Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tech, Mechanic, or Craftsman? Finding Your Fit in HVAC | 01 Oct 2026 | 00:49:57 | |
Some people light up when they find a difficult electrical problem. Others want a wrench in their hand or take real satisfaction in a beautifully planned installation. Those differences can shape how we learn, what frustrates us, and where we find satisfaction in HVAC work. Bryan and Bert explore three overlapping tendencies in the trades: the technician, the mechanic, and the craftsman. In their framework, technicians gravitate toward diagnosing problems and understanding hidden causes. Mechanics engage with the physical work of repairing and assembling equipment. Craftsmen bring careful preparation, spatial planning, and pride in the finished result. Most people have some of each, and experience can build skills across all three. The conversation also covers comfort with chaos and Bryan's distinction between moralizers, who feel a strong pull toward how things should be, and normalizers, who work readily with conditions as they are. Both approaches have strengths and blind spots, especially when a job needs a mix of planning, troubleshooting, and execution. For owners, trainers, and field leaders, the practical question is how to recognize what energizes a person and give them opportunities to use it. Bryan and Bert discuss apprentice training, promotions that move people away from work they enjoy, and the value of building crews with complementary strengths. They close with mentorship and gratitude for the people whose abilities make our own work possible. Key Takeaways
Chapters 00:00 — Three ways to thrive in the trades This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, Fieldpiece, and the 2027 AHR Expo. Resources Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| Normal Subcooling, Hidden Restriction - Short #305 | 29 Sep 2026 | 00:10:47 | |
A liquid-line restriction should cause high subcooling, right? Not always. In this short episode of the HVAC School podcast, we look at why normal subcooling does not rule out a restriction and why one familiar diagnostic pattern cannot tell the whole story. Subcooling describes the refrigerant's temperature margin below saturation at a particular location. It does not directly measure how much refrigerant is stored in the condenser or prove that the metering device is receiving adequate liquid. A thermostatic expansion valve may compensate for a moderate restriction by opening farther, while a receiver can provide another place for liquid to collect. Incorrect charge, poor airflow, and other faults can also exist alongside a restriction. The practical lesson is to follow the liquid all the way to the metering device. Pressure losses through tubing, filter-driers, valves, and vertical rises can affect liquid delivery even when the reading at the outdoor unit looks normal. Temperature differences across a filter-drier can be useful clues, but a pressure drop may be difficult to detect with temperature clamps while the refrigerant remains subcooled liquid. The episode also discusses flash-gas clues, sight glasses, and the importance of inspecting the actual refrigerant path before settling on a diagnosis. The key takeaway is that normal subcooling at one measurement point does not clear the entire liquid line. Follow the refrigerant path and consider the equipment, valve response, receiver, and other operating evidence together. Topics Covered
This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, Filtrete, and the 2027 AHR Expo. Resources
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| Airflow Serenity w/ Alex Meaney | 24 Sep 2026 | 00:50:41 | |
In this episode from the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium, Alex Meaney delivers a live conference talk he calls "Airflow Serenity," built around the idea of knowing which duct problems are worth chasing and which changes will actually move the needle for a customer. He opens by describing and reframing how technicians identify airflow problems, including the "complementary failure" situation where both the ductwork and the equipment are improperly sized. The way we communicate with homeowners plays a massive role in how well we can identify these problems. The time spent learning about a homeowner's comfort complaints is a sales tool in itself. The middle of the talk is where the technical takeaways come in, including how to measure system airflow with anemometers, manometers with static pressure probes & a blower chart, and the TrueFlow Grid. The main engineering takeaway is that friction, not duct size alone, governs airflow, and that friction increases with the square of velocity — so relatively small increases in duct size or reductions in restriction along the path can produce outsized gains. There are several practical, low-cost fixes technicians can make: pulling slack out of flex duct, adding return capacity, using proper transitions and radius fittings instead of abrupt ones, avoiding compound fittings, and making sure supply plenums have a proper end cap rather than dead-ending against a wall. These can be bundled into a system replacement. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, Copeland, Santa Fe Dehumidifiers, and TruTech Tools. Resources
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| Less Compressor, More Suction Pressure - Short #304 | 22 Sep 2026 | 00:11:09 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about compression ratio and compressors, particularly why you see more suction pressure when the compressor unloads and what that means for the HVAC system's operation. When the compressor drops into low-stage or unloads, the suction pressure goes up. Regardless of the cause of reduced pumping, the head pressure will also drop as the suction pressure rises. If the conditions stay the same and the compressor stages down, the pumping capacity drops; the compressor moves less vapor while the evaporator still needs to absorb the same amount of heat. However, if the indoor airflow also drops along with the compressor stage, the load on the evaporator also changes and drops the suction pressure. Dynamic metering devices (such as TXVs and EEVs) also need to equalize and factor into the compression ratio. We should understand the sequence before condemning a compressor and then use that sequence in diagnosis. To troubleshoot and test staging, we want to identify the equipment and sequence (including how the manufacturer wants us to test staging) and then record everything at each stage or at least a few different points. We want to see how the equipment responds, such as if one part does not respond when the compressor drops to a lower stage. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, TruTech Tools, and the 2027 AHR Expo. Resources
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| Mastering Your Meter Advanced Functionality with Louise Kellar (UEi Test Instruments) | 17 Sep 2026 | 01:06:45 | |
In this episode, Bryan welcomes back Louise Kellar of UEi Test Instruments for a deep dive into getting more out of a digital clamp meter than the basic volts, amps, and ohms most techs rely on every day. The tool in the spotlight is UEi's High Accuracy Clamp Meter (HAC), which is accurate when dealing with the low current draws common on modern condenser fan and blower motors and is critical for reliable wattage and capacitor-under-load testing. The podcast also walks through a series of lesser-used but valuable meter functions, including microamp measurement for flame rectification testing, diode testing for diagnosing boards on mini-splits, the Low Z setting for eliminating ghost voltage readings and safely bleeding capacitors, and the safety-locking temperature toggle that prevents technicians from accidentally crossing voltage and thermocouple leads. Bryan and Louise also cover common mistakes, such as not knowing when to use continuity or resistance and auto-ranging mistakes, as well as some crucial takeaways about true RMS measurements, temperature settings, and CAT safety ratings. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, and Filtrete. Resources
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| Premature Coil Failure in Ductless Mini-Splits & VRF Equipment - Short #303 | 15 Sep 2026 | 00:22:13 | |
In this short podcast, Bryan and Roman discuss premature coil failure in ductless mini-splits and VRF equipment. These coils are susceptible to a few different types of corrosion. Warmer coil saturation temperatures and shorter runtimes result in lower latent capacity; whatever moisture is on the coil dries on the coil instead of draining out. Minerals and chemicals (including chlorides from bleach or cleaners) interact with the coil and may cause corrosion, including formicary ("ant's nest") corrosion. Leaks and corrosion may be environmental rather than entirely attributable to manufacturer defects. Technicians can use proper cleaners with correct dilution ratios and rinse the coils. In situations where the environment contributes to coil corrosion, such as with substances off-gassing or dealing with coastal air, we will need to dilute the pollutants by ensuring proper ventilation. Dilution needs to be intentional, especially in hot-humid climates, and ventilating dehumidifiers with good filtration may be a good move. Source control and filtration are also good mitigation strategies, and clear, open client communication can help clients understand the problem and make informed decisions about their HVAC system. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, and Fieldpiece. Resources
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| Advanced Refrigerant Recovery: Best Practices for Diverse Systems and Environments | 10 Sep 2026 | 01:12:35 | |
In this live episode, Bryan sits down with Jim Bergmann of measureQuick and NAVAC trainers Zane and Jesse Stewart for a deep, technician-focused conversation about advanced refrigerant recovery. The group covers diverse system types and environments, including low-ambient recovery. Recovery machines cannot pump straight liquid, which we need to be mindful of during service. That said, vapor-only recovery works fine for small charges, but push-pull recovery becomes worthwhile once a system holds more than roughly ten pounds of refrigerant. Refrigerant and tank contamination, as well as general safety (including tank fill limitations), are a couple of other field challenges worth considering in our recovery best practices. Some best practices to take away from this episode include attaching to the vapor side of the tank (and inverting it), pulling Schrader cores, using large hoses instead of manifold gauges, and keeping the recovery tank cool to eliminate restrictions. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, Copeland, Santa Fe Dehumidifiers, and TruTech Tools. Resources:
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| The A2L & Refrigerant Transition - Short #302 | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:17:59 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the A2L & refrigerant transition again, particularly sensors on R-454B and R-32 equipment. Since the beginning of the A2L transition, we have seen the equipment evolve and begin requiring accessories, including refrigerant sensors and blower recirculation systems (BRS) or dissipation boards. In a BRS, the blower turns on and dilutes the refrigerant in the space to keep the refrigerant concentration below the lower flammability limit (LFL) and prevent ignition. Some systems may also have isolation valves and pump themselves down whenever the A2L sensor trips. These sensors use MOS technology, which measures gas changes by tracking electrical connectivity shifts; they have limited lifespans and can become corrupted over time. In the field, you may notice a running fan without the outdoor unit running. Some diagnostic boards might give you error codes, but if you don't and don't have 24V when you troubleshoot the issue, you may want to check the sensor. The sensors could be wet, tripped by VOCs, or even have been cut out. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, TruTech Tools, Fieldpiece, and Filtrete. Resources
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| Invented For Techs, by Techs: Inside Refrigeration Technologies' "The Lab" | 03 Sep 2026 | 01:00:46 | |
In this episode, Bryan sits down with Mike Pastorello, owner of Refrigeration Technologies, and Ashley Lynds, director of education and brand management for Viper, to talk about the company's roots, its newest product launches, and where the brand is headed next. This podcast focuses on "The Lab" and how it integrates field technicians with product development. Refrigeration Technologies was built on a "for techs by techs" philosophy after John, an HVAC technician with a chemistry background, began inventing products to solve his own field problems. Now, technicians are using their field problems to inspire innovation in the Refrigeration Technologies lab, and the Easy Dose is the first product that was developed, tested, and distributed via the "Lab" initiative. The team also discusses chemical safety in their approach to products and what's really inside products like the Viper Pan & Drain Treatment and Nylog. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, Fieldpiece, and AHR Expo 2027. Resources:
