HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

In this episode of the podcast, we talk to Bill Spohn from TruTech Tools about how TruTech Tools got its start and some of the ways that techs and engineers approach problems differently. Bill Spohn is a majority owner of TruTech Tools who became invested in the HVAC field in the 1990s. The beginning of TruTech Tools was a milestone in Bill's professional journey. After working at Superior Valve for a few years, Bill moved to Testo. While Americanizing many of Testo's products, Bill Spohn met Jim Bergmann. A German Testo employee advised Jim Bergmann's father to set up an online store for the Testo products and other HVAC tools. That website later became known as TruTech Tools. Jim, his father, and Bill were at the forefront of the new company. Bill contributed to the development of TruTech Tools through his product and marketing knowledge. Since then, TruTech Tools has grown a lot more. Jim Bergmann has since moved on, but he is still friends with Bill and remains a major figure in the instrument development and testing part of the HVAC industry. Bill considers himself to be an engineer. Unlike technicians, engineers have a deeper level of expertise in the development of tools and products. However, technicians have greater field knowledge and provide valuable feedback for engineers like Bill. Engineers know the math behind their products and how to use those products. However, technicians provide the practical element to tool development. Both technicians and engineers must be humble to work well together, exchange ideas, and technologically progress. You can always get a great discount from Trutechtools.com by using the offer code getschooled at checkout. Check out our handy calculators HERE.

In This episode Justin talks about the trials and benefits of working out of town, long drives and this weeks boiler service calls in detail. 

Jesse and I talk about MORE best practices for installing ductless systems. Both lines should be insulated on a ductless system because they have electric expansion valves in the outdoor unit. Insulating flares is also a critical task. When it comes to flare fittings, overconfidence is a tech's biggest enemy. Techs often undervalue the process of reaming copper or overdo it. Bubble-testing the flare joints is always a best practice to evaluate the integrity of your flares and check for leaks. Do not braze copper on ductless systems! Ductless evacuations require deep vacuums. Removing cores and valving off are best practices for evacuation; the goal is to reduce the risk of contamination, just like normal split systems.

Bryan and Jesse talk in detail about ductless applications we commonly see, best system placement, drains, and much more. Ductless systems are unique, and their compact nature makes them a good choice for several small, controlled applications. These applications are in climate-controlled garages, lanais (sunrooms), and master bedrooms. In Florida, lanais are the primary application for ductless units, especially due to codes that regulate HVAC systems in lanais. When installing a ductless unit, Jesse looks for aesthetics and reliability. Since ductless units are visible, making them look good inside the home is a concern that you don't typically worry about on split systems. When it comes to the drain line, Jesse likes using gravity drains on exterior walls. Many callbacks deal with drainage issues, so drains can reduce ductless units' reliability. Condensate pumps also occasionally have issues, so Jesse puts the pump in a way where all connection points are below the ceiling to avoid ceiling damage. However, float switches and overflow devices may also be required by code and may help.

In this episode with BENOÎT MONGEAU, we talk about the components of combustion and what to consider when testing it on a fuel-burning appliance. Combustion requires fuel, oxygen, and a heat source in a correct balance. We call that series of requirements the "combustion triangle." Once combustion occurs, it is self-sustaining. However, removing one element of the triangle will end combustion. (For example, you could suffocate a flame by removing the oxygen content.) Undesirable consequences of incomplete combustion include the production of carbon monoxide, a potentially fatal gas. Flash point is the temperature at which vapors can ignite. Excess air is the air that you're inputting into flue gas that doesn't get used for burning. It contains nitrogen and oxygen and doesn't contribute to the burning. However, it does expand the volume of the flue gas and absorbs heat. Excess air indicates a loss of efficiency and colder gas. (Note: Perfect efficiency is theoretically possible but impractical.) High-efficiency furnaces have longer run times, which may confuse customers; customers may think that the longer run times mean that there is something wrong with their heating system. Natural gas is mostly methane, so it is easy to burn with the right amount of oxygen. Propane (liquid petroleum) is a larger molecule with three carbons. Propane requires more time and more mixing for proper burning. The larger the molecule, the more time you have to spend waiting for combustion, and it's harder to burn the molecule completely and properly. Benoit uses Testo combustion analyzers and TPI digital manometers when working with furnaces. He uses heat-rise calculations whenever he wants to calculate CFM on a furnace. CFM tables are in the manufacturer's manual. As always, if you have an iPhone, subscribe to the podcast HERE, and if you have an Android phone, subscribe HERE.  

