HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
752 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 943 ratingsReal training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.
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Episodes
Special Episode - The SpeedClean Story
August 04, 2019 12:54 - 37 minutes - 51.5 MBMike Hardy from SpeedClean joins us to talk about how SpeedClean got started. He also explains why all contractors should consider engineered solutions. SpeedClean emerged from the need to make coil-cleaning a better experience. Mike's philosophy is to look at the "pain points" of common tasks so that his company can develop engineered solutions to reduce the issues of those "pain points." The goal of companies like SpeedClean is to make an HVAC job more efficient to boost technician produ...
Crazy Filter Drier Ideas w/ Eric Mele
August 01, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 45.9 MBEric and Bryan talk through some non-standard ways of thinking about filter drier usage. They also discuss how to install these non-conventional filter drier ideas. The humble filter drier helps us prevent gunk from moving throughout the refrigeration circuit with the refrigerant. That way, you protect the compressor and metering devices. Ideally, Eric would install his liquid line filter driers right before the metering device, but that's not always practical. When you put a suction dri...
Short #65 - Is R22 Becoming Illegal
July 30, 2019 11:00 - 9 minutes - 13.5 MBIn this short podcast, Bryan discusses the recent ads and news articles claiming that homeowners are in trouble and that R22 is becoming illegal. The R22 phaseout has been on the agenda for a long time and will finally come into effect in 2020. HCFCs have ozone-depleting potential, and it is time to look at more eco-friendly alternatives, such as R410A and R407A. The phaseout has affected prices and will cease virgin refrigerant production. However, after the phaseout period begins, R22 wi...
Study to Test vs. Study to Apply w/ Eric Kaiser
July 25, 2019 11:00 - 48 minutes - 67 MBMy buddy Eric Kaiser from the ETS Group comes on to discuss a common problem we see in both students and techs as they study. We talk about issues with how they think about the trade and how to progress in it. Eric noticed that people who take classes or plan to get certified tend to study just for the end test. The tests may be industry-standard, but the students and technicians don't learn to apply their knowledge; they merely learn with the goal of passing the test. Many technicians l...
Short #64 - Diagnostic Duct Design
July 23, 2019 11:00 - 19 minutes - 26.5 MBBalancing complaints are common in the HVAC industry. In this short podcast, Bryan explains how diagnostic duct design solves those issues. "Diagnostic duct design" refers to using the duct system to locate and solve a customer's comfort problems. If a couple of rooms have problems with humidity control, then the duct system could be a culprit. However, before we even touch the ducts, we should look at the space to determine if we have issues. For example, radiant gains from a window could...
Ceiling Cassettes w/ Eric Mele
July 18, 2019 11:00 - 29 minutes - 40.3 MBEric really likes ceiling cassette air handlers, so much so that he put them in his own home. We discuss ceiling cassettes vs. highwall and other ductless-related topics. A cassette air handler looks like a concentric fitting, and they are generally installed in acoustic or drop ceilings. Eric likes the comfort and easy installation. However, people who have low ceilings or dislike exposed equipment may not like ceiling cassettes as much as Eric does. Both cassettes and highwall ductless...
Short #63 - I've Been Doing This 30 Years
July 16, 2019 11:00 - 12 minutes - 17.5 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan breaks down the most common defense for bad practices: time in the industry. He also explains how to STOP USING IT as an excuse. When technicians communicate with each other, especially online, they tend to justify their practices with the phrase, "I've been doing this 30 years!" What they don't realize is that their old training (and habits) don't reflect the current state of the industry and the current standards of best practices. When technicians ...
Make up air W/ Devin Skipper
July 11, 2019 11:00 - 33 minutes - 45.8 MBDevin Skipper comes on the podcast to give you an introduction to make-up air systems and explain their purpose. This time, we pull out all of the initials: MAU, MUA, DOAS, and MHGRV. Make-up air is outdoor air that we bring in to replace exhausted indoor air, usually in commercial systems. We use dedicated systems to bring in humidity-controlled air to rebalance the building to a positive pressure; hotels, restaurants, and medical facilities with significant exhaust need fresh air to comp...