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| The Ethics of IAQ – Testing vs. Remediation Conflicts - Short #301 | 01 Sep 2026 | 00:22:52 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the ethics of IAQ, particularly in terms of microbial growth testing vs. remediation conflicts, based on Roman's recent experience hiring a mold assessor and then a remediation expert in his home. Remediation is governed by S520 of the IICRC. Microbial growth is tricky because it is often hidden and has real health effects, but there is a history of fraud in its assessment and remediation. To help combat that fraud, in Florida, assessment and remediation are two separate practices with two separate licenses. Roman got to see the differences in action by working with different assessment and remediation professionals and witnessing how the two practices depend on each other but differ. First, an assessor came to Roman's house with testing equipment and a means of collecting lab samples; this assessment started outdoors and continued indoors, and the assessor produced a thorough 87-page report with the tool findings, lab findings, and pictures. As with HVAC, the results are based on science and data, and reputable assessors are licensed, independent, and have the tools and training to carry out the job without using scare tactics on homeowners. After the assessment, remediation must be done separately. In Roman's home, all equipment was isolated, and the house was brought under negative pressure with HEPA filtration. There was also surface cleaning and HEPA vacuuming. Then, after remediation, there is a post-remediation verification (PRV). The PRV is carried out by a mold assessor, not a remediator, and determines whether the remediator did their job (and in some states, like Florida, there are criminal penalties for referral payments between assessors and remediators). A PRV consists of IAQ tests and lab measurements, and the results should reveal lower numbers than the original assessment and the outdoor air.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Is 400 CFM per Ton Always Right? w/ Ty | 27 Aug 2026 | 00:43:16 | |
400 CFM per ton is useful—until it isn't. In this episode, Bryan and Ty take on one of the trade's favorite rules of thumb. It can be a reasonable starting point for many systems under moderate, near-sea-level conditions, but it is not a universal target. Proper airflow depends on actual delivered capacity, sensible and latent load, air density, climate, manufacturer data, and what the system is supposed to accomplish—not just the tonnage stamped on the cabinet. They explain why dry-climate and high-altitude applications may require more volume airflow, why humid applications often use less coil airflow to improve moisture removal, and why mass flow matters more than volume alone. They also cover nominal versus actual capacity, suction-line pressure drop, equipment-specific performance at 208 V, Manual S and expanded performance data, and field verification with measureQuick and the TrueFlow® Grid. The takeaway is simple: use the rule as scaffolding, then measure the system and follow the equipment data. This episode contains embedded sponsor messages from Refrigeration Technologies, Carrier, NAVAC, and Filtrete. Resources:
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. | |||
| The MERV 15 Filtration Physics - Short #300 | 25 Aug 2026 | 00:20:33 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman Baugh talk about indoor air quality and microbial control, specifically MERV 15 filter physics and how it all works when bringing in outdoor air. We filter indoor air to keep dust and particles off the equipment and keep them from circulating through the air. However, we also need to filter fresh air. While indoor air has several pollutants, including dust and VOCs, that make outdoor air dilution a sensible solution, outdoor air also has spores and other pollutants we want to filter out, and its quality can be hard to evaluate. Roman had an ERV that fed his VRF system, and it had significant microbial growth inside; he had some MERV 6 filtration on it, but that didn't capture particles effectively enough. MERV ratings measure the ability to filter particles out, and we use a unit called microns to measure particle size; higher ratings indicate a greater filter surface area and a better ability to filter out smaller particles. ASHRAE 52.2 divides particles into three categories: E1 (ultra-fine particles between 0.3 and 1 micron in diameter), E2 (fine particles between 1 and 3 microns), and E3 (coarse particles between 3 and 10 microns in diameter). MERV 15 filters have a 90% capture rate of E2 particles and a 90%+ capture rate of E3 particles. Fungal spores tend to fall in the E2 or E3 category, and filtration can keep those from coming into the home with fresh air; bringing in fresh air to dilute indoor pollutants is good, but we need a nuanced approach, and good filtration (without bypass) is part of that equation. Filters can also capture much smaller particles due to the way those particles move. Smaller particles move via Brownian motion, which makes them move erratically and more likely to collide with filter media. However, filter use and design, as well as fresh air intake location, can also affect filter efficacy. Filters that don't fit well in the slot enable bypass, and some filters might be restrictive. Exhaust ventilation outlets also play a role, as wind can bring those pollutants back to fresh air intakes.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Tips for Being On Call w/ Ty | 20 Aug 2026 | 00:57:39 | |
In this episode, Bryan Orr sits down with Ty Branaman for a wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to be a good on-call technician. They open by reminiscing about how dispatch technology has evolved over their careers — from pagers, radio codes, and outdated paper map books to MapQuest, early GPS units, and today's 24-hour dispatch systems. That trip down memory lane sets up the episode's central theme: while the tools have changed, the mindset needed to succeed on call has not. Both hosts agree that being on call can be genuinely enjoyable when a technician learns to embrace the autonomy, the bigger paychecks, and the quieter, less stressful roads that come with nights and weekends. A major thread running through the discussion is self-discipline and long-term thinking. Bryan and Ty encourage younger techs to treat on-call money as an opportunity rather than spending cash — saving and investing overtime pay instead of financing trucks, boats, or other lifestyle upgrades. They share stories about the financial traps of seasonal trade work, the value of staying in a consistent routine even at 2 a.m., and how cutting corners under fatigue is often what leads to injuries or callbacks. Ty compares a disciplined on-call tech to a pilot running through a pre-flight checklist: the process matters just as much in the middle of the night as it does at noon. The conversation also digs into customer relationships and judgment calls in the field. They talk candidly about the difference between genuine emergencies and entitled or overblown complaints, and how companies that over-market "24/7 service" can create unrealistic customer expectations. Bryan shares a story about temporarily misting a struggling condenser to get an elderly client through a brutal heat wave, using it to illustrate the kind of judgment-based, get-them-by fix that defines old-school on-call work — as opposed to always pushing for a full sale. Safety boundaries, cutting corners responsibly, and the excitement of solving unpredictable problems on the fly are all discussed as part of what makes the work rewarding despite its challenges. Finally, Bryan and Ty turn to advice for company owners and service managers. They emphasize building fair, well-communicated on-call rotations, respecting technicians' personal time, and charging appropriately for after-hours work so that both customers and technicians value it. Ty argues that the industry needs to reframe HVAC work as a skilled trade rather than commodity labor, and that companies should be careful not to chase more emergency calls than their technician pool can sustainably handle. The episode closes with reflections on career growth, mentorship, and the kindness that comes from helping teammates cover on-call shifts for one another. Topics Covered
Subscribe to Ty's YouTube channel, @love2hvac. Learn more about the work we're doing with Ty at the GRIT Foundation at https://www.thegritfoundation.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| The Florida "M-Word" – Legal Boundaries & Tech Communication - Short #299 | 18 Aug 2026 | 00:17:39 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan and Roman talk about Florida law and how it relates to the "M-word" (mold) and the legal boundaries our techs must respect when they communicate with customers. HVAC School and Kalos are NOT mold experts, but we have experience as HVAC professionals who encounter suspicious microbial growth in our market (and cannot diagnose or remediate mold). We cannot use the word "mold" because "mold" MUST be diagnosed by a certified mold assessor via laboratory testing according to Florida law. A guess based on sight does NOT qualify as a diagnosis; it is the equivalent of diagnosing a compressor failure as acid contamination without a test that proves the presence of acid. Residential property owners, however, are allowed to identify, remediate, and speak freely about mold in their own homes (which Roman can do because he hired mold assessors and remediators in his home). Florida limits HVAC contractors from diagnosing mold (or removing more than 10 contiguous square feet while removing, maintaining, or installing equipment) to prevent scare tactics in sales, such as by diagnosing "toxic mold" in a drain, or to sweep larger problems under the rug. There are also many different mold types that have specific characteristics that can only be identified by an assessor; HVAC contractors are not trained to recognize those. However, mold is part of our work whenever we clean coils, HVAC units distribute air (which contains mold spores from outside), and we manage moisture (which contributes to fungal growth). Mold assessors also have specific diagnostic tools and send lab samples. HVAC contractors don't have those resources, training, or certification. As HVAC contractors, need to be educated on mold, but we also need to understand our limitations; we can't diagnose it or make decisions for customers.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Becoming a GRIT Host or Mentor w/ Leilani | 13 Aug 2026 | 01:11:34 | |
In this episode, Bryan sits down with Leilani for an introduction to GRIT Camps — the hands-on program that brings skilled trades exposure to youth ages 12–17 through community events led by working tradespeople. Leilani explains that a GRIT Camp pairs recruited mentors with students for a day of modules covering safety, carpentry, electrical, brazing, and plumbing, including torch work, PVC and copper fitting, and disassembling HVAC components. Students also learn to read a jobsite-style blueprint and receive a six-in-one screwdriver to take apart and explore. Bryan and Leilani emphasize that while GRIT supplies the curriculum, guides, and structure, the host — typically a contracting business or trade organization — owns the event: recruiting students and mentors, securing a venue, and building real community connections around the day. A large portion of the conversation walks through who does what. Hosts provide the facility, materials (plywood, 2x4s, copper, PVC, and more, all detailed in GRIT's guide), and lunch for up to around 30 people, plus a local host facilitator to coordinate logistics and serve as GRIT's point of contact. Mentors must be certified skilled tradespeople who complete GRIT's required video course and pass a background check before working with students; volunteers who don't interact directly with kids are not required to undergo a background check. GRIT, in turn, supplies the camp curriculum, host and mentor guides, registration and marketing materials, badges, student blueprints and PPE, background check coordination, and on-site program leadership from staff like Ty, GRIT's head of training, who typically arrives the day before to walk the facility with the host. Bryan and Leilani also dig into planning specifics: camps run from about 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., cap out at 16 students with a two-students-per-mentor ratio (so eight to nine mentors for a full camp), and generally need 10 to 12 weeks of lead time to hit deadlines for mentor certification, materials gathering, and student registration. They cover the realities of choosing a torch and joining system — MAPP gas and propane versus oxyacetylene for brazing, and why oxyacetylene can't be used for the popular aluminum-repair activity — along with commonly overlooked items like correctly sized Forstner bits, spare drill batteries, extension cords, and pre-cut lumber. They close with guidance on budgeting (camps typically run $1,500 to $5,000), sourcing a sponsored lunch, handling allergies, inviting community press, and what makes a camp genuinely successful: preparedness paired with passion from both mentors and hosts. Topics Covered
Learn more about the GRIT Foundation or contact us at https://www.thegritfoundation.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Behind the Drywall – The Psychrometrics of a Hidden Moisture Failure - Short #298 | 11 Aug 2026 | 00:15:59 | |
In this short episode, Bryan and Roman talk about the psychrometrics of a hidden moisture failure... behind the drywall. Roman had an indoor air quality and mold assessment in his own home, and he learned that there were active mold spores in his home; he shares what he learned from the experience. Roman had a bulk water issue from plumbing (though bulk water issues can also occur outside the building or from condensate drainage problems). Walls are NOT solid; they have plumbing and insulation inside, and the air spaces between the walls support a microclimate when moisture is in there, regardless of whether it's water vapor or bulk water. In Roman's case, the bulk water failure came from the plumbing leak; it saturated the slab for half the house. The water was absorbed by the concrete, and any surface that touched the concrete transferred that water over time. The mold assessor used two different devices. The pin-type meter punctured the surface of wood or drywall and measured the resistance between the probes (water transfers electrons between them); the measurement revealed the water quantity. A pinless meter determined the source of the failure via high-frequency radio waves, and it measured the capacitance to determine whether moisture was present within or behind the surfaces. The results showed that water was behind tile, baseboards, and drywall. Thermal imaging has also proven to be a useful tool to see the cooling effect that occurs when water evaporates from liquid to vapor inside a wall, but the cold spots go away when the space thermally equalizes. While HVAC professionals cannot assess mold, we can use tools like thermal imaging to help determine when it's time for a customer to call someone who can help; we are still responsible for our customers' health and comfort in their homes.
