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#heat strip

Tech Tips:

Mistakes in Measuring Ohms

In HVAC and electrical school, one of the first things you learn about electricity is Ohm’s law: Volts (V) = Amps (I) x Ohms (R) Pretty simple, right? Watt’s law is just as easy: Watts (P) = Volts (E) x Amps (I) With this newfound knowledge, the student walks confidently into the real world with […]

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Videos:

Adventures with Elliot – Indoor AC Maintenance Basics

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Podcasts:

Did You Actually Test Every Heat Strip – Short #311

In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about electric heat and whether your service or maintenance procedure actually allows you to test every heat strip. In our climate, we use electric heat as auxiliary heat (as opposed to a furnace in a dual-fuel setup). There is also some information about maintenance procedures, blower interlocks […]

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Users with Tag #heat strip

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#heat strip #inductive #light bulb #ohms law #resistive

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How to Evacuate an AC system, Full Vacuum Procedure

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HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

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.

Deliver High Performance Heat Pump Retrofits w/ David Richardson

byBryan Orr

Heat pumps may be everywhere, but according to David Richardson, the industry is in danger of aiming at the wrong target. In this 2026 HVACR Training Symposium session, the Kentucky contractor’s son, who has never lived in a home without a heat pump, opens with the story of Olympic rifle shooter Matthew Emmons. Emmons hit the bullseye with perfect precision in 2004, only to discover he had fired at the wrong lane’s target. Richardson argues that contractors risk the same mistake when they treat the heat pump itself as the goal and market it with the same “magic” promises used in the 1970s, a pattern that led to poor installations and a reputation problem that has lasted 50 years.

The real target, Richardson says, is the customer, and the heat pump is only one ring on that target alongside ductwork, the building envelope, equipment sizing, noise, and expectations. He distinguishes between HVAC equipment, which anyone can sell, and the HVAC system, which is where a contractor’s skill and craftsmanship show up. Average installations, he notes, deliver roughly 57% of rated performance, while a high-performance retrofit aims for 88% or better. With “free heat pump” offers likely coming next, he urges contractors to differentiate through engagement, education, clear expectations, and measured results, ending with what he calls a “craftsmanship receipt.”

The heart of the talk is five practical tips. First, learn what the customer is really after and set expectations early, including what a defrost cycle looks like. Second, don’t inherit a bad duct system, and use pressure, airflow, and temperature measurements to find problems before they become yours. Third, don’t inherit a bad building, since the structure works like a duct system and can undermine a perfect install. Fourth, bring the customer along by putting simple tools in their hands, such as a thermal camera or flow hood, and translating data into plain language. Fifth, follow a repeatable process that defines where testing begins and where additional paid services start.

Richardson closes with a call to document lessons learned, including mistakes, and to build these practices into company culture. His message is that heat pumps aren’t magic, but they can perform as if they were when installed well and priced to reflect the work. The session wraps with audience questions.

Topics Covered

The Olympic shooter analogy: precision aimed at the wrong target
History of heat pumps, the 1970s energy crisis, and early marketing hype
Why heat pumps shouldn’t be treated as a silver bullet, and the “silver buckshot” approach
HVAC equipment versus the HVAC system
Installation performance benchmarks: roughly 57% for average work, about 6% more for code-approved work, and a goal of 88% or better
The three E’s: engagement, education, and expectations, plus measured results
The craftsmanship receipt and verification: “if you don’t test, you’re just guessing”
Setting customer expectations, including cold-climate performance and defrost
Right-sizing and the pitfalls of oversized equipment, even with inverter technology
Testing for pressure, airflow, and temperature (PAT) and not inheriting bad ductwork
Building science basics: leakage, room pressures, blower doors, and thermal imaging
Using Socratic questions and plain language to involve the customer
Avoiding data overload and using tools like Measure Quick and the TrueFlow Grid
Following a process and getting paid for diagnostics, basic versus advanced retrofits
Learning from mistakes and changing company culture

This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, and Filtrete.

Resources

National Comfort Institute (NCI) website
HVAC School calculators
Submit a podcast question
Learn about the GRIT Foundation

Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

Deliver High Performance Heat Pump Retrofits w/ David Richardson

Search Episodes

Deliver High Performance Heat Pump Retrofits w/ David Richardson

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Did You Actually Test Every Heat Strip – Short #311

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Why and How to Test Heat Pump Defrost – Short #310

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The Fuse Only Blows When You Leave – Short #307

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Nylog Blue Gasket -Thread Sealant for AC/R Systems

Nylog Blue Gasket -Thread Sealant for AC/R Systems One drop of Nylog on your rubber hose gaskets prior to attaching your core tools, hoses or vacuum gauge will assure that things do not bind or leak during evacuation. Derived from refrigeration grade lubricants. Non-hardening, non-drying fluid which bonds tenaciously to many different substrates. Typically, one drop of Nylog can be stretched about three feet before breaking.

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