HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

What is the difference between r-value and u-factor? Why should we care about the differences? In this short podcast, we'll explain what those differences between the two are and why you should care.

This episode is very exciting to me because we get to have Dr. Allison Bailes on the show. Today, he shares his knowledge about friction rate and duct design. Allison got his start teaching college-l…

Rusty Walker with Hill-Phoenix comes on and talks about CO2 triple and critical points. He also covers some best practices for refrigeration techs working with CO2.

The triple point is the temperatur…

In this short podcast episode, we cover what you need to consider before you solder or braze any type of joint in HVAC/R work. We want to give special thanks to Solderweld; you can learn more about t…

Eric Mele is back on the podcast. This time, we cover hot gas as a reheat dehumidification strategy with all of the broad strokes you should be aware of.

One common dehumidification strategy is the h…

In this short podcast episode, Bryan covers three things you can do to level up and make you a much better tech tomorrow. Everyone will notice your improvement. Also, no matter what level you're on, …

In this episode, Jim Bergmann does a deep dive into combustion analysis. He covers everything you need to know to keep a furnace running safely and efficiently.

When you go into a home, one of the fi…

This short podcast episode is about a simplified way to explain the basic refrigerant circuit to new techs. By explaining a component as an absorber, rejector, increaser, or dropper, you may help loc…

In this first part of the two-part combustion analysis series, Jim Bergmann covers CAZ testing or worst-case draft pressure testing in detail. He also explains why it matters to techs and customers. …

In this short podcast episode, we talk about the commissioning mindset and what it REALLY takes to set up and commission a new system properly. We commonly check airflow and the refrigerant charge du…

In this podcast episode, Rusty Walker from Hill Phoenix talks us through the three most common types of market CO2 systems and how they work: secondary, cascade, and booster.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is …

Can you really trust that temperature reading? In this short podcast episode, we talk about some common mistakes techs make when making temperature measurements and what to do about it.

Many heat pum…

James Bowman returns to the podcast to talk about analog vs. digital manifolds. He also explains why both of them may still have a place in the industry.

Pricing is a key difference between analog an…

In this short podcast episode, we share some quick tips about keeping panels and insulation in place to avoid a costly screwup.

Often, technicians will use an impact driver too aggressively. If you f…

John Pastorello, the HVAC chemist, comes on the podcast and discusses refrigerant additives such as acid inhibitors, oil enhancers, dyes, and leak sealants with his knowledge and some things to consi…

Many technicians use hard or soft copper without thinking about which application is best for which. In this short podcast, Bryan talks about where to use each. He also covers some hanging and strapp…

Kevan Mayer with NAVAC comes on and talks all about flaring best practices step by step. From cutting to reaming to torque wrenches, we cover how to make a flare from start to finish. The goal of mak…

In today's podcast, Eric Mele and Bryan talk about chilled water air handlers, their valve configurations, and some key things to look out for.

In a chilled water system, we don't have the tradition…

In this short podcast episode, Bryan gets feedback on a podcast topic from Andy Holt. Per Andy's request, we discuss some intangible soft skills required to be a top-level technician in the HVAC trad…

Chris Stevens from HVACR Videos on YouTube comes onto the podcast and talks about some refrigeration temperature controls basics. You can check out his YouTube channel HERE.

Although we have temperat…