The HVAC Know It All Podcast, hosted by HVAC and Refrigeration tech Gary McCreadie, is an industry leading show that focuses on education within the HVAC and Refrigeration Trade - Such as HVAC Maintenance Tips.
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Données mises à jour le 23/10/2026
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Why Your Furnace Vent Pipe Can Leak Years Later Even When the Joint Looks Finished - Part 2
jeudi 22 octobre 2026 • Durée 15:56
In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie talks with Gaetano Altomare, Category Manager - Plumbing at IPEX by Aliaxis, about installing nonmetallic flue gas venting correctly. They cover pipe preparation, solvent welding, inspection, primer requirements, and combustion testing. Listeners will learn how to avoid weak connections and preserve vent integrity during installation and service.
Gaetano brings firsthand knowledge of certified venting products, manufacturer installation guidelines, and the development of dedicated combustion-testing fittings. His manufacturer's perspective connects the mechanics of pipe-and-fitting fusion with practical field decisions, including cutting older pipe, verifying compatible components, and sealing test-access plugs.
Key Takeaways
How square cuts, beveled ends, clean pipe surfaces, and a dry-fit interference check help produce a properly fused vent connection.
Why certified vent systems require components from one manufacturer and how optical brighteners help inspectors verify primer and solvent cement use.
How local requirements, installation temperatures of 32°F and colder, and pipe sizes of six inches and larger determine primer use for the products discussed.
How a dedicated combustion-testing fitting installed within two feet of the appliance provides probe access without drilling the vent pipe.
Why the test-access plug discussed requires two full turns of Teflon tape rather than relying on plastic threads alone to seal.
Key Timestamps
00:00 – Factory Direct Filters Ad
00:42 – Episode Introduction
03:14 – Cost difference between PVC and CPVC
08:18 – Glue or chemical bonding
11:21 – Primer requirements for temperature and local jurisdiction
12:33 – Combustion testing without drilling vent pipe
14:36 – Final installation lesson: sealing the test-access plug
The Contractor Experience Behind Amply's HVAC Software
mercredi 21 octobre 2026 • Durée 20:04
In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes from WorkHero welcome Eric Fitz, Co-founder, Co-CEO, and Chief Technology Officer at Amply Energy, Inc., and Ed Smith, Co-founder, Co-CEO, and Chief Customer Officer at Amply Energy, Inc., to discuss how contractors can adapt their sales and design processes for heat pumps. They explore why accurate load calculations matter, how visual design tools help homeowners understand recommendations, and how to make a longer assessment a clear point of difference. The discussion also covers charging for design work, setting expectations during intake, and matching sales responsibilities to the team's expertise.
Eric and Ed began with whole-home electrification projects across New England, combining weatherization, HVAC, heat pump water heaters, EV charging, solar, and batteries. Eric brought modeling and HVAC design experience, while Ed's learning process helped them identify where software needed to make that expertise easier to apply. Their work alongside installation partners exposed challenges in design and business operations, leading them to shift toward software that supports HVAC contractors.
Expect To Learn:
-Why Amply shifted from whole-home electrification projects to supporting HVAC contractors with design software.
-How Manual J defines a home's loads before equipment selection, regardless of the system being installed.
-How visual design information helps homeowners understand recommendations and share them with another decision-maker.
Timestamps:
Why Ordinary Drain Pipe Isn't Built to Handle Your Furnace's Heat Over Time - Part 1
lundi 19 octobre 2026 • Durée 21:49
In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie talks with Gaetano Altomare, Category Manager - Plumbing at IPEX by Aliaxis, who describes his team's work developing certified flue gas venting products. They examine System 1738, its differences from System 636, and the risks of using generic drain, waste, and vent pipe on gas-fired appliances. Installers will learn how certification, product markings, and appliance instructions inform material selection.
Gaetano explains how advances in engineered plastics helped his team develop compounds capable of meeting UL 1738 requirements. Drawing on that development experience, he connects mechanical and material testing to long-term exposure to heat and condensate, then explains the temperature limits and applications of PVC and CPVC venting.
Key Takeaways
Why generic drain, waste, and vent materials are not designed for flue gas exposure, including the conditions that can cause ABS to become brittle and crack.
How System 636 and System 1738 serve Canadian and US certification requirements, respectively, rather than different appliance operating conditions.
How UL 1738 combines mechanical performance and material testing to evaluate suitability for flue gas venting over time.
How product labels and print lines identify venting material, certification, manufacturer, and maximum temperature rating.
Why the appliance manufacturer's installation manual must guide material selection, including when higher-temperature applications call for CPVC.