Short #62 - Impacts of Variable & Staged Compression
July 09, 2019 11:00 - 18 minutes - 26 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers multi-stage or variable-speed compressors. He also explains the impacts of staged compression. Multi-stage (or variable-capacity) compressors can come in many different forms, but they all have one thing in common: they can adjust their capacities. We typically rate equipment for its maximum capacity. However, when you vary the capacity, you get turn-up or turn-down; the refrigerant mass flow rate increases or decreases. When a unit turns down th...
Effects of Dewpoint on Coil TD and More MQ Updates w/ Jim B
July 04, 2019 11:00 - 41 minutes - 57.8 MBJim Bergmann is back on the podcast to talk about the effects of dew point on coil TD. He also gives us a full rundown on recent MeasureQuick updates and what to expect in the future. When you see flags in MeasureQuick, those indicate symptoms of specific problems. MeasureQuick cannot outright diagnose equipment; it can only offer variables and educate the user based on the symptoms it notices. Red flags are major faults, and yellow flags are minor faults or functions of the installation...
Short #61 - EPR vs. CDS Valves
July 02, 2019 11:00 - 11 minutes - 15.9 MBBryan talks about EPR and CDS valves. We consider both to be evaporator pressure regulators, but they really function quite differently. CDS are Sporlan components that appear to be quite similar to evaporator pressure regulators (EPRs). EPRs go in the suction line and control the evaporator pressure. The pressure and temperature relate to each other, so the goal is to keep the evaporator from freezing by controlling the pressure. However, EPRs rely on a pressure drop across them to be a...
Blends and Midpoint w/ Jim Bergmann
June 27, 2019 11:00 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBJim talks about dew point, bubble point, and midpoint in refrigerant blends. He also covers the purpose of each and why MeasureQuick displays midpoint on the gauges. We've formerly used mostly pure refrigerants. However, as new refrigerant blends come on the scene, we have to deal with glide, which indicates that we have a range of boiling temperatures instead of a fixed boiling point. We have bubble point and dew point, which are when the refrigerant starts to boil and finishes boiling,...
Short #60 - How Cold Should it Get Inside?
June 25, 2019 11:00 - 15 minutes - 21.9 MBIn this short podcast, Bryan discusses the ever-controversial topic of indoor temperature in the summer. The old "20-degree rule" has come up many times, and it's time to put it to rest. Not to be confused with the 20-degree delta T rule, the 20-degree rule basically states that the home A/C system can only maintain temperatures up to 20 degrees below the outdoor temperature. For example, if the ambient temperature is 95°F, the indoor temperature should be able to stay around 75°F. How...
Suction Pressure in Market Refrigeration
June 20, 2019 11:00 - 35 minutes - 48.8 MBNathan Orr is back. In this podcast, we discuss suction pressure in market refrigeration and how rack techs think about it differently than HVAC. On parallel rack systems, suction temperature helps technicians determine the cooling load and how to get that to temperature. You run your discharge air temperature a bit lower than the product temperature. Your suction pressure also lets you know if your coil is reaching the correct temperature. Coil temp, also called suction saturation tempe...
Short #59 - Low Static Can Be Bad
June 18, 2019 11:00 - 10 minutes - 14.4 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan explains why low static pressure may be bad. He also discusses the other indicators of airflow. When you look at fan charts, you'll notice that there will be an available static value. When you measure static pressure, you're looking for the pressure applied against the sides of the duct, not forward through the duct (velocity). Low static pressure is generally desirable because it indicates that the fan motor isn't working as hard to move the appropria...
Can a Residential Tech Transition to Market Refrigeration?
June 13, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 85 MBNathan and Bryan have a rollicking conversation about Nathan's transition from residential HVAC to market refrigeration. Nathan also covers what he has learned along the way. Hopefully, his experiences can help you decide if moving to market refrigeration may work for you. Before Nathan went into market refrigeration, he handled problem customers and repeat issues on the residential HVAC side. He worked on zoning systems and mini-splits quite often. Even in that time, he did minor work o...
