Landing a job in HVAC is unique because every employer has a different philosophy on professionalism. For some, the goal isn't just to look good—it’s to look capable. Here is how to balance a sharp presentation with a "ready-to-work" attitude. 1. The Logistics of Professionalism Professionalism starts long before you shake hands. Your arrival sets the tone for your reliability in the field. The Golden Rule of Time: If you’re on time, you’re late. Aim to be early. The Dry Run:

When teaching students how to use and read a tape measure for the first time, I have a go-to set of items to facilitate the training. I use 13 pieces of wood with 26 measurements labeled A-Z. Each piece has two letters, one for each dimension to be measured. I then give each student a fraction layout sheet for an inch and another sheet that they can write their answers on for each letter measured, A through Z. I explain the 1/2", 1/4", 1/8" and 1/16" fractions, full one inch

The purpose of this HVACR training project is to visually show your students the change in the amount of liquid flowing through a TXV or Piston Metering Device during operation. Using water as the liquid during this experiment helps them visually see this in action! Why does the TXV Matter? A TXV (Thermostatic Expansion Valve) can change the amount of liquid refrigerant traveling into an evaporator coil to absorb heat. This regulation device allows the system to act in an eff

When servicing an air conditioner or heat pump, we often notice a low airflow problem which needs to be fixed. If there is no indoor air filter or there is air skirting around the air filter because its not snugly fit, the dust will collect on the side of the indoor evaporator coil. Eventually, enough dust collects onto the coil to significantly reduce the amount of airflow crossing through the coil fins. This reduces energy transfer, increasing electricity bills and reducing

If you suspect that an evaporator coil is clogged with dust but cannot visually see it, such as when you can't directly inspect on a furnace and evaporator coil , static pressure measurements can be used to determine if the pressure drop is too high. This is a quick way to determine how blocked off the under side of the coil is. The higher the pressure drop, the more restricted the coil. The more restricted the coil, the lower the CFM of airflow crossing the coil. The lower t

Measuring airflow is one of the most commonly missed or ignored topics in HVAC when commissioning or diagnosing problems in systems. I don't believe this topic is purposely ignored due to lazyness or just wanting to reduce the time on service calls. I believe it actually stems from the lack of easy to follow methods, and a lack of accuracy in some methods due to either system design or tool limitations. Below are possible methods or tools to measure airflow in HVAC systems: T

Today most people are aware of the invisible, odorless, poisonous gas of Carbon Monoxide or CO for short. Now we know that even low levels of CO can have long term health effects depending on exposure time, the health and age of the exposed person. Carbon Monoxide binds with the hemoglobin in the blood 300 times more than Oxygen. It is believed that Florence Nightingale's ailments may have stemmed from CO poisoning from her coal heater in Russia. Some haunted houses were actu

Problem #1: No Power to the Package Unit On all HVAC systems, power is critical to operation, and a package unit is no different. There several reasons a package unit may lose power, but fortunately determining if this is the problem can be done fairly simply. First, remove the cover plate of the package unit to look at the control board. If the LED light on the control board is lit, there is power to the unit and the problem is something else. If the LED light is not lit, t

This article covers the ten most common locations where refrigerant leaks may be on an air conditioning system. An electronic leak detector is typically used to find the general area of the leak and non-corrosive bubble leak detector is used to pinpoint the leak. In the following pictures, an Accutrak ultrasonic leak detector and Big Blu non-corrosive bubble leak detector are used to search for and find refrigerant leaks. A ultrasonic leak detector (see photo below) locate

It is certainly important to have good training and/or experience in the field prior to applying for an HVAC/R position. However, some do not have HVAC/R experience and are relying on prior job experiences, a professionally made resume, and the interview process to land the job. As in any field of work, there are certain interview strategies and techniques that will help you get hired. This article covers ten top interview tips when applying for a career in HVAC/R. A successf

This article covers the 10 most common reasons the blower fan does not turn on! A blower motor may be installed in a forced air gas or oil furnace, air handler, or packaged unit. There are multiple reasons why the motor won't start and these are based on the type of unit, controls, and the blower motor type. Problem # 1: Capacitor When an HVAC unit is equipped with a PSC (Permanent Split Capacitor) blower fan, a capacitor is required to both start and run the motor. The cap

In this article, we discuss the accumulator tank, its function, why its used, and its location in the system. The photo below shows the inside of an accumulator tank (left) and an accumulator tank mounted on the side of a rotary compressor (right) . Uses of an Accumulator Tank An accumulator tank is factory installed on the following: Heat pumps as a storage tank because during heating mode there may not be as much refrigerant needed as when in cooling mode. Some outdoor c

Swaging tools are used to expand the end of a copper tube to accept the next section of tubing. This is done prior to making a permanent braze or solder connection. Swaging is a method used on ACR (Air Conditioning, Refrigeration) copper tubing for refrigerant as well as soft copper tubing used for plumbing. Swaging is done to reduce the amount of brazed or soldered joints in a tubing run. In the case of a coupling, two braze joints are needed, whereas with a swage, only one

The Purpose of a Start Capacitor A start capacitor can be found in the electrical compartment of most single speed heat pumps and some outdoor air conditioning units. It can be identified by its cylindrical shape and black plastic body. These are often used in a system design where the unit must operate during low outdoor temperature conditions and/or when there is a non-bleed TXV installed in the refrigerant circuit. A non-bleed TXV does not allow the refrigerant pressures

Basic Characteristics of a Good Instructor "The hardest year of teaching is the one you are currently in." - Ty Branaman Based on their experience, Ty Branaman and Craig Migliaccio believe the following characteristics, strategies, behaviors, and habits make a good instructor. Tip #1: A good instructor cares. People matter to the instructor. Therefore, the instructor care

If a furnace or air conditioning system develops an airflow problem, there are several items to visually inspect. If visual inspection does not locate the issue, proper testing tools are required to determine where the problem is and how severe it is. First visually inspect the air filter to see if it is dirty or clogged. Replace if it is too restrictive or clogged. The back of the evaporator coil could become clogged if there is no air filter or the filter is dirty. The evap

An attic fan is used to lower the temperature within the building shell between the roof structure and the living space. The fan's job is to pull outdoor air into the attic from either the side gable vents or from the lower holes in the soffit. The fan then pushes the air out the attic through its penetration hole in the roof. The object is that fresh air (at the same temp as the outside air) is moving through the attic. Otherwise, non-circulating air would remain trapped wit

There are four methods for bending soft copper tubing. Copper tubing can be bent to the correct measurement using a lever type bending tool, a ratcheting type tubing bender, a spring tube bender, or by manually bending the tubing by hand. Step-by-step instructions for tube bending are listed below. Small Lever Type Tube Bender 1. Small Lever Type Tube Bender : This type of tube bending tool is designed to bend soft copper tubing with an OD of ¼”, 5/16”, or 3/8”. The copper

Fuel gases such as Propane or Natural Gas are a regular part of everyday life for many. Whether it is used to heat a home, cook a meal, or to warm our water, these fuels are constantly around us and as installation and service technicians, it is critical that we be aware of how to safely and accurately pressure test gas lines to test for and prevent potential leaks. In this article, we will be using the IFGC ( International Field Gas Code) 2021 as the reference and discussin

On a natural gas or propane furnace, there are typically 6 main reasons why a blower fan motor may not shut off and just continues to run. Before turning the power off to the furnace or opening the doors to the furnace, check the LED status code light (if equipped) for any error codes. On the furnace, there should be a correlating error code list. This will help in the initial diagnosis of the problem. Reason #1: One of the 24v Electrical Safety Switches Inside the Furnace H