Key Timestamps
00:00 – Factory Direct Filters Ad
00:42 – Guest and Episode Introduction
01:13 – Why generic ABS and PVC are not intended for flue gas venting
Stop Using AI Like a Chatbot with Vern Crawford
mercredi 14 octobre 2026 • Durée 22:39
In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes from WorkHero continue their conversation with Vern Crawford, founder of Flow Logic Automation, about deploying AI in HVAC businesses. Vern demonstrates how automation can move home warranty work orders from email into Housecall Pro, explains the progression from chat to connected business context to code, and outlines options for connecting AI tools to field service data. The discussion also covers debugging workflows, MCP connections, data integrity, and preparing business systems for reliable automation.
Vern Crawford works with businesses to build AI-enabled automations and system connections. In this conversation, he shares an example of a Make scenario that processes plumbing work orders and describes building and using MCP connections for Housecall Pro.
Expect To Learn:
How a Make scenario can route incoming work orders into Housecall Pro.
Why workflow branches handle different customer, address, and job outcomes.
How Slack messages can help debug automation decision points.
When to use no-code automation tools instead of custom coding.
How AI use can progress from chat to connected business context and code.
Three approaches to connecting AI tools with Housecall Pro through MCP.
Why data integrity and cleanup must come before large automation projects.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to AI deployment in HVAC businesses
01:28 – Building a Make scenario for warranty work orders
04:23 – Using Slack messages for debugging
How One-Inch MERV 11 Filters Can Work With the Right HVAC Airflow Design - Part 2
lundi 12 octobre 2026 • Durée 18:03
In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie talks with Chris Howells, Senior Training & Development Manager at AprilAire, about designing smaller filters and cabinets while maintaining filtration performance and airflow. In Part 2 of their conversation, they discuss three-inch media, one-inch MERV 11 filters, and installation practices that affect pressure drop. HVAC technicians will learn why filter depth alone does not determine performance and how transitions help systems use the filter's full face opening.
Howells describes more than four years of development work informed by contractor, distributor, and consumer feedback. He explains how AprilAire's engineering and product management teams addressed shrinking mechanical spaces through changes to media construction and cabinet design. He also shares field-testing experience that connects those design choices to airflow concerns and maintenance schedules.
Key Takeaways
How smaller mechanical rooms and contractor feedback are driving thinner filter cabinets and changes to their dimensions.
How supporting mesh, electrostatic media, and adjustments to metal backing help three-inch filters retain surface area while limiting pressure drop.
The role of increased surface area and frame design in AprilAire's one-inch MERV 11 filter offering.
Why filter service intervals and field validation matter when matching filtration options to maintenance agreements.
How transitions that expose the full filter face help avoid pressure increases caused by undersized return openings.
Key Timestamps
00:00 – Factory Direct Filters Ad
00:42 – Episode overview and Guest introduction
02:22 – Cabinet evolution and demand for smaller dimensions
Why a Thicker HVAC Filter Can Have Less Pressure Drop Than a One-Inch Filter - Part 1
jeudi 8 octobre 2026 • Durée 26:53
In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie talks with Chris Howells, Senior Training & Development Manager at AprilAire, about applying indoor air quality solutions during shoulder seasons and making filtration part of a complete HVAC approach. They cover humidity concerns, filter selection, MERV ratings, pressure drop, airflow, and ways technicians can explain system performance to homeowners.
Chris draws on his work educating contractors about filtration and indoor air quality. He explains why increasingly sealed homes and modern variable-speed equipment require technicians to assess the full system, including duct design, filter surface area, and delivered airflow, before recommending higher-efficiency filtration.
Key Takeaways
How to use shoulder-season humidity and comfort concerns to start an ethical indoor air quality conversation.
Why indoor air quality solutions should address human health and comfort rather than focus on selling products.
The relationship between filter MERV rating, pressure drop, surface area, and delivered airflow.
How deeper media filters can provide more filtration surface area without equating filter depth with restriction.
Why variable-speed ECM motors can be more affected by restrictive filters than older single-stage PSC motors.
How static-pressure measurements and visual evidence can help homeowners understand filtration-related system issues.
Key Timestamps
00:00 – Factory Direct Filters Ad
00:42 – Episode overview and Guest introduction
04:14 – Providing indoor air quality solutions during shoulder season
How an AI Phone Agent Created $200K in New Business for Plumbing Companies | Vern Crawford
mercredi 7 octobre 2026 • Durée 22:14
In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes from WorkHero speak with Vern Crawford, founder of Flow Logic Automation, about practical uses of AI and automation in HVAC and plumbing businesses. They examine an after-hours AI phone agent for plumbing emergencies, the difference between deterministic automations and AI agents, and how APIs, webhooks, and MCPs connect business systems. The conversation also covers starting with simple workflows, using field service management data effectively, and preparing clean data before implementing AI.