Can a Residential Tech Transistion to Market Refrigeration?
June 13, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 85 MBNathan and Bryan have a rollicking conversation on his transistion from residential to markets and whats he's learned along the way that can help you decide if moving to market refrigeration may work for you
Short #58 - A Fair Price
June 11, 2019 11:00 - 21 minutes - 30.1 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers pricing for HVAC/R parts and services; he explains how to come up with a fair price. To be able to price fairly, we need to understand what value and sacrifice look like. In the HVAC industry, we value hard work and growth in a way that some other people don't. We provide parts and labor and sell those in the free market, so we can control how much we charge for those. The price of a part means NOTHING in the industry. Instead, we primarily set...
Preventing and Mitigating Legionnaires' disease
June 06, 2019 11:00 - 41 minutes - 57.3 MBWe talk with chemical and cleaning expert Ray Field on Legionnaires' disease. We discuss what it is, its history, and what we can do to prevent it proactively. Cooling towers host all kinds of microorganisms, including harmful bacteria like Legionella. Legionella is a natural bacteria that you can find in bodies of freshwater, including lakes, but it was discovered relatively recently, in the 1970s. We become susceptible to Legionnaires' disease when we inhale droplets that contain Legio...
Short #57 - Ductless Cleaning Guide
June 04, 2019 11:00 - 11 minutes - 16.6 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers ductless or mini-split cleaning. He collaborated with SpeedClean to map out this procedure and write a guide, which you can read HERE. Cleaning is ultimately a maintenance procedure, so one of the main goals is to keep energy efficiency high (watts per BTU). You can test energy efficiency by using two psychrometers: one up top and one going into the vanes. You can check the delta T and fan charts to determine the performance. Overall, you clean d...
A Peek Behind The Curtain w/ Andrew Greaves
May 30, 2019 11:00 - 48 minutes - 67 MBAndrew Greaves comes on the podcast to give us a sneak peek into the life of a tool manufacturer. Andrew has worked in the field for a long time and has recently begun working for NAVAC. He currently works as a regional manager who oversees operations in 24 states; his main task is to establish a nationwide distribution network for NAVAC products. Andrew recognizes the need for communication between wholesalers/manufacturers and technicians, especially in the areas of education and product...
Short #56 - Bypass Factor
May 28, 2019 11:00 - 16 minutes - 23.1 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers the bypass factor in airflow and psychrometrics. He also explains why it matters to techs. The bypass factor is a ratio: you take the difference between the evaporator coil temperature and outlet air temperature as compared to the inlet. In other words, you find the difference between your TD and delta T. When air moves over the coil, only some of it contacts the coil's surface. Therefore, only some molecules will become the same temperature as...
Women in HVAC/R
May 23, 2019 16:00 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBColleen Keyworth from Women in HVAC/R comes on the podcast to talk about the importance of getting women excited about our trade. While many women take up administrative roles in HVAC/R companies, very few women work in the field. Schools don't tend to market trade schools to women (or in general), so we can attribute part of the gender gap to how high schools present career options to people. Women in HVAC/R as an organization helps educate young women about career options in the trades...
Short #55 - Vacuum Pump Maintenance
May 21, 2019 11:00 - 9 minutes - 13.6 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan explains the ins and outs of vacuum pump maintenance, a critical component of evacuation. The most basic part of vacuum pump maintenance is changing out your vacuum pump oil. This practice should happen very often. At a minimum, you should replace your vacuum pump oil weekly; in very wet or contaminated systems, you may need to replace it multiple times during the same job! When moisture gets into the vacuum pump oil, it can wear out your vacuum pump we...
Airflow Testing as a Customer Service Tool
May 16, 2019 11:00 - 56 minutes - 77.7 MBDavid Holt from NCI comes on the podcast to talk about airflow testing and its importance as a customer service tool for the HVAC trade. Charging and airflow are closely linked. Even though the charge may be correct, the system can't operate correctly if the airflow is off. For example, we can only get the most latent heat removal in humid climates if we run lower fan speeds. To get the right balance, we need contractors and technicians to be educated on airflow so that they can make the...
