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Why the New Guy Gets Fewer Callbacks
How to Eliminate Surprises on Install Jobs
The 1/7 (or 1/10) Rule for Oxy-Acetylene Torch Tips
Evaluating HVAC Tape Performance Under High Heat and Static Load (Part 1)
Oxy-Acetylene Torch Tips and BTUs
Using the Socratic Method to Meet Trainees Where They’re At
Stay On Your Game During Summer Service Calls
When Fear Gets On the Truck With You
Techs are Under Pressure
Airflow Serenity w/ Alex Meaney
Less Compressor, More Suction Pressure – Short #304
Mastering Your Meter Advanced Functionality with Louise Kellar (UEi Test Instruments)
Premature Coil Failure in Ductless Mini-Splits & VRF Equipment – Short #303
Advanced Refrigerant Recovery: Best Practices for Diverse Systems and Environments
The A2L & Refrigerant Transition – Short #302
Invented For Techs, by Techs: Inside Refrigeration Technologies’ “The Lab”
The Ethics of IAQ – Testing vs. Remediation Conflicts – Short #301
Is 400 CFM per Ton Always Right? w/ Ty
#hvac
Tech Tips:
I was going through a recorded service meeting with the Kalos techs, and Bert shared something that has been rattling around in my head ever since. His team went digging through their callback data looking for patterns, and after stepping back and looking at it, one showed up that nobody expected: The newer techs were […]
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HVAC installs sometimes come with surprises. Some of them are good, like when you have a really nice customer who buys you lunch or leaves you a generous tip. But HVAC installs can also come with plenty of bad surprises, like a defective part, not enough space to install the unit, an incorrectly sized platform […]
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We already know that oxy-acetylene torches have a lot of safety considerations attached: don’t oil regulator threads, bubble-test your hoses, you get the picture. But there’s one more we haven’t really covered: the 1/7 rule (or 1/10 rule, based on the latest industry guidance). This commonly cited rule reduces the likelihood of flammable acetone coming […]
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When sealing ductwork or repairing HVAC insulation, the tape you choose dictates the long-term integrity of the system. Temperatures fluctuate wildly in attics and mechanical rooms, and the tape must be able to withstand these environments without degrading. To better understand how different professional-grade adhesives actually perform under elevated temperatures, we decided to put them […]
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Oxy-acetylene torch tip manufacturers publish charts that tell us the ideal applications for each tip size, which is quite useful on its own. After all, a small tip may be great for a ⅜” liquid line but would hardly make a dent in 2” commercial refrigeration piping. But we can also take the information from […]
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We’ve all probably been in this situation before (maybe in both people’s shoes at different points of our careers): A technician is on the job with their apprentice. The technician tells the apprentice where the probes go on the service ports and exactly what the superheat and subcooling are. The apprentice’s eyes glaze over, and […]
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The summer is a season of opportunity for HVAC technicians, and by opportunity, I mean a super high volume of service calls with a greater chance of callbacks. We’re based in Florida, so our techs have to deal with the combination of blistering heat and higher humidity. That combo can cause all sorts of problems: […]
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You know the feeling that sets in your chest before you finish reading that nine-word text: Hey you got a minute? I need some help. No details. No system description. Just that, from someone who doesn’t send that text unless they’ve already exhausted everything else. Let’s talk about that feeling. What’s Actually Happening to You […]
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The amount of pressure you’re under depends on where you live. I live in Florida, so I’m very close to sea level. Therefore, the weight of the atmosphere is exerting exactly 14.7 pounds per square inch (PSIA) of pressure on every surface in every direction. There is no such thing as negative pressure—only pressure lower […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
In this episode from the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium, Alex Meaney delivers a live conference talk he calls “Airflow Serenity,” built around the idea of knowing which duct problems are worth chasing and which changes will actually move the needle for a customer. He opens by describing and reframing how technicians identify airflow […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about compression ratio and compressors, particularly why you see more suction pressure when the compressor unloads and what that means for the HVAC system’s operation. When the compressor drops into low-stage or unloads, the suction pressure goes up. Regardless of the cause of reduced pumping, the head […]
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In this episode, Bryan welcomes back Louise Kellar of UEi Test Instruments for a deep dive into getting more out of a digital clamp meter than the basic volts, amps, and ohms most techs rely on every day. The tool in the spotlight is UEi’s High Accuracy Clamp Meter (HAC), which is accurate when dealing […]
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In this short podcast, Bryan and Roman discuss premature coil failure in ductless mini-splits and VRF equipment. These coils are susceptible to a few different types of corrosion. Warmer coil saturation temperatures and shorter runtimes result in lower latent capacity; whatever moisture is on the coil dries on the coil instead of draining out. […]
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In this live episode, Bryan sits down with Jim Bergmann of measureQuick and NAVAC trainers Zane and Jesse Stewart for a deep, technician-focused conversation about advanced refrigerant recovery. The group covers diverse system types and environments, including low-ambient recovery. Recovery machines cannot pump straight liquid, which we need to be mindful of during service. […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the A2L & refrigerant transition again, particularly sensors on R-454B and R-32 equipment. Since the beginning of the A2L transition, we have seen the equipment evolve and begin requiring accessories, including refrigerant sensors and blower recirculation systems (BRS) or dissipation boards. In a BRS, […]
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In this episode, Bryan sits down with Mike Pastorello, owner of Refrigeration Technologies, and Ashley Lynds, director of education and brand management for Viper, to talk about the company’s roots, its newest product launches, and where the brand is headed next. This podcast focuses on “The Lab” and how it integrates field technicians with […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the ethics of IAQ, particularly in terms of microbial growth testing vs. remediation conflicts, based on Roman’s recent experience hiring a mold assessor and then a remediation expert in his home. Remediation is governed by S520 of the IICRC. Microbial growth is tricky because […]
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400 CFM per ton is useful—until it isn’t. In this episode, Bryan and Ty take on one of the trade’s favorite rules of thumb. It can be a reasonable starting point for many systems under moderate, near-sea-level conditions, but it is not a universal target. Proper airflow depends on actual delivered capacity, sensible and […]
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