Learn more about building science concepts, especially moisture and its effects on buildings and comfort, from the Building Science Corporation's many great resources at https://www.buildingscience.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| HVAC Education. What NOT to Do w/ Jim F., Roman B. and Craig M. | 06 Aug 2026 | 00:44:11 | |
Join Roman Baugh, Craig Migliaccio (AC Service Tech), and Jim Fultz for an unfiltered conversation about training mistakes, teaching pitfalls, and educational failures in the HVAC industry. Recorded live at the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, this candid discussion reveals what experienced educators wish they knew when they started. Learn from their mistakes so you don't have to make the same ones! Topics Covered:
The HVAC/R Training Symposium session is perfect for:
What NOT To Do in HVAC Training:
Check out Craig's books and training at https://www.acservicetech.com/. Connect with Jim on LinkedIn. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Q&A What Uninsulated Refrigerant Lines Really Cost You - Short #297 | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:10:52 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan answers a question from Evan about the true cost of uninsulated refrigerant lines, especially in terms of efficiency losses and decreased longevity. Insulation keeps refrigerant cold, usually in the suction line; it makes it harder for cool vapor refrigerant to absorb heat. (Expansion lines are also insulated.) When that refrigerant picks up heat, that heat has to be rejected again, and it makes the compressor run hotter, which can lead to premature failure. If an uninsulated or poorly insulated suction line is in an attic or crawl space, condensation may also form and cause damage, as the surface is below the dew point. When suction vapor gets warmer, the discharge temperature, discharge pressure, and compression ratio all increase. The lower the compression ratio, the more capacity per watt; more BTUs move per watt input. The density of the suction vapor also decreases, and lower densities lead to lower compressor mass flow rates; that is where the efficiency losses occur. Compressors are also cooled by suction gas, and when there is warmer suction gas, the cooling is less effective. The compressor will run hotter over the course of its life, which makes the oil less viscous and can lead to eventual oil breakdown. Technicians may also read a higher superheat on an uninsulated suction line and mistakenly add more charge to fix a classic symptom of undercharge. They may also misdiagnose a valve failure and perform an unneeded replacement. Uninsulated suction lines are also code violations that will get written up on inspection reports, so we should address them as we see them and give the client a chance to accept or decline the insulation.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Outdoor Air & Ventilation Strategies with John Semmelhack, Ty Branaman & Tim De Stasio | 30 Jul 2026 | 01:05:21 | |
In this live-stream episode, Bryan is joined by Tim DeStasio, John Semmelhack, and Ty Branaman for a deep dive into residential ventilation — the often-overlooked "V" in HVAC. The group opens with quick life updates before launching into a wide-ranging conversation covering the three core ventilation strategies (circulation, extraction, and dilution), how tight home construction changes the ventilation equation, and why there is no single "magic number" that works for every house. A major theme is the physics of pressurization and depressurization. Tim walks through balanced strategies (ERVs and HRVs), positive-pressure approaches using ventilating dehumidifiers, and exhaust-only setups — explaining why exhaust-only, while still code-compliant, is his least favorite option due to the risk of pulling air from crawl spaces, attics, or combustion appliances. Using REDCalc, Tim demonstrates how even modest airflow can swing a tight house's pressure by ten or more pascals, and the group discusses how wind, stack effect, and seasonal conditions constantly change a home's natural air exchange rate. Ty brings a service-focused perspective, emphasizing measurement before intervention — checking CO2, carbon monoxide, and other indicators before jumping to solutions like bigger fans or added dehumidification. He shares real-world stories, including a rental home with elevated CO from an unvented gas range, and stresses that building science problems (duct leakage, poorly placed bath fans, depressurized combustion appliances) often hide behind symptoms that look like simple ventilation shortfalls. Large kitchen range hoods get particular attention: hoods moving 1,200 CFM or more can seriously depressurize a house, and the group discusses code thresholds for interlocked and powered makeup air, along with practical products like the Fantech MUAS. John rounds out the discussion with a walkthrough of a real high-performance home design, showing how an ERV can serve both whole-house outside air and continuous bathroom exhaust, how MERV 16 pre-filtration has become a common upgrade since the 2021—2022 wildfire smoke events, and how an ERV can be configured to boost into a makeup-air role when a range hood kicks on. The episode closes with a look at ventilating dehumidifiers, demand-controlled ventilation, the tradeoffs of leaving blower fans in the "on" position, and recommended resources for anyone wanting to go deeper into building science. Topics Covered
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Selecting a Replacement Motor - Short #296 | 28 Jul 2026 | 00:19:22 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan covers the points to consider when selecting a replacement motor, particularly blower motors and condensing fan motors in residential and light commercial applications. Horsepower and amperage both matter for matching, but they are not the only items to consider. We also have to consider phase (three-phase vs. single-phase), voltage, and RPM; those must match exactly (barring VFDs and ECMs with variable RPMs). Frame size, shaft size, mounting, rotation, capacitor (for PSC motors), bearing type, temperature rating, enclosure (or Air Over Motor rating), and operation all matter. The failed motor is also NOT the only source of information; if it is an aftermarket motor, it might not have the correct information, so you are better off using an OEM motor or checking the manufacturer's data. Single-phase motors are common for residential condensing fan motors and will need a run capacitor. Three-phase motors tend to be more common in commercial settings, and these will not have a run capacitor. Voltages must be appropriate for the application, and if the RPM is fixed, it must match the same general range because it represents the motor speed and is based on the number of poles. However, RPM may be variable in several applications. Horsepower is the mechanical output rating (ability to do work); we CANNOT use a replacement motor with less horsepower than the OEM motor (and be careful with fractions; 1/3 is greater than 1/4). Amperage is NOT horsepower; amps are electrical input current. We want the amp rating to be close to the original motor, but it won't always match, particularly in the case of ECMs. If it doesn't match, we want to know why that is; if it's an ECM, then it's likely not a problem because ECMs can do the same work as a PSC with fewer watts. Power factor indicates motor efficiency for PSC motors, but the rules aren't quite the same for ECMs, which will have a much lower power factor (or lower wattages with higher amperages). However, if the amperage is off because we have the wrong motor, then that is a problem. The physical aspects matter for fitting the motor properly and delivering the right airflow. Rotation should match (though most universal motors can run in either direction). Airflow is especially important for blower motors, so factory replacements or ECM replacements are the way to go in those cases (it's also good to confirm airflow with a TrueFlow grid and by checking static pressure). The speed taps also need to be correct. Noise is also a factor; ball bearing motors tend to be louder than sleeve bearing motors. Temperature ratings also matter because heat can significantly reduce the lifespan of motors, and we need motors that can handle the operating conditions.
Here is the podcast episode about ECM blower amps and watts with Steve Rogers: https://www.hvacrschool.com/podcasts/what-is-up-with-blower-amps-watts-w-steve-rogers/ Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Nailing a Job Interview w/ Refrigeration Mentor | 23 Jul 2026 | 00:50:27 | |
In this episode, Bryan welcomes back Trevor Matthews from Refrigeration Mentor for a conversation focused entirely on nailing a job interview in the HVAC and refrigeration trades — whether it's a technician's very first shot at breaking into the industry or an experienced tech looking to move to a new company or specialty. Trevor opens up about his own rocky start, admitting he cycled through roughly 25 different jobs before landing in refrigeration and that he struggled with confidence in early interviews because he assumed he needed a deep resume of experience. What actually got him hired, he says, was being coachable: showing up willing to learn and do what was asked, even if that meant starting by sweeping floors. For technicians just entering the trade, Bryan and Trevor lay out a practical playbook. Research the company before reaching out — knowing what services they offer, how long they've been in business, and what type of work they do builds instant trust. Cast a wide net rather than sending out only a handful of applications, and don't get discouraged by rejection; both hosts stress "pleasant persistence" as the key to standing out, following up warmly without becoming a nuisance. Trevor shares a story about motivational speaker Les Brown showing up at a radio station day after day until he finally got a chance, as a reminder that repeated, respectful effort pays off. They also recommend creative approaches like recording a video resume tailored to a specific company, and getting ahead on certifications such as EPA 608, confined space, first aid, or defensive driving before ever applying, since these small credentials can make a hiring manager's decision much easier. The conversation then shifts to technicians pursuing their next opportunity rather than their first. Bryan explains that many larger companies route candidates through HR before they ever speak with a service manager, and that each conversation requires a different tone: HR wants to hear about safety, a clean driving record, and reliability, while a service manager wants to know how you'll bring value to customers and the team. Both agree that driving records have become a surprisingly major factor in hiring, given how much liability and cost a company takes on with every vehicle on the road. They also encourage candidates to ask people already working at a company for an internal referral, since a warm introduction dramatically increases the odds of getting hired, and many companies even offer referral bonuses that make current employees eager to help. Finally, Trevor and Bryan get tactical about interview performance itself. They recommend using AI tools to generate likely HR and technical interview questions, then practicing out loud with a spouse or friend to shake off the "rust" of not having interviewed in years. Confident humility comes up repeatedly: it's far better to admit "I don't know that term" than to bluff, and to speak with genuine curiosity about the trade rather than reciting a list of accomplishments. Trevor illustrates how a candidate can talk through a hypothetical service call step by step to demonstrate real troubleshooting knowledge, even without hands-on experience in that specific niche. The pair close by touching on soft skills like conflict resolution and building good relationships with dispatch, and Trevor shares where listeners can connect with the Refrigeration Mentor community for more training and support. Topics Covered
Learn more about all the great resources Trevor offers through Refrigeration Mentor at https://refrigerationmentor.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Digital Tools and AI - "So Happy Together" - Short #295 | 21 Jul 2026 | 00:25:50 | |
This short podcast episode is Tyler Nelson's Bry-X presentation from the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium: Digital Tools and AI - "So Happy Together." Tyler is the Business Development Manager and Global Trainer at Sauermann Americas. Artificial intelligence (AI) is measured data, not an authority, and it will not replace techs. It may enhance technicians' abilities but must be used responsibly. AI operates on clear logic and supplies pattern recognition, what-if analysis, and decision support (but NOT decision ownership). The technician ultimately owns decision authority and technical judgment, but AI helps save time. Modern AI reinforces best practices, flags inconsistencies, and cross-references industry data, meaning it amplifies experience rather than replacing it. HVAC technicians' work depends on codes and standards, physics, and diagnostic cause and effect, which all have repeatable workflows; AI provides instant analysis and verification in those key areas. We already have a wealth of data from our tools and manufacturers' literature, and AI connects those to help us make decisions; technicians fear being incorrect or missing diagnostic factors, and AI can help us assimilate data by connecting data sources and ensuring that all angles are covered. It closes interpretation gaps and gives us the framework to make constructive decisions. measureQuick is an example of a diagnostic app that integrates AI in its workflows; it is leading the way in terms of digital tools and AI integration, and it gives technicians a lot of power in the field. Apps that use AI with digital tools help us navigate the industry as equipment becomes more complex, and they save time by making your work faster and more accurate. These tools come at a cost, but those costs can be spread across flat diagnostic fees and service agreements. Feeding readings from these apps into AI can also help you understand gaps in your own thinking and understand the relationships between the tools' readings and the field reality. AI can also take the data and provide technicians with scripts that are easy for customers to understand. If you give AI specific prompts and data, including images, equipment data, tool data, and commands to include or exclude certain sources (such as excluding crowdsourced information), you can learn a lot about the system in front of you. It can also help you interpret images or videos. These functions of the tool can help us question our own assumptions, expand our understanding of field problems, and vet our decisions.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| HVAC Summer Service Calls: Rushing, Mental Fog & How to Stay on Your Game | 16 Jul 2026 | 00:54:27 | |