AirFlow Testing as a Customer Service Tool
May 16, 2019 11:00 - 56 minutes - 77.7 MBDavid Holt from NCI stops by to talk about airflow and its importance as a customer service tool for the HVAC trade
Short #54 - Sunk
May 14, 2019 11:00 - 10 minutes - 15.3 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers the basics of sunk costs. He explains what they are and what they mean for you and HVAC businesses. Sunk costs are costs to decisions that have been made in the past. You've "sunken" money, time, or effort into a decision. Let's say you invest in tools; after you make that purchase, the cost of the tools will become a sunk cost. The cost merely occurred in the past. It is a good idea to reflect on these costs as something that is already over; ...
Residential Air Balancing & Flow Hoods
May 09, 2019 11:00 - 50 minutes - 70 MBSteve Rogers from the Energy Conservatory comes on the podcast to talk about residential air balancing and flow hood accuracy. Residential air balancing is important because it contributes to comfort in the home. To achieve the most comfort possible, we need to know where the air is going inside the home. For example, some rooms may be more conditioned than others, even if they may need less conditioning than the under-conditioned rooms. A flow hood can give us some data about the airflow ...
Short #53 - Brazing Steel
May 07, 2019 11:00 - 9 minutes - 13.4 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers the unique practices of brazing steel. He also explains how it differs from brazing copper. Brazing steel appears to be a rather uncommon practice in the HVAC industry. However, we actually do braze steel when we braze in compressors. Many compressors have copper-plated steel stubs; only the outer coating is copper, and if you burn through it, you'll reach the steel. However, steel requires a different fluxing agent than copper-to-copper or coppe...
Leak Detection w/ John Pastorello
May 02, 2019 11:00 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MBJohn Pastorello from Refrigeration Technologies is back on the podcast to talk about leak detection procedures from start to finish. Big Blu was what started the Refrigeration Technologies empire. John developed Big Blu to create a bubble leak detector with a higher sensitivity to leaks than any other bubble test solution on the market. Big Blu differs from other leak detection solutions because it detects gas leakage down to 0.65 ounces per year, putting it on the same level as some of ...
Leak Detection w John Pastorello
May 02, 2019 11:00 - 54 minutes - 75.1 MBJohn Pastorello from Refrigeration Technologies is back on the podcast to talk leak detection procedures from start to finish.
Short #52 - Enthalpy
April 30, 2019 11:00 - 12 minutes - 17.7 MBIn this short podcast, Bryan dives into enthalpy. He explains what it is and how we see it at work in the HVAC/R systems we service daily. Enthalpy is a fancy word for the total heat energy within a substance. Don't confuse it with entropy, which is the disorganization of energy in a system. We measure enthalpy in energy per mass unit, such as BTUs per pound. Enthalpy combines both the sensible and latent heat capacity; for example, it may represent the energy that it takes to evaporate th...
Hybrid Boiler Plants w Jim Devlin
April 25, 2019 11:00 - 49 minutes - 67.8 MBJim Devlin from Weil-McLain joins us to talk high efficiency and cast iron boilers and how you can use them together in a "hybrid" configuration to serve your customers
Hybrid Boiler Plants w/ Jim Devlin
April 25, 2019 11:00 - 49 minutes - 67.8 MBJim Devlin from Weil-McLain joins us to talk about high-efficiency and cast-iron boilers. He also explains how to use them together in a "hybrid" configuration to serve your customers. Cast-iron boilers are standard-efficiency boilers. These boilers are "standard-efficiency" because they have higher return water temperatures; you typically measure about 330 degrees in the flue. Conversely, high-efficiency boilers have much lower return water temperatures, only around 180-190 degrees in t...
