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Cabinet Leaks in Air Handlers & Fan Coils
Planning and Installing Condensate Drain Lines
Tandem Compressors and Their Efficiency Benefits
Why the Breaker Size May Be Lower than the MCA (and Why That’s NOT Necessarily a Code Violation)
Set Inverter Technology Up for Success in Humid Climates
Why Airplanes Fog Up Before Takeoff
Why the Sauna Feels Hotter When You Throw Water on the Rocks
Silicon Carbide vs. Silicon Nitride Hot Surface Ignitors (HSIs)
The Many Uses of Thermal Imaging Cameras in HVAC
What We Learned From NCI Duct / Balancing Training
HVAC Systems for Architects: Making Sense of the Alphabet Soup – Short #273
Sizing Breakers and Conductors (for HVAC) – Have Things Changed?
Absorption Cooling – The Rise and Fall and Rise – Short #272
Combustion Analysis w/ Tony G.
Residential vs. Commercial HVAC Sales
When Ammonia Ruled the World – Short #270
Humidity, Airflow, and Refrigeration
The Finned-Tube Coil – Short #269
#hvac
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Videos:
Podcasts:
In this engaging and informative episode, Bryan sits down with Elliot to discuss his recent training experience with the National Comfort Institute (NCI), covering two intensive courses on duct system optimization and residential air balancing. The conversation offers valuable insights for HVAC professionals looking to improve their technical skills and provide better service to […]
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In this short podcast, Bryan answers a question submitted to HVAC School by an aspiring licensed architect who wanted to learn more about the many different types of HVAC systems. The three main buckets of HVAC systems are air-to-air, water-source, and air-to-water. Air-to-air systems move air around to remove heat from one space, and […]
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In this essential episode, Bryan Orr sits down with Elliot, the residential install supervisor at Kalos Services, to unpack a critical issue that's causing confusion among HVAC technicians, electricians, and inspectors alike: the new standards for breaker and conductor sizing on inverter-driven equipment. The conversation was sparked by Elliot's frustrating experience of having two […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan goes on another history journey, retelling the story of the rise and fall and rise of absorption cooling. Some of the first HVAC/R engineers cooled buildings with fire; they used absorption refrigeration, which ran on heat instead of electricity. In the early 1800s, French scientist Michael Faraday showed that […]
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In this comprehensive training session from the symposium, Tony Gonzalez, Training Director at Fieldpiece, delivers an engaging and practical guide to combustion analysis for HVAC technicians. With 25 years of experience at Fieldpiece—from warehouse worker to training director—Tony brings both technical expertise and real-world application to this 50-minute interactive session focused on the company's […]
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In this candid conversation, Nathan and Bryan dive deep into the often-misunderstood world of sales in the construction and HVAC trades. Nathan, who has transitioned from fieldwork to spending roughly 60% of his time in sales, offers a unique perspective on why sales professionals are necessary despite the skepticism they face from tradespeople. The […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan takes us on a history journey back to when ammonia ruled the world. In the mid-1800s, before R-12, many inventors and scientists experimented with vapor-compression refrigeration systems to make ice. They used a variety of refrigerants in their patents, including ether, ethyl ether, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, methyl […]
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In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan and Nathan dive deep into the challenges of humidity control in grocery stores and other refrigerated environments. While the conversation takes several entertaining detours (including discussions about morning radio shows, Indian weddings with elephants, and imaginary lava-heated homes), the core content provides valuable insights for […]
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In this short podcast episode, Bryan explores the history of the finned-tube coil, which is what we use for heat exchange in air-source air conditioners and heat pumps. Air-source HVAC systems have copper tubes threaded through thin metal fins. This design was optimized to ensure the greatest possible surface area for heat exchange to […]
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