A few symposiums ago, Bill Spohn and Eric “Elk” Kaiser […]