Short #51 - Separate Gauges
April 23, 2019 11:00 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBDo you need different gauges for each refrigerant? In today's short podcast, we discuss the answer to this common HVAC question. When we first started using R-410A, many people warned us that we'd have to use a separate set of gauges when working on R-410A systems. That's because R-410A systems use POE oils, not mineral oil, and they are not compatible. While it is true that R-22 and R-410A systems use different oils, there is no need to worry about using separate gauges for each type of...
Parking BTUs with Buffer Tanks (Part 2)
April 19, 2019 11:00 - 38 minutes - 52.5 MBIn this two-part interview, Moe Hirsch goes deep and wide on buffer tanks and strategies for "parking" BTUs in hydronic systems. Systems with a high domestic hot water load can also benefit from a buffer tank. You can pipe the domestic hot water tank as its own zone and step down the rest of the structure. However, there will be some standby losses for a tradeoff greater capacity. You also cannot use the buffer tank as an air eliminator or separator; they work only for BTU parking. Contr...
Parking BTUs with Buffer Tanks (Part 1)
April 18, 2019 11:00 - 51 minutes - 70.9 MBIn this two-part interview, Moe Hirsch goes deep and wide on buffer tanks and strategies for "parking" BTUs in hydronic systems. When we use boilers, we want to use a heat sink to "park" BTUs in a buffer tank so that we can temporarily store extra heat and avoid short cycling through load matching. However, few boilers have an actual buffer tank; many systems have a means of creating a buffer, though. Buffer tanks are good for parking BTUs in systems with zones and microzones that require ...
Short #50 - Oil
April 16, 2019 11:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBIn today's short podcast episode, Bryan covers the basics of refrigerant oil in HVAC/R systems. He also discusses what technicians can do to maintain oil systems. Oil lubricates the moving parts of the compressor. So, oil moves with the refrigerant and lubricates the parts as the refrigerant moves through the compressor. Unfortunately, oil can migrate to other parts of the circuit when it's not supposed to. Flooding occurs when liquid refrigerant enters the compressor crankcase, and slug...
Recovery Best Practices w/ NAVAC
April 11, 2019 11:00 - 37 minutes - 51 MBIn today's podcast, Kevan Mayer from NAVAC comes talks about recovery and ways to make it work better and more safely for you. Recovering refrigerant is better for the environment and safer for us. When designing recovery equipment, NAVAC's goal is to limit the gases we put into the atmosphere and leave the planet in better shape than we gound it. Recovery also ensures that refrigerants for phased-out refrigerants remain available. Tanks require vacuums of at least 1000 microns, if not d...
Short #49 - VA vs. Watts
April 09, 2019 11:00 - 8 minutes - 12.3 MBIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers the difference between volt-amps (VA) and watts when we take electrical measurements. We usually use VA to rate transformers, but we use watts for other electrical ratings. Even though you can multiply volts by amps to get wattage, the difference between VA and watts has to do with the power factor. Power factor is the ratio of apparent to active power. VA is the apparent power, and watts is active power. The difference between volt-amps and watt...
System Oversizing & Independent Consulting w/ Genry Garcia
April 04, 2019 11:00 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBIn this episode, I talk with tech, contractor, and consultant Genry Garcia. He tells us about his experiences with independent consulting and helping other contractors in South Florida. A chunk of Genry's work deals with independent consulting, which primarily focuses on helping other HVAC businesses and contractors instead of customers. South Florida has unique climate considerations, and Genry focuses on improving workmanship in a way that works well with the climate. Diagnosis remains...
Short #48 - Drains
April 02, 2019 11:00 - 10 minutes - 14.6 MBIn this short podcast episode, we talk about condensate drains. We get into the basics of cleaning, pitch, drain pans, and more. Cleaning drains sounds like an easy task, but it can be a bit time-consuming and difficult to get right. Instead of just "blowing out the drain," you must check the entire drain and be aware of buildup in traps and other hard deposits that form inside the piping. Sometimes, you may need to use cleaners to dissolve the sludge and grime. Cleaning is about understan...
Can Manufacturers Specs Be a Crutch?