In this episode, Bryan leads a live team meeting focused on getting technicians mentally and practically ready for the summer rush. He opens by asking the group to name what makes the season different, and the answers pile up quickly: higher call volumes, hotter attics, more irritable customers, and a nagging pressure to move faster than usual. Bryan distills these observations into a central theme that runs through the entire conversation — the tension between speed and thoroughness, and how the desire to rush during the busy season is the root cause of most costly mistakes and callbacks. A major thread of the discussion is the idea of "sharpening your ax" before the season's workload hits full force. Bryan pushes the team to build real confidence in their tools rather than assuming they work correctly. He walks through practical habits: verifying that a leak detector is properly calibrated, understanding its components well enough to troubleshoot it, and periodically checking a vacuum pump with a micron gauge so a technician instinctively knows what normal performance looks like. He also shares a story about a mentor named Howard Erskine, using it to illustrate how small, deliberate routines — from hose-rolling technique to truck organization — compound into real speed without sacrificing accuracy. The conversation then turns to drain lines and diagnostic philosophy, centered on Bryan's "wide, narrow, wide" framework. He explains that rushing tends to collapse a technician's focus into the narrow middle step — fixing only the immediate complaint — while skipping the wide assessment before and after the repair that catches secondary issues like sagging platforms, damaged insulation, or drainage problems before they become bigger failures. A detailed real-world example involving an oversized system in a heavily shaded, lakeside home shows how factors outside a standard load calculation, like mature trees and humidity, can explain why equipment isn't "keeping up" even when nothing is actually broken. Bryan closes by connecting these technical habits to business outcomes, urging technicians to fully document and resolve issues rather than telling clients to "keep an eye on it." He frames average ticket size, callback rate, and time on call as honest indicators of thoroughness rather than sales pressure, and encourages the team to lean into detailed measureQuick reports, thermal imaging, and clear client communication so that no problem gets punted down the road. He wraps up with an honest, encouraging note about the grind of the summer season, reminding the crew that the long hours are temporary and that consistent, unhurried practices are what ultimately make the season more profitable and less stressful. Topics Covered
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| The House Always Wins! A Class On Building Science Basics - Short #294 | 14 Jul 2026 | 00:24:52 | |
In this short episode from the Bry-X stage of the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium, Tessa Murry gives a class on building science basics: The House Always Wins! Tessa is a building scientist who works with TEC. Tessa's class is about how the house puts HVAC contractors in difficult situations. When people have indoor air quality or comfort concerns, the HVAC often takes the blame, even if the issue is with the house. There are usually several little home improvement decisions that create unintended consequences and add up. In many cases, when there aren't exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms, moisture stays inside and can cause indoor condensation. Air-sealing, adding or removing insulation, replacing windows, replacing furnaces with a different efficiency model, and even moving people in can all affect comfort and air quality. Comfort issues and complaints, such as hot and cold spots, often point to issues with the house, not necessarily just the HVAC system. Pressure boundaries and thermal boundaries in the building envelope need to be aligned, continuous, and consistent for HVAC systems to do their job well, but many houses don't have that. Those boundaries need to be clear between attached spaces like attics or garages. Those spaces create problems with energy efficiency and comfort, and humidity is a problem in some climates. Garages also have fumes we want to keep out of the house. Heat moves from hot to cold, and air moves when there is a pressure differential. Mechanical equipment and wind can drive pressure differentials. If there is a pressure difference and a hole, there will be air movement. In the winter, cold air sinks and displaces warm air, which rises and creates positive pressure at the top of the house. That air will push through gaps around can lights, vents, and more. When that humid air gets into a cold attic, the moisture will condense on the roof decking surface and cause an ice dam to form. In the summer, hot, humid air comes into the structure. Regardless of the house's issues with air movement, it's on HVAC contractors to make the decisions that put the occupant's health and safety first, including calling the contractors with the knowledge to diagnose the house's problem.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Compressor Failures, What and Why w/ Ty | 09 Jul 2026 | 01:15:36 | |
In this episode, Bryan sits down with compressor teardown specialist Ty Branaman for a deep dive into what really kills refrigeration and AC compressors. After some lighthearted banter, the conversation quickly turns technical: Ty has spent years cutting apart failed compressors on video, and he explains why that practice matters so much. As he puts it, he is "all about making the invisible visible" — once a technician actually sees what happened inside a dead compressor, vague explanations like "it just got old" stop holding up. Bryan and Ty establish that a properly maintained compressor should essentially last forever, since it is a sealed system with no external contaminants — unlike an engine. The catch is that installation and service mistakes introduce the very contaminants that shorten its life. Copper plating tops Ty's list of the most common findings: moisture combines with POE oil to form acid, which etches copper that then plates onto moving parts, thickening them and eventually causing hard starts that get mistaken for a "tired" compressor. They also trace how a shorted or seized compressor is usually the end result of an earlier root cause, not the cause itself. The two work through the major categories of contamination one by one: solid debris from unswept lines and copper shavings left behind during deburring; moisture, which requires a proper pressure test, deep vacuum, and decay test to remove, plus heat to actually drive water molecules out; and non-condensable gases like oxygen and nitrogen, which throw off pressure readings and, with flammable A2L refrigerants, introduce real fire risk. Ty shares a memorable story about a compressor shell that ripped open after being left pressurized with nitrogen, and both discuss the surprisingly common problem of "wet" nitrogen and poorly maintained recovery tanks. The conversation closes on flooded starts — a hazard Ty considers hugely overlooked — where migrated liquid refrigerant mixes with crankcase oil and violently flashes to vapor on startup, often shattering scroll plates. They cover practical prevention methods, including crankcase heaters, pump-down solenoids placed ahead of the metering device, and reduced refrigerant charges, before wrapping up with Ty's quick field technique for cutting the top off a failed compressor to get an on-the-spot diagnosis rather than waiting on a full teardown back at the shop. Topics Covered
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Multi Position Valves and More - Short #293 | 07 Jul 2026 | 00:20:04 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about multi-position service valves and more valve types. Many typical residential systems have brass service valves with a hex cap and Schrader ports; access happens solely through the Schrader ports (where the cores are). Schraders are restrictive and prone to leaking, and they don't have the ability to back-seat or front-seat. In applications where we need that capability, we use multi-position service valves instead. (Note: CoreMax valves have much higher flow rates, but you can't remove the cores except with a highly specialized tool.) Multi-position service valves are common in commercial refrigeration and allow for unrestricted, full-port flow. They do not have spring-loaded cores in the service port. If you treat these valves like Schrader valves, refrigerant WILL come out if it's not back-seated. You adjust the position by turning the stem with a refrigeration service wrench; loosen the packing nut before attempting to turn the stem, as tightening it down will crush the compressible packing material around the rotating stem. Tighten it back down after making your adjustment. These valves also require lots of heat to braze, so we must cover heat-sensitive surfaces with wet rags or heat-blocking putty (like WetRag by Refrigeration Technologies). The valve must be mid-seated while brazing, not fully front-seated or back-seated, as the surfaces are more likely to warp otherwise. Mid-seating the valve also provides a high-volume path directly to the system. Back-seating the valve is the everyday running position (stem must be rotated fully counterclockwise) and blocks access to the service port. Cracking off the back seat requires you to rotate the stem slightly clockwise with service hoses securely attached, just enough to allow you to get a reading through a tiny gap. Front-seating the valve is good for isolation with the compressor off but may cause compressor failure or serious injuries if you run the compressor. Front-seating requires you to rotate the stem fully clockwise; it completely blocks the flow of refrigerant through the system, and the service port stays open to the upstream side of the valve body. Catastrophic compressor failure will happen if the suction or discharge valves are front-seated while running. General multi-position service valves are NOT king valves. King valves are multi-position service valves specifically located at the outlet of the liquid receiver. These valves front-seat to help you pump down the system when you need to do repairs on the low side; it blocks liquid refrigerant from leaving the tank. A queen valve may be located at the inlet of the receiver on the drop leg from the condenser; front-seating it with the king valve will fully isolate the receiver.
Multi-position service valve tech tip: https://www.hvacrschool.com/compressor-multi-position-service-valves/ Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Triple Point In Water and CO2 w/ Andrew G. and Matthew T. | 02 Jul 2026 | 01:02:51 | |
In this episode, Bryan is joined by Matthew Taylor, a supermarket refrigeration specialist whose expertise centers on CO₂ rack systems, and Andrew Greaves, Director of User Experience at NAVAC Tools, for the third installment of their series on triple-point evacuation. The conversation expands beyond water to bring CO₂ into the picture, exploring where the two refrigerants behave similarly around the triple point and "more importantly" where the differences can create serious field problems. Whether you're pulling vacuums on residential equipment or servicing transcritical CO₂ racks at a grocery store, understanding what actually happens at these phase boundaries will change how you approach the work. The triple point of water sits at 4,579 microns, corresponding to just above 32°F (273 Kelvin). Andrew shares a fascinating piece of metrology history: for decades, the Kelvin was formally defined as one two-hundred-and-seventy-third of the triple point of water, making it the most reproducible temperature constant ever established. In practical HVAC terms, this means that any time a technician hits industry-standard evacuation targets, they pass right through the triple point of water "every single time." The danger isn't the crossing itself but what happens when moisture is present in a cold ambient: the vacuum pump can create ice, and because sublimation requires enormous energy input from the surrounding environment, that ice can persist and deliver a falsely passing vacuum reading. Andrew explains why a decay test is the real proof of a dry system, since sublimating ice will continue to raise the micron reading after the pump is isolated. The conversation also covers how micron gauges actually work: they measure thermal conductivity, not pressure, which is why refrigerant vapor entrained in compressor oil can cause wild, erratic gauge behavior that mimics both moisture and a leak simultaneously. For CO₂, the triple point arrives at roughly 70°F and 75 PSI "conditions that are easy to stumble into in the field." Matthew explains that in an operating transcritical CO₂ system, the triple point itself isn't the daily concern; the danger comes when a technician relieves pressure too quickly and liquid CO₂ flashes right through the triple point, instantly forming dry ice inside the lines and creating a hard plug. On the opposite end of the scale, CO₂ faces a critical point at just 87°F and 1,055 PSI, something that is essentially unreachable for most conventional refrigerants but is a routine operating reality in warm climates. Matthew walks through exactly what happens in a transcritical system: above the critical point, the CO₂ behaves as neither liquid nor vapor, the PT chart no longer applies, and a conventional condenser becomes a "gas cooler" that rejects heat but cannot condense the refrigerant. The refrigerant must be forced through a high-pressure valve to drop it back below the critical point, where it flashes instantly into liquid inside a flash tank. The episode also covers the "burping" behavior of CO₂ pop-off valves during high-ambient conditions, the dangers of isolating liquid CO₂, and how grocery stores have evolved from keeping spare CO₂ cylinders on hand to battery-powered fractional compressor systems that keep the flash tank subcritical through power outages. The episode wraps up with takeaways that apply across both refrigerant worlds. Big hoses and fast pumps don't eliminate moisture problems; they can actually create a false-confidence scenario where ice forms, the system still pulls deep, and the technician believes the job is done. The decay test remains the only reliable proof of dryness, and nitrogen sweeps serve multiple purposes: adding turbulence to help release refrigerant from oil, displacing refrigerant from the micron gauge sensor, and temporarily raising the system back above the triple point so ice converts to liquid before being removed as vapor. The group also briefly touches on the emerging CO₂ carbon capture industry, where the triple point is used intentionally to separate and harvest CO₂ from industrial flue gases. The world of CO₂ service is growing fast, from niche grocery racks to mini-split-sized transcritical units, and the tooling needed to work on the high-pressure side hasn't fully caught up yet. Topics Covered
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Washing Commercial Coils and Water Challenges - Short #292 | 30 Jun 2026 | 00:13:32 | |
In this short podcast episode, Bryan talks about considerations for washing commercial coils and water challenges techs might face. Despite being the topic of debate within the last several years, cleaning coils matters and will affect performance. When washing coils, we use Refrigeration Technologies Viper cleaners (especially Venom Packs) when we actually need cleaners. No matter which cleaner you use (or if you don't), you want some pressure and a high flow rate when rinsing, but keep in mind that some pressure-washers may produce too much pressure and too little flow; the sweet spot is around 300 PSI, and microchannel coils require extra caution. In terms of commercial maintenance contracts, we often have a lot of coils to wash and may not have adequate water access for the job. We find that the best move is to ask the client to install plumbing infrastructure that allows for better water access. If they refuse, you can increase the labor charge due to extra hose setups, reduced pressure, etc. The client must also be able to provide safe access to the coils; do not write a proposal or carry out a maintenance procedure if techs cannot carry out the work safely. Strict chemical policies are important, too. Water-first approaches are best; if a water wash is sufficient, use just water and only escalate to chemicals if there is a clear need for a stronger cleaning. If you use chemical cleaners, use the proper dilution ratio; over-concentrated cleaners can damage coils. Chemicals also require more rinsing, and it's more economical to do as little rinsing as possible. Pre-rinsing, adding cleaner from bottom to top, letting the cleaner dwell, and rinsing off is the ideal sequence. If you encounter water challenges on the ground, you can use a ground-based water trailer with a high-output, low-pressure washer attached. If the issue is on the roof, a battery-powered washer can help (like the Dewalt 20V MAX cordless power cleaner); they draw from vessels of water, like 5-gallon jerricans. Remove the casing if you need to (making sure the client pays for that additional labor), and rinse from the inside out.