In this episode Justin talks about his first A/C repair of the season, his old combustion analyser and why he is enjoying the Testo Smart Probes his just got

Dan Holohan speaks to Bryan about his background and journey as a writer. He also dives into his book, Pumping Away, and describes classic hydronics as he does in his book. Bryan and Dan also briefly discuss the difference between search and research. Dan is a prolific writer, and one of his most famous works is The Lost Art of Steam Heating. However, this episode primarily focuses on Pumping Away: And Other Really Cool Piping Options for Hydronic Systems. Although Dan has retired, his daughter has ensured that his books will continue to remain in publishing for years to come. Pumping Away is about the piping genius of Gil Carlson. Carson was one of the founding fathers of hydronics. Carson's main contribution to hydronics is the idea that circulators need to pump away from compression tanks. Hydronics systems use steam, hot water, and gravity furnaces for heating. Boilers and radiators were not common in the public sphere at that time. As Dan describes in his book, hydronics is a relatively old technology. Many American buildings used hydronics to control the temperature in buildings before the days of World War II. Dan's conversational prose and easy-to-understand drawings bring hydronics to life in his readers' minds. Dan's advice for the new generation's technicians is to recognize their value. When young people recognize their value, they can take ownership of their knowledge. However, empowering the next generation also requires new technicians to share their knowledge readily. The trade thrives when technicians share their knowledge and don't see the trade as a competition where people try to get a jump on each other. Once you are done listening, please head over to heatinghelp.com. As always, if you have an iPhone, subscribe to the podcast HERE, and if you have an Android phone, subscribe HERE.  

In this episode, Ruth King shares some of her top insights on how to create a maintenance program if you don't have one. She teaches us to recognize a broken program and fix it. The maintenance component of your company will be the part of your business that allows you to grow your business profitably. If you don't believe in maintenance agreements, your customers won't believe in those maintenance agreements either. Without maintenance agreements, your company will have sharply different slower times and busier times. You'll likely have to pay employees to stay in slow times, and it is not very profitable. Getting a maintenance agreement plan in motion is as easy as getting a maintenance agreement form. Inform your customers of the benefits of maintenance (saving money on utility bills, extending equipment life, etc.). Then, offer it to your customers; you don't even have to make it sound like a sales pitch. Some of your existing customers will almost surely agree to the maintenance agreement. When you enroll someone in a maintenance agreement, it is a good idea to put that money in a separate savings account. The cost of performing the maintenance can be taken out of that savings account, but you would have ideally already set some money aside solely for operation costs. To make sure you're at least breaking even on your maintenance agreements, you must make sure you factor in hourly pay, cost of goods sold, and overhead costs. You can calculate overhead costs by checking the previous year's operating expenses and dividing that by your billable hours. If you are interested in Ruth's maintenance program course, you can find out more HERE. Be sure to use the offer code HVACRS (with all caps) to get a 10% discount on all her products.

In this episode, Ruth breaks down some of the main things an A/C contractor needs to consider when looking at their numbers and some of the major leaks that can lead to unprofitability. Profit and loss (P&L) statements are critical for determining the profitability of your business. You can use it to find money "leaks" in your business model. When making P&L statements, ensure that the revenue AND costs for a given product are in the same month for best accuracy. Most small businesses don't look at their profit and loss statements at least monthly, which is the best practice for keeping track of money via a P&L statement. Most businesses also don't separate overhead from cost of goods sold. Overhead costs don't DIRECTLY contribute to the business's revenue. Examples of overhead include rent, electricity bills, and office staff paychecks. Some other common profit drains include marketing and insurance expenses. However, perhaps the largest potential money drain is a lack of employee productivity. A vast majority of small business employees "steal" from their employers by using work time for personal activities. You also want to run your business on an accrual basis than a cash basis. You can keep better track of your expenses and income automatically, not ONLY when you pay your expenses or when money comes in through the door. QuickBooks makes this an easy process. You know that your business is profitable if your P&L statements end up with a positive number. On top of that, you can determine your net profit per hour. Take your net profit and divide it by billable hours (no vacation time, office staff wages, etc.). You can see all of Ruth's content and courses HERE. Make sure to use the offer code HVACRS with all caps for a great discount.