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Brazing in TXVs: Best Practices
Make Plenum Pressures Work for You
5 Takeaways from Manual T
The MAD Room
Troubleshooting Water Leaks
The One Duct Leak You Didnโt Expect
HVAC Moneyball: Could It Work?
One Way to Picture Superheat and Subcool
Six Tips to Help You Write an Article for HVAC School
Delta T Talk w/ JD Kelly
Fire Sprinklers – Short #239
The PATH to High Performance HVAC w/ David Richardson
Nylog, Oil? Where does it go? – Short #238
Growing your HVAC Business the Smart Way w/ Copeland
Oversized Evap Coils? – Short #237
ERVs – What You Need To Know w/ Dr. Bailes
Multiple Surge Protectors – Short #236
The Cornerstones of Inverter Equipment Commissioning
#hvac
Tech Tips:
This is a quick tip from the โExpansion Valves – What Does and Doesn’t Matter?โ livestream on our YouTube channel featuring Joe Shearer, Matthew Taylor, and Corey Cruz. Itโs time to talk about brazing again! Even though rehashing โflow nitrogenโ and โuse a wet ragโ gets a little old, bad TXVs and callbacks also get […]
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There are several neighborhoods in my area with twoโand three-story townhomes with zoning, and I always wonder how long those systems will survive. Zoning can be notoriously hard on HVAC equipment if not set up properly. A single-stage system running full tilt with half the airflow it was designed for because a zone is closed […]
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โDid you do a Manual J?โ โDid you run a Manual S on that?โ โWhat does Manual D say?โ If youโve asked any design-related questions on the internet in the last several years, youโre probably familiar with these questions. But how does one โdoโ a Manual T? I bought Manual T last year and gave […]
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This tech tip features a diagnostic flowchart by Genry Garcia. Thanks, Genry! The name of this document, “The MAD Room,” was chosen as a nod to the MAD-AIR study completed by John Tooley and Neil Moyer, presented in 1989. The teachings from that document played an instrumental role in creating the following diagnostic workflow. Disclaimer […]
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There is not much worse than having a service call where you canโt figure out where the water is coming from or where it came from before you got there. I have spent many hours scratching my sweaty head in attics while I stared into the riser of a drain line, waiting for water to […]
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Sometimes, you just get lucky. Sometimes, you get sent out to install a unit in a closet! Although these types of installs have their challenges, at least for me, they have appeared easier on the surface. There is no return ductwork, as the unit sits on a platform. We are rarely disconnecting ducts in the […]
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This tech tip was submitted by Tim De Stasio. He originally published it on his website, which you can visit HERE. Thanks, Tim! Winning takes strategy and the right information. The HVAC business is no different. But what information should we collect, even pay for, to get better and win? What if these widely accepted […]
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It took me years to build a picture in my head of what superheat and subcool mean. They were these strange words that dropped out of nowhere when I entered the HVAC world, and in the midst of grappling with so many other things, I could tell they were very important. Over time, I have, […]
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This tech tip was written by David Richardson, the Vice President of Training for NCI. David has been on several podcasts and has spoken at the HVACR Training Symposium multiple times. Thanks, David! Your ideas and experiences are the ingredients for great articles. Unfortunately, they are easy to forget if you donโt capture them in […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ Bryan from HVAC School interviews JD Kelly, known as “student of HVAC” on Instagram, about Delta T measurements in HVAC systems. This episode dives into the fundamentals of Delta T, common misconceptions, and proper measurement techniques. JD explains that Delta T is simply a temperature difference between two points of the same medium, which […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about fire sprinklers and how to avoid setting them off on job sites. Fire sprinklers have an element in the center that expands when exposed to heat (like a TXV sensing bulb) and breaks the glass. When the glass breaks, the fire sprinkler starts pouring out water. […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this engaging session, David Richardson breaks down the concept of high-performance HVAC, offering a clear roadmap for industry professionals looking to elevate their craft. Richardson argues that the HVAC industry has long been focused on equipment rather than complete systems, leading to widespread inefficiencies. The average system delivers only about 57% of its […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about Nylog, oil, and where you put them when you’re making flares. Nylog is a thickened refrigerant oil (which is either POE for Nylog Blue or mineral oil for Nylog Red), and it’s miscible with the refrigerant and moves with it through the circuit. You […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan and Jim discuss strategies for growing an HVAC business, focusing on the importance of maintenance contracts, consistent service, and effective branding. Drawing from Jim’s 15 years of experience running a successful HVAC company in California, they explore how maintenance contracts not only provide consistent revenue […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question about oversized evaporator coils, particularly when they’re half a ton or a full ton larger than the condenser. The expanded performance data contains the information that’ll tell you whether the coil is right for the system. However, when it comes to the specific issue […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan sits down with building science expert Allison Bailes to dive deep into the world of Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs). The conversation explores the critical role of ventilation in modern homes, highlighting how ERVs have become an essential component of maintaining indoor air quality and […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan answers a listener-submitted question asking whether you can use another surge protector at the disconnect panel with an ICM 493 already in place. Using multiple surge protectors in the configuration described does NOT count as daisy-chaining. Surge protectors with MOVs (metal oxide varistors) shunt current from high voltage […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this podcast episode, HVAC professionals Chris Hughes and Adam Mufich discuss the intricate challenges technicians face when commissioning modern inverter-based heating and cooling systems. Unlike traditional single-stage or two-stage HVAC equipment, inverter systems introduce a new level of complexity that can leave even experienced technicians feeling uncertain about proper installation and startup procedures. […]
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