Learn more about Refrigeration Technologies cleaners at https://www.refrigtech.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Does AI Belong in Trades Education w/ Ty | 25 Jun 2026 | 00:49:14 | |
Bryan opens this conversation with Ty Branaman, Head of Training at the GRIT Foundation, by digging into a question that anchors everything else in the episode: what is trades education actually for? Ty's answer is unambiguous — it's about people, not information. He describes his own struggle with traditional, reading-heavy instruction and explains how that personal experience shaped his teaching method, one built around making concepts visible, relevant, and hands-on. Bryan builds on the idea, arguing that education is too often treated as a simple transfer of information when it's really a deeply human exchange, a kind of gift passed from one person to another through real, physical, kinesthetic experience rather than passive reading or watching. From there, the conversation turns to artificial intelligence, the central topic of the episode. Ty is careful to clarify that he isn't anti-AI; he uses it daily to clean up grammar, soften prickly emails, and refine images. His concern is specifically about AI replacing the human elements of teaching — the mentor a student looks up to, the instructor who visibly cares whether someone actually learns. Bryan adds a related warning about AI confidently producing false information, citing examples from law and HVAC alike, and introduces the idea of an "AI human sandwich," where human creativity starts the process, AI assists in the middle, and a human vets and rehumanizes whatever comes out the other end. Much of the discussion circles back to Ty's long-standing frustration with PowerPoint-driven training, and how AI threatens to make that problem worse by adding a synthetic avatar to read slides aloud instead of fixing the underlying issue. He recounts being written up at a previous job for skipping a PowerPoint lecture to take students into the lab, and shares a favorite teaching memory from Kalos, where an instructor named Burt used the Socratic method to walk trainees through assembling Unistrut by hand. Stories like the blower-wheel, set-screw lesson — where students learn far more by struggling through a mistake than by hearing the right answer recited to them — reinforce the episode's larger argument: hands-on repetition simply cannot be replaced by slides or scripts. The episode closes on the mission of the GRIT Foundation and the broader case for investing in human mentors rather than administrative shortcuts. Ty and Bryan talk about the cost and effort behind genuinely human-made training videos from creators like Craig Migliaccio and SkillCat, contrasting that investment with how easily AI could fake the same content for far less. Bryan shares a personal story about teaching basic electrical work in Haiti and the unforgettable reaction of an elderly student who lit up the moment her circuit worked, while Ty reflects on the mentors who shaped his own career. Both agree that AI can support trades education, but it can never substitute for a person who genuinely cares whether someone learns. Topics Covered
Learn more about the GRIT Foundation at https://www.thegritfoundation.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Q&A System Oversizing - Short #291 | 23 Jun 2026 | 00:09:55 | |
In this short Q&A podcast episode, Bryan answers a question from Evan, a licensed mold assessment consultant, about system oversizing: What can be done when an HVAC system is oversized to control humidity and keep occupants comfortable? The extent of the problem will depend on how badly the equipment is oversized, whether it has any turn-down or staging, and how the latent capacity is set up. To make the equipment work as best as it can, reducing the airflow to about 350 CFM per ton can help, as well as properly setting up dehumidification modes. The downside to slower airflow is a likely increase in cabinet and duct sweating. In brand-new houses, it may be possible to swap the condenser (though it may be unlikely with the recent refrigerant change) and then drop airflow at the air handler. You can use AHRI's data to look for a possible match and then check the manufacturer's expanded performance data to verify whether a new condenser is a match. It's also possible to decouple the latent and sensible loads by installing a dehumidifier. However, completely decoupling the loads is not always practical, as a properly-sized HVAC system is the main source of dehumidification (and the dehumidifier fills in the gaps). Dehumidifiers need to be installed properly (with the supply ducted into the supply duct). Intentionally derating the equipment's cooling capacity, such as via reheat, will turn it into a better dehumidifier, but you're still adding sensible BTUs and need to be aware of the consequences of that, including higher power bills. You can use electric reheat, remove insulation, or remove shades from windows. Using a smaller compressor until the system can be replaced and downsized would achieve a similar effect but comes with other negative consequences. Right-sizing equipment, load-matching, and managing air movement and heat transfer are ultimately the keys to preventing moisture problems.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Filters - MERV 13, Myths & More | 18 Jun 2026 | 00:36:12 | |
In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, Bryan sits down with Kelsey Hei and Andy Fox from 3M Filtrete to pull back the curtain on what really goes into a quality air filter. Most homeowners — and even some contractors — think of air filters as simple screens that catch dust, but as this episode makes clear, modern filter technology is anything but simple. From proprietary nonwoven fiber structures to electrostatic charging that turns fibers into "magnets" for microscopic particles, the science behind a great air filter is both fascinating and critically important for equipment health and the air we breathe every day. The conversation digs deep into why MERV 13 has become the gold standard recommendation from organizations like the EPA and CDC — especially in the wake of COVID-19 and worsening wildfire seasons across the country. While higher MERV ratings deliver better particle capture, they can also mean higher pressure drop, which strains HVAC equipment. This is where Filtrete's MPR 1900 filter stands out: it achieves MERV 13 performance while maintaining a pressure drop comparable to most MERV 8 filters — roughly half that of leading competitors. That balance between filtration efficiency and airflow resistance is something 3M has spent over 35 years engineering. One of the most compelling segments focuses on real-world testing. Rather than relying solely on lab data, 3M runs extensive in-home studies — placing filters in dozens of homes during Minnesota winters, then retrieving and analyzing them to measure real-life efficiency and pressure drop. This commitment to real-world validation ensures Filtrete's claims hold up in the messy, variable conditions of actual homes, not just controlled lab environments. Bryan and the guests also discuss how overloaded or collapsed filters can cause serious equipment issues, including frozen coils and system shutdowns in extreme cases — underscoring why filter quality and regular replacement matter enormously. The episode wraps with practical advice for contractors and homeowners alike: if you're installing a new system, push for a four- or five-inch filter slot to maximize surface area, lower ongoing pressure drop, and extend filter life. For existing one-inch slots, the MPR 1900 is the top pick. The Filtrete Smart App is also highlighted as a handy tool for setting filter change reminders and monitoring local air quality — making it easier than ever for consumers to stay on top of their indoor air health. Topics Covered · 3M Filtrete's history — 35+ years of indoor air quality innovation, owning the full manufacturing value chain from raw fiber to finished filter · The three pillars of air filter design — Efficiency, pressure drop, and air filter lifetime — and how they must be balanced · Nonwoven media explained — Why random fiber orientation captures particles more effectively than woven fabrics · Electrostatic charging technology — How fibers are engineered to attract and trap microscopic particles · Charge stability over time — Shelf life testing and real-world in-home studies to verify long-term performance · Why MERV 13 matters — EPA, CDC, and ASHRAE recommendations; effectiveness against bacteria, viruses, allergens, and wildfire smoke · Pressure drop and airflow — How high-resistance air filters strain equipment, raise energy bills, and can cause system failures · MPR 1900 spotlight — MERV 13 filtration at MERV 8 pressure drop, with publicly available data through the California Energy Commission · California Energy Commission database — Publicly available pressure drop and efficiency data on every filter sold in the U.S. · Pleats and surface area — Why having more pleats equals better dust-holding capacity and a longer filter life · Frame strength and bypass prevention — How structural integrity affects real-world performance over the filter's lifespan · MPR rating system explained — Microparticle Performance Rating: Filtrete's system focused on capturing the smallest, hardest-to-catch particles · Exceeding ASHRAE minimums — Filtrete's MERV 11, 12, and 13 filters all capture significantly more fine particles than the minimum standard requires · One-inch vs. four/five-inch filters — Why thicker filters are ideal for new installs and how to maximize one-inch slot performance · Energy consumption impact — How pressure drop affects fan wattage, system efficiency, and real annual utility costs · The Filtrete Smart App — Set filter change reminders at 30/60/90 days, store filter sizes, and get local air quality alerts
Learn more about Filtrete's air filters at filtrete.com or download the Filtrete Smart App on your Android or iOS smartphone. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| From High Performance Medicine to High Performance HVAC - Short #290 | 16 Jun 2026 | 00:26:40 | |
In this short podcast from the 8th HVACR Training Symposium's Bry-X stage, Ken Davis shares his experience as an HVAC contractor who has brought vital experience from high-performance medicine to High-Performance HVAC. Ken's experience comes from developing high-reliability organizations (HROs). An HRO has a low fail rate in an industry where high fail rates aren't tolerated due to catastrophic consequences, such as in medicine, nuclear, and aviation industries. This model can also be applied to relatively low-risk industries, like HVAC, to help businesses perform better. Ken had the idea to use the HRO model when he witnessed a traumatic medical emergency and co-founded an air medical program that brought trauma management methods from the hospital to the field. These methods bought time to transport patients to the hospital and improved survivability outcomes; they could also be applied to relatively low-stakes HVAC work and produce better outcomes. One of the key aspects of developing an HRO is to use checklists for complex tasks. Interactive checklists help people think through the procedure and see what they may have forgotten. They also make mistakes visible and show how change is possible; the HVAC professional just needs to have the desire to do better, which can be screened for during the hiring phase by searching for work ethic and personality over experience. As HVAC professionals, in addition to creating detailed checklists, we can start by getting better at the basics, such as evacuation, airflow measurement, and utilizing software tools like measureQuick. Load calculations are also important, as is the use of software to make sure they're accurate and aid with proper equipment selection. Improving ductwork also has the potential to produce much better outcomes for customers, regardless of whether you use flex or sheet metal ductwork. We can also use advanced tools and testing methodologies (like zonal pressure diagnostics and blower door tests) to sell upgrades that verifiably improve customer indoor air quality, such as dehumidification and better filtration.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Training The Next Generation of HVACR Technicians w/ Lenny Diaddario (Copeland) | 11 Jun 2026 | 00:34:17 | |
In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan sits down with Lenny from Copeland to explore how one of the most respected names in HVAC and refrigeration is actively investing in the next generation of technicians. Lenny leads Copeland's aftermarket demand creation efforts, which includes everything from working with wholesale networks and trade shows to educational partnerships with schools and nonprofit organizations. The conversation covers a wide range of initiatives aimed not just at recruiting people into the trades, but at giving them the tools and confidence to thrive long-term in the industry. A major theme throughout the episode is Copeland's belief that workforce development is a shared responsibility across the entire industry chain — from manufacturers and parts suppliers to contractors and educators. Lenny describes how Copeland partners with organizations like SkillsUSA, Skills Canada, and the NC3 (National Coalition of Certification Centers) to provide hands-on training opportunities and industry certifications to students in trade and tech schools. Copeland sends trainers to these competitions with mobile refrigeration simulators, where students troubleshoot real-world fault scenarios and receive detailed feedback afterward — making it both a competitive and educational experience. The episode also dives deep into Copeland's Train-the-Trainer program, a cornerstone of their work with NC3 partner schools. Rather than simply handing schools a curriculum and walking away, Copeland brings educators through an intensive one-week program covering HVACR system fundamentals, troubleshooting, and compressor operation — complete with hands-on activities, refrigeration simulators, and even compressor teardowns. The goal is to ensure that instructors can confidently deliver accurate, field-relevant material to their students. Lenny emphasizes that Copeland intentionally avoids "death by PowerPoints," preferring interactive, application-based learning that mirrors what technicians actually encounter on the job. On the technology side, the conversation highlights the newly unified Copeland Mobile app, which now integrates White-Rodgers tools alongside the existing Copeland suite. Features like Check and Charge, PT Pro, and Fault Finder help technicians quickly diagnose system issues in the field, while the AI-powered Scout tool allows users to query Copeland-approved engineering bulletins and product data for fast, accurate answers. Lenny and Bryan discuss why this kind of tightly controlled, manufacturer-backed AI is genuinely valuable — cutting through information overload so a tech on a rooftop can get the right answer quickly. The episode wraps up with details on the HVACR Tech Appreciation Day sweepstakes happening April 1 through June 30, where Copeland is giving away approximately $3,000 worth of tools as a thank-you to technicians across the industry. Topics Covered
Copeland's Resources: Sweepstakes: Enter Copeland's HVACR Technician Appreciation Sweepstakes before June 30th, 2026 at hvacrschool.com/copelandsweepstakes. Copeland Mobile App: apps.copeland.com/copelandmobile Educator Resources: https://www.copeland.com/en-us/training-support Educational Services Email: educationalservices.coldchain@copeland.com
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 8th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Communications Might Be Your Best Tool - Short #289 | 09 Jun 2026 | 00:16:04 | |
This short episode is Andy Holt's session from the Bry-X stage of the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium: Communications Might Be Your Best Tool. In this session, Andy covers some key communication and customer service principles that can help you become a better technician. In the end, customers won't remember your technical knowledge; they will remember how you made them feel, and that's why good communication is so important. Andy's core philosophy is that we aren't in the HVAC business; we are in the people business and just happen to fix HVAC systems. In many cases, technicians can control the way customers perceive them; while some technicians may not care about how the customer perceives them, owning and being aware of our mannerisms and way of speaking can go a long way to build good relationships. Having a clear process that is open to adaptation is the key to creating a good first impression when you greet the customer. Be cognizant of your mindset when meeting new people as well, as a positive outlook will make it easier to speak pleasantly (verbal communication) and show welcoming body language (nonverbal communication). Nonverbal communication is a huge part of communication, including tone of voice, gestures, and eye contact; attentive but variable eye contact, a solid handshake, a friendly tone of voice, and especially a smile can do a lot to put customers at ease and make them feel satisfied with your service.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| All About Airflow Testing w/ Eric Kaiser | 04 Jun 2026 | 01:08:11 | |