Vern has experience working with Housecall Pro automations and building AI-enabled workflows. He discusses creating an MCP connection for Housecall Pro, using Make.com to process plumbing work orders, and helping businesses implement these systems.
Expect To Learn:
How an after-hours AI phone agent can handle emergency calls and referrals.
Why voice, tone, and local context matter when designing AI phone agents.
The difference between deterministic automations and AI agents.
How a completed-job trigger can improve office visibility in Housecall Pro.
Why technician habits and workflow design affect automation success.
How AI agents can help interpret technician notes and complete administrative tasks.
What APIs, webhooks, and Model Context Protocols do in an AI workflow.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Vern Crawford and Flow Logic Automation
Hidden Video Game Addiction Nearly Cost Matt Showers His Family After Years of Secrecy - Part 2
lundi 5 octobre 2026 • Durée 21:21
In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie speaks with Matt Showers, a commercial-industrial HVAC professional and the host of Trade Therapy Podcast, about the effects of compulsive screen time, gaming, and other obsessive behaviors on family life. They discuss recognizing a problem, confronting the consequences of addiction, setting boundaries, and taking the first step toward getting help.
Matt shares how gaming became an ongoing problem during his marriage and why an ultimatum from his wife became his turning point. Drawing on his experience of rebuilding trust and changing his habits, he explains how honesty, visible boundaries, and a long-term focus on the kind of parent and partner he wants to be have shaped his approach.
Key Takeaways
How recognizing the impact of compulsive behavior on family life can become the first step toward change.
Why knowledge and sound measurement practices matter more than owning expensive tools.
The importance of creating boundaries that reduce easy access to habits that can become compulsive.
How honesty about setbacks can help rebuild trust and keep recovery efforts accountable.
Why obsessive behavior can become harmful when it displaces sleep, food, work, or family responsibilities.
How reaching out to a trusted person can start the process of finding appropriate support.
Key Timestamps
00:00 – Cintas Ad
02:45 – Community, social media, and calling out poor HVAC practices
05:21 – Matt's breaking point with compulsive gaming and screen time
08:23 – How addiction can take many forms, including work and learning
When Do Mental Health Problems Need More Help Than Your Friends Can Give? Part 1
jeudi 1 octobre 2026 • Durée 26:30
In this episode of HVAC Know It All, host Gary McCreadie speaks with Matt Showers, a commercial-industrial HVAC professional and the host of Trade Therapy Podcast. They discuss putting real stories behind the topic, recognizing when peer support is not enough, managing screen and gaming habits, and responding to online negativity without feeding it.
Matt draws from his experience creating the Trade Therapy podcast and seeking therapy for his own screen addiction. He explains how professional support and future-focused exercises helped him reset priorities, set limits around gaming, and spend more intentional time with his family.
Key Takeaways
How sharing personal stories can make mental health conversations in the trades more concrete and relatable.
Why professional help may be necessary when a mental health challenge is beyond what a friend can help resolve.
How phone games and immersive video games can become a distraction from family and other priorities.
The value of setting a timer and stepping away from screens before they consume more time than intended.
Why asking questions and seeking context is more constructive than attacking people online.
Key Timestamps
00:00 – Cintas Ad
04:03 – Matt explains why he started the Trade Therapy podcast
09:44 – Matt describes the pull of phone games and video games
12:02 – Therapy, future-focused exercises, and resetting priorities
21:35 – Why online attacks can be driven by attention and engagement
How AI and Commissioning Are Changing the Future of HVAC Service with Jim Bergmann
mercredi 30 septembre 2026 • Durée 23:37
In this episode of the HVAC Know It All Business Edition Podcast, co-hosts Gary McCreadie and Furman Haynes from WorkHero speak with Jim Bergmann, President of measureQuick, and Director of New Product Development at Redfish Instruments Inc. about residential HVAC commissioning, reducing callbacks, and verified equipment operation.
Jim explains how airflow, static pressure, charging, and manufacturer installation requirements affect system longevity. He also discusses AI guardrails, diagnostic tools, repair options, and why HVAC businesses may benefit from more specialized roles.
Expect To Learn:
Why commissioning helps reduce callbacks and protect equipment.
How airflow and static pressure affect system operation.
What verified equipment operation includes for residential installs.
Why technicians should follow manufacturer installation requirements.
Where AI can support HVAC diagnostics and where human judgment remains necessary.
How repair options can serve customers in a repair economy.
Why specialized roles can strengthen installation and commissioning quality.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to part two with Jim Bergmann
00:48 – Callbacks and commissioning for business owners
02:02 – Verified equipment operation for residential systems
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