March 28, 2019 11:00 - 37 minutes - 51.4 MBBert and Bryan discuss the commonly repeated phrase, "refer to manufacturer's specs," in HVAC work. They discuss when referring to the manufacturer's specs works and when it feels like a crutch. Sometimes, you need to read the manufacturer's specs so that you can use the correct kits and components if specific parts or tools are necessary. Without knowing the specific product numbers given in the specs, you wouldn't be able to do the job properly. The manufacturer's literature can also e...
Short #47 - Solar
March 26, 2019 11:00 - 17 minutes - 23.6 MBBy viewer request, Bryan talks about some solar system basics in this short podcast episode. Solar energy is an up-and-coming power source that will continue to emerge. However, oil is still very inexpensive, so the USA still depends on it quite cheaply. Many consumers also don't like the high up-front costs associated with solar energy. Photovoltaic energy creates a differential that moves electrons. Many customers also object to the bulkiness and lack of aesthetic appeal of solar pan...
Work-Life Balance, Real Talk w/ Bert
March 21, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 98.4 MBBryan and Bert talk through a real-life issue we all face as techs: work-life balance. Bert’s recent video “triggered” Bryan a bit, so they talk through it. Bryan believes that the work-life balance doesn't necessarily exist; instead of creating balance, he believes in a focus on discipline in work and home life as you're present to each of them. Instead of setting rules for dedicating his time, Bryan focuses on setting goals that can improve multiple parts of his life. That is how he is...
Short #46 - Surge Protection
March 19, 2019 11:00 - 14 minutes - 20 MBToday's short podcast episode is all about surge protection on HVAC/R equipment. Lightning poses a severe threat to equipment, and surge suppression may or may not help. Unfortunately, surge protection cannot protect HVAC equipment from direct lightning strikes. Surge suppression strategies connect to the high-voltage line and will protect your equipment from surges from the utility. Large, instantaneous spikes in voltage can mess up your equipment quite severely. In general, we install ...
Intro to Boilers & Radiators w/ Moe Hirsch
March 14, 2019 11:00 - 54 minutes - 75.6 MBIn this episode, we talk with Moe about the world of hydronics. We discuss some fundamentals and talk about various boiler and radiator types. Hydronic systems use water flow to move heat. We can compare these systems to railroads; the water is like a train carrying BTUs, and the BTUs get off the "train" at radiators. The pump moves water in a circle, though it moves that water pretty far. Boilers generally require a certain flow, and if a single circulator pump can't achieve that flow, ...
Short #45 - OEM Parts
March 12, 2019 11:00 - 9 minutes - 13.7 MBIn today's short podcast, we answer the following question: Should you ONLY use OEM parts? We also explain why the answer is what it is. It can be tricky to determine the value of OEM parts in general. For example, many OEM capacitors are very prone to failure. Some non-OEM capacitors have much lower failure rates. Operating conditions may also exceed manufacturer specs, so aftermarket components may be better for equipment in extreme conditions. When it comes to OEM parts, try to take...
Special - Soft Skills Top Tips w/ Andy Holt
March 08, 2019 19:10 - 13 minutes - 18.2 MBIn this rather unorthodox short podcast episode, Andy gives his timeless soft skills tips. We also tell you a bit more about a special training event in Orlando in just a few weeks. Soft skills and communication are critical parts of the HVAC industry, especially residential HVAC. Customers don't compliment you on your tools; they compliment your service and attitude. We must acknowledge that we are in the people business and just happen to use tools when we work. Andy recommends being o...
Controlling Humidity For All Climates
March 07, 2019 12:00 - 39 minutes - 54.8 MBIn today's podcast, Bryan covers some of the facts about humidity. He also explains how to keep humidity under control in all climates. Humidity refers to water vapor in the air and is a component of the air. Changes in temperature and pressure affect the density of the air. The air density determines how much moisture air can hold. Relative humidity refers to the ratio of water vapor in the air. An RH value of 100% indicates that the air is saturated with water vapor; it has reached the...