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Kitchen Exhaust and Makeup Air
Equipment Changes, Ducts are Forever
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?
Learning Better – Short #246
Intro to The Sigma Capacitor
What’s up with Refrigerant & System Regulations w/ Copeland
TXV Troubleshooting – Short #245
Learning and Teaching GRIT w/ Ty Branaman
Band-Aids, Hacks, and Ethics – Short #244
Why VRF Compressors Die w/ Roman
No Serve Situations – Short #243
Locked Compressor Mistakes w/ Bert
#hvac
Tech Tips:
This is a quick tech tip derived from a short podcast episode in response to a question by one of our viewers, Gunther. You can listen to that episode HERE. If you would like to submit a question for the podcast, you can submit a voice recording on Speakpipe at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Restaurants are commercial facilities […]
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Iโm installing the HVAC system for a house that is being completely gutted. It has vaulted ceilings throughout, and a small attic area was designated for mechanicals. The duct system canโt go in the attic because there basically isnโt one. The engineer intended the equipment to go in the attic mechanical space, and then the […]
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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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Videos:
Podcasts:
๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about learning styles and gives some tips for “learning better” and getting more out of continuing education opportunities. The first step to getting more out of educational opportunities is to know your learning style. There are three main styles: visual, kinesthetic (hands-on), and auditory. Most tradespeople will […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ Sharon Goepferich from Cool Air Products joins the podcast to discuss cutting-edge capacitor technology and innovative HVAC solutions in an introduction to the Sigma capacitor. Sharon brings a decade of industry experience, having worked extensively with capacitors and HVAC components while traveling across the country to educate technicians and contractors. The conversation begins with […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this insightful episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan sits down with Jennifer Butsch, Director of Regulatory Affairs at Copeland, to discuss the rapidly evolving regulatory environment affecting the HVAC industry. With eight years of experience at Copeland and a background spanning codes, standards, and regulatory affairs, Jennifer provides a unique perspective […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan walks through some common thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) troubleshooting scenarios. Many of the same principles apply to troubleshooting electronic expansion valves (EEVs). These dynamic metering devices maintain a constant superheat. Troubleshooting does NOT start and end with the TXV. First, you need to inspect components (especially filters, ductwork, […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, host Bryan Orr and guest Ty Branaman have an in-depth, hands-on conversation about the philosophy, structure, and impact of GRIT Campsโworkshops designed to introduce kids to the trades through immersive, practical experiences. The episode opens with reflections on a recent successful GRIT Camp in New Jersey, […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about band-aids, hacks, and ethics. He explores ethical “band-aid” solutions and how to charge for them. He also covers the difference between patching up equipment ethically and unethical repairs. Temporary fixes and ugly permanent fixes fall into the ethical gray area for a lot of people, especially […]
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๏ปฟ In this episode, Bryan and Roman dive deep into the world of Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems, focusing on the persistent issue of compressor failures. VRF technology has evolved, and it has seen a major rise in the North American market since the early 2010s. Roman shares his passion for VRF, tracing its origins […]
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๏ปฟ๏ปฟ In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about some no-serve situations he’s encountered as a technician and HVAC business owner. He also talks about situations that may be unpleasant but aren’t quite no-serve situations. Some common and obvious no-serve situations are when a client threatens a technician, especially with lawsuits, bad reviews, or even […]
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๏ปฟ In this informative HVAC podcast episode, Bryan and Bert dive deep into the complex world of locked and internal overload compressors, focusing specifically on single-phase residential units. The discussion begins with Bert explaining one of the most common challenges technicians face: diagnosing a locked compressor. He describes how compressors that are locked will typically […]
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