In this session from the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium in Florida, Eric "Elk" Kaiser delivers a comprehensive workshop on airflow testing and measurement. Eric opens by challenging technicians to think beyond simply pointing an instrument at a duct and reading a number. Before selecting any tool, he argues, professionals must understand exactly what they are measuring — whether that is velocity, pressure, volume (CFM), or the mass weight of air — and why each of those values matters for designing ductwork, sizing equipment, and delivering comfort to customers. The session sets the stage for a deeper technical conversation about the physics of air and how those physics affect measurement accuracy in the real world. A significant portion of the presentation focuses on air density and how it affects the accuracy of common industry formulas. Eric walks through the origin of the widely-used 1.08 and 4.5 airflow constants, explaining that they are derived from a theoretical "standard air" condition of sea level pressure (14.7 PSIA) and 0% relative humidity — conditions that virtually no technician encounters in the field. He demonstrates how changes in altitude, temperature, and humidity all shift air density, causing those constants to become variables. For technicians working at elevations above 2,500 feet, the density difference can exceed 10%, enough to significantly skew BTU calculations and equipment performance assessments if left uncorrected. Eric also walks through a real-world scenario involving measurements taken across an operating evaporator coil, where a 3.4% density shift between return and supply could easily be misread as duct leakage. The workshop then moves into a thorough survey of airflow measurement instruments and the specific conditions each one is best suited for. Eric covers vane anemometers (large and mini), hot wire anemometers, pitot tubes, flow hoods (passive and active/fan-powered), flow boxes, the temperature rise method, and the digital TrueFlow grid. For each tool, he discusses accuracy considerations, density correction requirements, velocity limitations, placement requirements, and common mistakes. He is candid about the limitations of manufacturer performance charts, sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how one manufacturer evaluated static pressure using a six-foot plenum and four averaging probes — conditions that bear no resemblance to a cramped residential closet with a coil slammed on top of the furnace. The takeaway is that no chart, regardless of source, should be trusted without understanding the conditions under which it was created. Throughout the session, Eric emphasizes a core professional philosophy: understand your instruments, understand their limitations, and understand what level of accuracy is truly needed for the job at hand. He introduces the concept of stacked inaccuracies — where instrument error combines with density correction error to produce readings that can mislead technicians into diagnosing problems that do not exist, or missing ones that do. He concludes with a strong endorsement of the digital TrueFlow grid for residential applications, highlighting its app-based forecasting feature that allows technicians to predict whether a new piece of equipment will work on an existing duct system before the installation begins. The session closes with audience Q&A covering topics such as using density-correcting instruments to compare supply and return readings, and measuring airflow in systems with multiple filter grilles. Topics Covered
You can watch the flow hood comparison video by TruTech Tools HERE. You can also check out all of the great free downloads and other resources TruTech Tools has to offer at https://trutechtools.com/resources. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| The Deep End with Roman Baugh: Live Call, Grounded Compressor, Mitsubishi Mini-Split | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:15:10 | |
In this short podcast, Roman Baugh takes over with his new series, "The Deep End," where he shares tech support conversations. This time, Roman is on the other end of a live tech support call about a grounded compressor with an existing Mitsubishi mini-split (Mr. Slim heat pump). The unit in this case had an unclear service history due to the homeowner moving in recently. In this issue, the compressor kicked on and kicked off immediately. After the technician in this scenario told tech support that he had no continuity from the compressor to ground, tech support asked him to check the resistance (which was 43 ohms from black to ground and 43 from white to ground). Tech support concluded that the compressor was grounded, and it needed to be replaced (along with the PCB). However, the resistance disappeared mid-call, and intermittent resistance readings don't always indicate a failed winding; it's worth noting that cool ambient temperatures that enable liquid refrigerant to migrate into the compressor could potentially skew electrical readings. Roman recommended shutting the system down and trying to get the system to run. His rationale was that if the unit ran and didn't keep stopping, the system may have been overcharged or lacking a crankcase heater. However, that did not show any improvement in operation; the compressor rattled for about a second and shut off. A resistance test confirmed that the compressor was grounded, pointing to a mechanical issue with the compressor and not just a one-off instance of refrigerant migration. This type of failure can happen when there are repeated instances of liquid refrigerant in the crankcase over time.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Add Duct Renovations to Your Product Offerings | 28 May 2026 | 00:40:12 | |
In this episode, HVAC veteran Adam Mufich of National Comfort Institute (NCI) pulls back the curtain on one of the industry's most overlooked problems: the majority of residential HVAC systems in the United States are not delivering the correct amount of airflow. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, Adam opens up about his own journey from confident installer to humbled diagnostician, sharing the moment he started measuring his systems and realized how much he had been getting wrong. His candor and expertise make this a must-listen for any HVAC professional serious about doing better work. Adam walks listeners through a sobering picture painted by a Department of Energy study covering 44 research projects across the country. The data reveals that between 50 and 93 percent of systems tested moved less than the minimum 350 CFM per ton of capacity, and between 67 and 100 percent of systems leaked more than 100 CFM to the outside. Equipment oversizing is rampant, with some studies showing that up to 93 percent of systems exceed what Manual J calculations would call for. The ripple effects are enormous: compressor failures, blown blower motors, cracked heat exchangers, wasted energy, and homeowners who are simply not comfortable in their own homes. Adam argues that the single most powerful fix is also the most underused one — properly sizing the equipment in the first place. The bulk of the episode dives into two distinct approaches NCI teaches for addressing these problems. The first is the Air Upgrade, a targeted set of repairs focused near the equipment to reduce static pressure and increase fan airflow. This includes reworking the filter system (a commonly undersized 16x25x1 filter can triple the allowed pressure budget on its own), improving duct fittings with lower equivalent lengths, cleaning evaporator coils and blower wheels, adjusting fan speed, and sealing duct joints. The second approach is full Duct Optimization, a more comprehensive renovation that addresses the entire duct system, incorporates Manual D calculations, installs balancing dampers, improves insulation, and uses tools like flow hoods and MeasureQuick to verify that every room in the house is receiving the correct airflow and BTUs. Adam also spends time on the practical and human side of this work — how to talk to homeowners, how to prioritize what matters to them, and how to overcome the very real obstacles that keep technicians from doing thorough airflow work. He addresses everything from fear of opening walls (his solution: build relationships with drywall contractors and offer turnkey repairs) to the simple but powerful mindset shift of treating airflow as something to be measured, not felt with your hand. His closing message is clear: the tools and methods exist, the training is available, and virtually every house in the country has a problem worth solving. The only thing standing in the way is the willingness to do it right. Topics Covered
To learn more about NCI and its training offerings, visit https://www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com/. Watch Adam Mufich's previous symposium session, Fan Law 2 for Techs, at https://www.hvacrschool.com/videos/fan-law-2-for-techs-with-adam-mufich/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Refrigeration Pulse Valves - Short #288 | 26 May 2026 | 00:21:12 | |
In this short podcast from the Bry-X stage of the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium, Matthew Taylor from Kalos Services introduces refrigeration pulse valves, which started as a solution for CO2 refrigeration systems and are now common in commercial refrigeration as a whole. He briefly explains how they work and describes their role in the refrigeration systems (and possibly commercial HVAC systems in the future!). Refrigeration systems have moved away from electronic expansion valves (EEVs), which have been adopted by residential HVAC systems only recently, and have been using pulse valves instead. Pulse valves are also electronic expansion devices with fewer parts than EEVs (which often have stepper motors and complex electronics) and lower failure rates as a result. Pulse valves have a pressure transducer and a temperature sensor that go on the suction line to calculate the superheat; these report to a controller that takes the data from those parts, calculates the superheat based on the refrigerant and programming, and controls the valve like an EEV. However, there are only two wires, and the controller turns the valve on or off (like a solenoid) instead of sending pulses out. Solenoids just open or close completely, but pulse valves have a port (oversized fixed orifice) through which liquid refrigerant passes; when the load changes, the controller merely sends power to open the valve when the load goes up and stops sending power to close the valve when the load goes down. The valve is open for a certain percentage, and the on/off function is open for that amount of time in a six-second duty cycle (and off for the remaining time); this is pulse-width modulation. They also work well with refrigerants that have glide. However, pulse valves have some challenges. They may have issues in cases where we have very long evaporators, as there are delays between what happens between the inlet and outlet. Having multiple, shorter evaporators is a common solution to this problem, and these designs are more efficient in general (especially when they can be used with efficient refrigerants that move slowly through the evaporator). Pulse valves also require a computer (though EEV ones are similar), and are less serviceable than other valves; some may require technicians to take the valve apart to take the screen out, which requires replacement O-rings and gaskets. They are also noisy enough for customers to hear them.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Residential HVAC Install Process Improvement | 21 May 2026 | 00:33:16 | |
In this candid team meeting, Bryan — a founder of Kalos Services and a veteran of residential HVAC — gathers his install crew to have an honest conversation about what goes wrong on the job. With summer around the corner and the workload about to spike, Bryan circles back to his roots in residential HVAC to lead a round-table discussion on the pain points his technicians face every single day. Rather than pointing fingers, he opens the floor for every team member to voice the specific frustrations that slow down their installs, and what emerges is a surprisingly consistent list: size and clearance problems, missing small materials, incomplete job photos, and last-minute schedule changes that leave crews scrambling before they even pull out of the shop. Bryan draws on his own humble origins as a one-man operation hauling equipment on a Gladiator trailer — doing installs, service calls, and waste runs all in the same day — to remind his team that chaos is not inevitable; it is the byproduct of poor process. He is refreshingly self-aware, admitting that he was a very bad installer who routinely showed up with equipment that did not fit the space. That honesty sets the tone for the entire session: this is not a lecture about accountability, but a collaborative problem-solving conversation about building repeatable systems that prevent the same mistakes from happening over and over again. As Bryan frames it, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result — and right now, the team is living that cycle. The heart of the session focuses on a three-phase planning framework: what should be done the night before a job, what should happen at the shop before the crew leaves, and what needs to occur during the first 30 minutes on-site. Bryan emphasizes that skipping proper measurements and job photos should carry the same weight as failing an inspection or leaving a refrigerant leak — because the downstream cost is just as real. He breaks down the two categories of mistakes that are truly unacceptable for any installer: refrigerant leaks from improper brazing, and water leaks from poorly executed drain lines. No amount of clean workmanship makes up for either of those failures, and he walks the crew through the non-negotiable steps — pressure testing and bubble solution on every single joint — that prevent them. Bryan wraps up by tying individual preparation habits to the bigger picture of company growth. He acknowledges that last-minute installs and mid-job equipment runs may never fully disappear, but that investing 15 minutes the evening before and 30 minutes on arrival creates a compounding tipping point effect — over time, the crew gains back hours, reduces surprises, and frees up the time that matters most: commissioning the system properly. Checklists, he argues, are not about turning skilled tradespeople into robots; they are about transferring institutional knowledge to the next generation of technicians and ensuring that nothing critical gets overlooked, no matter how many times you have done the job before. Topics Covered
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| How to Teach Kids the Trades - Short #287 | 19 May 2026 | 00:27:46 | |
In this short podcast from the Bry-X stage of the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, Ty Branaman and Leilani Orr talk about how to teach kids the trades. They share lessons they've learned from the GRIT Foundation and over their careers as trades and home educators. Their approaches have evolved over the years, and GRIT has also evolved quite a bit from its beginnings. Leilani and Ty have found that the Socratic method is great for getting students to think critically; instead of spoon-feeding answers, teachers ask the students "why" and "how" questions. In GRIT Camps, mentors are there to keep students safe and guide them when needed, but mentors ultimately let students make mistakes and figure things out on their own. Students often make leaky joints when they braze for the first time, but it's their first time holding torches and most of the tools used at GRIT Camp. Making mistakes is crucial to the learning process. The mistakes we (and the students) make with our own hands also stick with us more than being told how to do a task the right way. Then, when students struggle, we can ask if they want to know a shortcut; they give their mentors permission to show them the right way. This method builds curiosity, and it allows students to get excited about a career in the trades or realize that the trades aren't for them but still walk away with hands-on skills and a newfound respect for the trades. Many tradespeople take the trade skills they learned as children for granted, as many children nowadays don't develop the same hands-on skills. The GRIT Foundation has a course that teaches mentors to teach students those hands-on skills that already seem like second nature to them. Even so, the course is just a guide, not something that needs to be followed to the letter. Many of the concepts taught in the guide and that mentors use at GRIT Camp also apply to apprentices.
Learn more about the GRIT Foundation at https://www.thegritfoundation.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Geothermal – Back to the Basics w/ Brad Cooper | 14 May 2026 | 00:29:45 | |
In this episode, Brad Cooper — second-generation HVAC technician, educator at Arkansas State University-Beebe (ASUBB), and CMHE-certified professional with HVAC Excellence — breaks down geothermal systems for everyday HVAC technicians. Brad brings a grounded, no-hype perspective to a technology that has long intimidated many in the trade. His central message is simple: if you already understand heat pumps and air conditioning, you already have most of the knowledge you need to service geothermal units. The only real difference, as Brad explains, is swapping air for water, a fan for a pump, and a condenser for two heat exchangers. Brad opens with a compelling real-world story: a customer with two malfunctioning geothermal units called a company for help, but because the technicians were unfamiliar with geothermal systems, they replaced both units with air-to-air equipment — costing the customer $25,000 and stripping them of the significant efficiency benefits geothermal provides. This kind of outcome is exactly what Brad wants to prevent. He urges technicians not to shy away from geothermal work the way past generations were told to avoid flex duct or mobile homes, but instead to approach these systems with the same confidence and diagnostic mindset they bring to any HVAC call. A major portion of the episode is devoted to practical diagnostics — specifically, how to use a pressure probe and a temperature probe on the water side to calculate GPM flow, BTU output, and system efficiency using a straightforward chart. Brad walks listeners through the math: a gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds, multiplied by flow rate and delta T, gives you a reliable BTU reading — all without expensive equipment. He also covers the flush cart, the one specialized tool you'll eventually need for water-side work, and explains that most geothermal calls don't require it at all — the majority of failures are standard heat pump issues like bad capacitors, clogged drain lines, or faulty thermostats. Brad closes with an encouraging, community-minded message: you don't need to go it alone. He encourages technicians to build a network of mentors — someone like a "Paul and a Barnabas" — who can guide them through unfamiliar territory in the field. He also highlights key industry resources, including IGSHPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association) for training and certification, GeoFlow for parts and materials, and his brother's company, EDGE Geo Supply, for tools and field training. Brad himself offers his personal phone number and email for anyone with questions, reinforcing that the geothermal community is accessible and willing to help. Topics Covered • Brad's background as a second-generation HVAC tech and his role at ASUBB and HVAC School • Why geothermal systems intimidate technicians — and why they shouldn't • The core analogy: air-to-air vs. geothermal (air → water, fan → pump, condenser → two heat exchangers) • A $25,000 cautionary tale: replacing working geo units out of fear and unfamiliarity • Geothermal efficiency: constant EER ratings vs. seasonal SEER ratings and why seasons don't affect geo performance • BTU fundamentals: what a BTU is and how to calculate BTU output on the water side • Tonnage review: 1 ton = 12,000 BTUs per hour, melting a ton of ice in 24 hours • Water weight and flow math: 8.34 lbs/gallon, calculating GPM and BTUs with delta T • Using a two-probe setup (pressure + temperature) and a field chart to diagnose water-side performance • The flush cart: what it is, when you need it, and why most jobs won't require it • Common heat pump-side failures in geo units: capacitors, low-pressure switches, evaporator coils, bad thermostats • Common water-side failures: bad pump, low water, dirty water, frozen loop field • How antifreeze/glycol affects heating load and BTU output — and when to add it • Responding to frozen loop fields during extreme cold events (ice storms in Arkansas and Texas) • Humidity control advantages of geothermal in high-humidity climates vs. high-efficiency air-to-air units • Selecting the right system: geo isn't for every home or every situation • Open-loop options: pulling water from lakes or rivers and utility company incentives • Closed-loop installation considerations: drilling costs, lot size, and buried line depths • Building a mentor network for field support (the "Paul and Barnabas" principle) • Industry resources: IGSHPA for training and certification, GeoFlow, and Edge Geo Supply
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| How to Make Online Training That Does Not Suck - Short #286 | 12 May 2026 | 00:24:05 | |
In this short podcast, Ruchir Shah and Dan Riggs from SkillCat talk about how to make online training that does not suck! They talk about how to develop training that is relevant to the trades and can be applied in real-world trade work. The skill gap is widening in the trades, especially as shortages grow when people retire and it becomes more difficult to hire qualified new people. Hiring apprentices with little experience also has costs associated with it, and SkillCat aims to address the training reasons for the skill gap and provide the needed accreditation for trades like HVAC (including EPA 608). After receiving feedback that the curriculum was too theoretical and could do better in the applied learning areas, the SkillCat team has been revamping the training program with a skill map. Now, there are partnerships with trade educators, more interactive videos, and interactive virtual activities to create a more relevant learning experience. There are now kits that SkillCat ships out to trainees, and assignments have offline proctors who verify all submitted materials and online activities to ensure that the trainees' submissions align with real field conditions and expectations. The goal is to have trainees who enter the field and can be fully functional helpers with a basic tool kit and enough working field knowledge to identify system components and perform basic tasks, bringing value to employers from day one. SkillCat is going to be piloting a new training program with a mentorship component as well.
Learn more about SkillCat at https://www.skillcatapp.com/ and the GRIT Foundation at https://www.thegritfoundation.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| The Vacuum Deep Dive: Microns, Moisture, and Molecular Science | 07 May 2026 | 01:11:02 | |
In this action-packed live stream episode of HVAC School, host Bryan is joined by Eric Kaiser, Ty Branaman, and Roman Baugh for a continuation of a deep-dive conversation on vacuum practices — picking up where a previous episode left off with Andrew Greaves and Jim Bergmann. The team sets out to both reinforce the foundational best practices every HVAC technician should follow and to explore some genuinely uncharted scientific territory around how vacuum gauges actually work, how refrigerant contaminates micron gauge readings, and what really happens to moisture inside a system when temperatures drop below freezing. A central revelation of the episode is Eric's explanation that modern electronic vacuum (micron) gauges do not actually measure pressure directly — they measure heat transfer and translate it into a pressure reading. Because these gauges are calibrated to nitrogen or air, the presence of refrigerant vapor in a system (which has roughly three times the heat conductivity of nitrogen) can cause the gauge to display a falsely high reading. This means a technician could believe the system still has poor vacuum when it may actually be further along than indicated — or, more concerning, that a system appears to have passed vacuum when contamination is still present. The team acknowledges that controlled experiments are needed to quantify exactly how much refrigerant affects the reading, and they commit to designing those tests. The conversation then pivots into the physics of water at the triple point — the precise pressure (4,580 microns) and temperature (32°F) at which water can exist simultaneously as solid, liquid, and vapor. Eric walks the audience through a phase diagram built from International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam data, explaining that once pressure drops below the triple point, liquid water no longer exists. Any moisture in the system either sublimes directly from solid ice to vapor or remains frozen. This has major practical implications: a system with ice inside can still pull down to a very deep vacuum, but will not pass a decay test until that ice is fully sublimated — which requires both sufficient vacuum depth and available heat energy. The colder the ambient environment, the deeper the vacuum must go to create the temperature differential needed to drive sublimation. The episode wraps with an illuminating discussion on refrigerant oils — specifically the differences between POE (polyolester) and PVE (polyvinyl ether) oils and how each interacts with moisture in fundamentally different ways. POE chemically bonds with water through hydrolysis, breaking down into acid and alcohol and permanently degrading the oil. PVE, on the other hand, physically traps moisture through surface tension and can hold up to twice as much water as POE, but remains chemically stable. This distinction affects vacuum strategy, dryer sizing, and long-term system reliability — particularly in VRF and cold-climate heat pump systems where compressor oil management is far more complex. Topics Covered
Whether you're a residential technician looking to sharpen the fundamentals or a commercial refrigeration specialist wrestling with VRF oil contamination, this episode delivers both practical takeaways and a front-row seat to the scientific inquiry that drives best practices forward. As Bryan puts it: "Don't wait for us — if you want to do the experiment, be part of the conversation."
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Surge Protection for HVAC - Short #285 | 05 May 2026 | 00:21:50 | |
This short podcast is from the Bry-X stage of the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium: Cheryl Klein's "Surge Protection for HVAC." Cheryl is with DITEK, a veteran-owned company based in Florida, and has extensive knowledge of whole-home surge protection and HVAC-specific surge protectors. HVAC systems may have their lifespans reduced by power surges (tens of thousands of volts within microseconds) or sustained overvoltage. Surge protectors specifically protect the equipment from power surges, though DITEK manufactures products that help manage sustained overvoltage (and undervoltage, which surge protectors CANNOT protect against). Nearby lightning strikes and high voltage from the utility company (especially after undervoltage) are common causes of surges. Everyone in the country has risks of power surges, but some areas are exceptionally high-risk, whether due to utility causes or climate (lightning storms). Degradation is the invisible damage that occurs over time with repeated surges. Destruction can be associated with a specific event, like a direct lightning strike or a blown transformer. Surge protection helps with both; when a surge comes through, the surge protector directs the surge to ground instead of your HVAC equipment. DITEK uses thermally protected MOVs (TPMOVs) to redirect the surge; TPMOVs react to surges and change from a low-impedance state to a high-impedance state, effectively pointing the surges to ground, and only a clamped voltage makes it to the HVAC equipment. However, surge protectors will degrade with each event; DITEK's surge protectors have LEDs indicating their health. NEC 2020 requires surge protection on all dwellings, so many homeowners have whole-home surge protection already installed. Surge protection on the HVAC unit can still be added as an extra layer, which provides better protection for the HVAC system specifically. HVAC surge protection works at the condenser. DITEK's KoolGuard2 (KG2) is a voltage monitor that works on single-phase equipment under 40 continuous amps. It cuts power if the power exceeds or dips too far below the typical voltage, and then it restores power after three minutes. It also does not require programming, but it has a few best practices, such as reducing lead length to improve the clamping voltage and keeping protected and unprotected wires in separate conduits. Ground must also be within code have low enough impedance to redirect the surges effectively; the resistance can only be measured properly with a megohmmeter or clamp meter. DITEK also has three-phase surge protection for commercial equipment and has options for BAS systems.
Learn more about DITEK's products and DITEK University at https://www.diteksurgeprotection.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| 20 Years in Family Business from the Kalos Founders | 30 Apr 2026 | 01:16:41 | |
In this special live panel session recorded at the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, the three founders of Kalos Services — Bryan Orr, his father Robert (Bob) Orr, and uncle Keith Huntington — sit down together to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary and answer questions from the audience and online attendees. Hosted by Bert, the conversation blends humor, hard-earned wisdom, and surprising candor about what it actually takes to build and sustain a trades business over two decades. From humble beginnings with $100,000 in startup capital to managing multi-million-dollar commercial contracts today, the founders pull back the curtain on the messy, unpredictable, and deeply human reality of entrepreneurship in the skilled trades. A recurring theme throughout the panel is that starting a business requires far more than technical skill — it demands grit, personal support, and an almost stubborn refusal to outspend your income. Bryan shares a raw, memorable story about living in a double-wide trailer with seven kids while Kalos was already nine years old, choosing to improvise a drainage workaround rather than take on debt he couldn't afford. The founders agree that the number-one ingredient for small business survival is grit — the ability to wake up the next morning after a terrible day and take the next step anyway. Robert adds a philosophical note that extreme negative emotions in business are almost never accurate; they pass, and tomorrow tends to look better than the night before suggested it would. One of the most discussed topics in the panel is how to motivate technicians to care about quality — not just revenue targets. Bryan makes a pointed distinction: if you build a compensation system optimized purely for money, you attract people who are only motivated by money. Instead, he advocates building a culture where belonging is tied to quality of work. Practical tools like daily photo-posting of installs in Google Chat, public shout-outs for great work, and peer commentary create an environment where craftspeople hold each other to a standard — not because they're forced to, but because it's who they are. Keith echoes this, emphasizing that most technician frustration stems not from laziness but from unclear systems and expectations set by leadership. When people don't know what's expected, they disengage — and that's a leadership problem, not a people problem. The panel also dives into the nuances of running a family business, with all three founders offering surprisingly candid takes. Keith notes that the key to 20 relatively friction-free years has been that all three founders are "120 degrees different" from each other — their strengths don't overlap, so they rarely fight over territory. Bryan adds that healthy family businesses require the ability to have real conflict for the sake of mission, not just harmony. He also speaks to the importance of organizational structure when family members are involved: his own son Gavin, at 21 years old, works at Kalos but reports through multiple layers of management precisely so Bryan doesn't micromanage him. The session closes with reflections on the riskiest moments in the company's history — and Bryan's honest admission that four weeks prior to the symposium ranked among the most stressful, as large promised contracts delayed in paperwork can shake even an established business to its core. Topics Covered
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Permanent Load Reduction As a Sales Driver - Short #284 | 28 Apr 2026 | 00:25:36 | |
This short podcast episode is Jeremy Begley's Bry-X session from the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium: "Permanent Load Reduction in HVAC – The Hidden Driver of Long-Term Sales." Some common customer complaints we hear as HVAC contractors include high humidity, high electric bills, noise, and uncomfortable rooms. The typical HVAC solution is to change the equipment or ductwork, such as by downsizing the unit, adding ancillary dehumidification, or modifying the ductwork. If we can't solve the problem, the customer will ultimately choose a different contractor, no matter how hard we try to modify the HVAC system. However, we may be able to use our thorough load calculations to turn our attention to the building and find ways to reduce the overall loads. We expose problems with the structure and can solve them with permanent load reduction strategies, rather than the equipment and ductwork modifications, and serve customers better while earning more money. Key performance indicators (KPIs) drive money in a business, and ServiceTitan has identified five KPIs closely linked to profit: callbacks, first-time fix rate, warranty claims, comfort complaints, and average ticket. Callbacks are often driven by comfort complaints, which may occur when we modify equipment but not the envelope and vice versa. Warranty claims occur when the equipment can't work as well or efficiently as intended, such as when the load doesn't match the equipment and strains the unit. When we solve these problems, we become trusted advisors and increase customer satisfaction. The customer will continue to work with a company that solves their problems and will recommend HVAC businesses to their family and friends, which also drives sales. Permanent load reduction requires us to understand load calculations thoroughly, but it's a means for HVAC companies to control outcomes. It requires a mindset change, but when we control system outcomes and increase customer satisfaction, we earn trust and earn more sales in return.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Cold Climate Evacuation Livestream - Pandora's Box | 23 Apr 2026 | 00:58:56 | |
In this long-awaited live episode of HVAC School, host Bryan Orr reunites with three industry veterans — Jim Bergmann of measureQuick, Roman Baugh (Kalos), and Andrew Greaves of NAVAC — to tackle one of the most pressing and underaddressed challenges in modern HVAC: performing refrigerant recovery and system evacuation in extreme cold-weather conditions. The conversation was sparked by a real-world observation from technician Chris Hughes, who relocated from Louisiana to Minnesota and quickly discovered just how different — and difficult — cold-climate HVAC work can be. What follows is an honest, science-heavy, and often humorous deep dive into a problem the industry has largely ignored. The episode centers on the growing prevalence of cold-climate heat pumps, especially inverter-driven systems capable of operating at extremely low outdoor temperatures. As these systems become the primary heating source in cold regions, technicians are increasingly being called to make repairs — and perform evacuations — in sub-zero conditions. The group walks through why this is such a challenge, examining the fundamental physics that make pulling a proper vacuum nearly impossible once temperatures drop below 40°F. The conversation draws heavily from refrigeration science principles that, as Jim Bergmann bluntly points out, were largely left out of HVAC trade education over the past several decades. One of the most compelling moments of the episode is Andrew Greaves' introduction of the "heat provocation test," a term he coins on the spot to describe a technique for verifying whether moisture has truly been removed from a system by observing micron gauge behavior after applying external heat to cold-soaked components. This sparks a rich debate between Jim and Andrew about where moisture actually concentrates in a system — in the line set vs. the outdoor unit — and whether heat can realistically reach those areas in a real-world installation. The panel ultimately agrees that heat is the only viable tool when you absolutely must complete a job in cold conditions, but that prevention and scheduling remain the gold standard. The episode closes with a fascinating dive into the phase diagram of water, specifically the concept of the "triple point" and how it governs moisture behavior at low pressures. Andrew uses a whiteboard diagram to explain why, below 4,500 microns, moisture can only exist as vapor or solid — not liquid — and why that makes sublimation the only removal pathway when heat is absent. Jim adds nuance by describing the self-refrigerating cycle that occurs during deep vacuum pulls, a phenomenon that makes the problem progressively worse the deeper you pull without adding heat. The group wraps up with practical field takeaways and a promise to revisit the topic, including the potential role of nitrogen purging and triple-evacuation techniques in cold-weather scenarios. Topics Covered
You can watch the original livestream on YouTube HERE. Learn more about the book Review of Vacuum for Service Engineers or purchase it from TruTech Tools. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Training Refrigeration: Building Technicians Who Think, Not Just Fix - Short #283 | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:35:35 | |
Training the refrigeration technician is about building technicians who think, not just fix. In this engaging conversation from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, host Trevor Matthews sits down with Billy Carlson to explore what it really takes to develop technicians who think critically and troubleshoot effectively. Billy shares his journey in the HVAC/R industry, from residential air conditioning to commercial refrigeration, and ultimately specializing in supermarket rack systems and CO2 refrigeration. With only five years in the grocery sector, his company now dedicates 70-80% of its work to refrigeration, with 40% focused on rack systems. This rapid transition offers valuable insights for contractors looking to expand into commercial refrigeration. Key Topics Covered:
Billy emphasizes that patience and willingness to ask for help are essential traits for anyone entering supermarket refrigeration. He shares practical tips on charging CO2 systems, avoiding dry ice in lines, working with VFDs, and reading trend graphs to optimize system performance. Whether you're a residential tech considering commercial refrigeration, a trainer developing curriculum, or a service manager building a team, this conversation offers real-world wisdom on creating technicians who understand the "why" behind every repair.
Check out Refrigeration Mentor at https://refrigerationmentor.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Succession in Family Business w/ TruTech & Kalos | 16 Apr 2026 | 00:59:52 | |
In this special collaborative episode between the Building HVAC Science Podcast and HVAC School, host Bryan Orr sits down with his father and co-founder Robert Orr (Kalos) and Bill and Billy Spohn, the father-son duo behind TruTech Tools, for an in-depth conversation about the realities of running, transitioning, and ultimately passing the torch in a family-owned business. What makes this episode particularly compelling is that both pairs are actively living through their own succession journeys in real time, offering listeners an unusually candid and personal look at the emotional, structural, and cultural dimensions of handing off a business you helped build from the ground up. The conversation begins with each participant sharing where they stand today. Bill Spohn Sr. is transitioning into semi-retirement as CEO and co-owner of TruTech Tools, which has tripled in revenue since his son Billy joined the company in 2018. Billy Spohn has stepped into the role of President and co-owner, focusing on working on the business rather than in it. Robert Orr, co-founder of Kalos alongside Bryan, has similarly stepped back after a formalized three-year succession plan, with Bryan now holding majority ownership and day-to-day control. Together, these four men represent two different approaches to the same deeply human challenge: what does it really mean to let go of something you built, and how do you do it in a way that honors both the past and the future? A major theme throughout the episode is the emotional weight of identity and transition that founders and long-time leaders rarely talk about openly. Both Bill Spohn Sr. and Robert Orr reflect candidly on how much of their personal identity has been wrapped up in their respective companies, and how surprising it has been to grapple with the shift from decision-maker to advisor. Robert speaks movingly about health challenges, including having suffered strokes, that accelerated his thinking about succession and mortality. The group explores how no amount of business planning fully prepares you for the emotional reality of stepping back, and yet both men express genuine peace and gratitude for how their transitions have unfolded. The honesty in these reflections is rare and refreshing, especially in business media that often skips the messy human middle. The discussion also digs deeply into the operational and cultural infrastructure that makes a successful handoff possible. TruTech Tools implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) starting in 2022, a framework that Billy says was one of the greatest gifts his father could have given him before assuming leadership. EOS brought role clarity, accountability structures, and regular team rhythms that transformed how the company functions. Bryan and Robert took a more organic approach at Kalos, leaning on trust, a shared value system, and clearly defined responsibilities that evolved over years of working side by side. Both companies emphasize that clarity and accountability are non-negotiable, regardless of company size, and that culture is not a poster on the wall but a reflection of how leaders actually behave when things get hard. The episode closes with practical advice for other family business owners navigating similar journeys. Key takeaways include starting the conversation early, building an advisory board outside the company, making public commitments to accountability, investing in business reading and peer groups, holding regular family meetings so that everyone understands the plan, and above all, prioritizing emotional health and the ability to have hard conversations before they become festering resentments. Bryan offers a memorable point: intelligence gets beaten by emotional regulation and patience every day. The group is unanimous that succession planning is not a single event but a thousand small handoffs, and the best time to start preparing is well before you feel ready. Topics Covered
Resources mentioned:
Visit TruTech Tools at https://trutechtools.com/. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||
| Adding Plumbing To Your HVAC Business - Short #282 | 14 Apr 2026 | 00:29:20 | |
Looking to Add Plumbing To Your HVAC Business? Learn the critical pitfalls to avoid before you make the leap! In this livestream from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, service plumber and third-generation tradesman Nate Agentis breaks down why adding plumbing to your HVAC business isn't as simple as hiring a plumber and stocking PVC on your trucks. What You'll Learn:
Nate shares real-world insights on avoiding the cash flow drains, cultural toxicity, and structural mistakes that plague HVAC companies trying to diversify. Whether you're considering adding plumbing or already struggling with your plumbing division, this conversation provides actionable strategies for sustainable growth.
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android. | |||