Gary McCreadie is an HVAC tech, the creator of hvacknowitall.com and the HVAC Know It All Podcast   Brazing Alternatives For The Progressive HVAC/R Technician If you make mention to the HVAC/R hardcorest there might be alternatives to brazing (that work), you might get one of those mad face emojis thrown up at your comment!  The fact is, brazing is a solid connection that lasts for many years and is a basic skill that all HVAC/R professionals need to carry out their work.  One thing I'm not convinced of is the, "brazing is an art", comment.  Art is a unique expressio ..read more

Gary McCreadie is an HVAC tech, the creator of hvacknowitall.com and the HVAC Know It All Podcast     Should I Start My Own HVAC/R Business?     A large percentage of individuals that enter the HVAC and Refrigeration trade, dream of one day becoming their own boss.  Rightfully so, as business ownership can bring many freedoms and perks and not just financial ones, it can also come with many hardships as well.  It seems the struggle for most that want to become their own boss, is they are unsure of when to pull the trigger. I'm hoping my e ..read more

Gerry Wagner is the Vice President of Business Development for Bathica, Quebec, Canada. He has forty one years in the HVACR industry, working in manufacturing, contracting and training. You can contact Gerry by email: gerrywagner@Bathica.com and also please visit our website: www.TOSOTamerica.com     The Inverter Compressor - Comments from the Duct Free Zone “The inverter compressor is the greatest invention in the HVAC industry in my lifetime.” I have repeatedly made that statement in this column and in my TOSOT mini split and APEX training events. I r ..read more

Gerry Wagner is the Vice President of Business Development for Bathica, Quebec, Canada. He has forty one years in the HVACR industry, working in manufacturing, contracting and training. You can contact Gerry by email: gerrywagner@Bathica.com and also please visit our website: www.TOSOTamerica.com     Do You Need to "Design" a Mini-split System? Comments from the Duct Free Zone Do you need to “design” a mini-split system? Homeowners seem to perceive mini splits, which oversimplify their application and installation. Truth be told, mini splits often find thems ..read more

Gary McCreadie is an HVAC tech, the creator of hvacknowitall.com and the HVAC Know It All Podcast   Thermal Imaging For HVAC   Thermal imaging in the past, has seemed unattainable for the average tech to use on the daily.  Whether it be for troubleshooting, or perhaps a method to show customers how or why something is or has been happening in their home or building.  That unattainability has changed in recent years as the cost continues to come down on thermal cameras.  Now, the average tech can afford to purchase a half decent thermal camera and there's many applicat ..read more

    Gerry Wagner is the Vice President of Business Development for Bathica, Quebec,Canada. He has forty one years in the HVACR industry working in manufacturing, contracting and training. You can contact Gerry by email: gerrywagner@Bathica.com and also please visit our website: www.TOSOTamerica.com   Refrigerant Heat Transfer In Air To Air Heat Pumps    Early Man The magic of refrigerant:  It is believed that man, early man, discovered fire around two million years ago.  Now, I’m old, but I’m not that old so I have to take the scient ..read more

Matthew Showers is an HVAC service technician, performing work in both the residential and commercial fields.  His specialty is in inverter and communicating systems.  Follow Matt on Instagram    Heat Pump Reversing Valves And Their Control Designation   O/B Terminals As Gary mentioned in a recent podcast, reversing valves are used in heat pumps to direct the flow of refrigerant depending on the demand for heating or cooling. Also mentioned was the fact that reversing valves have a default position when they are not energized. Most manufacturers at this point default ..read more

Gary McCreadie is an HVAC tech, the creator of hvacknowitall.com and the HVAC Know It All Podcast   HVAC/R Internal Sealants - A different Approach   Confession  I have a confession to make, yes, I use internal sealants.  I guess you're going to have to keep reading to understand why.   Internal sealants in the HVAC/R industry have been given a bad rap, rightfully so, as the older polymer based sealants would react to moisture and air and be the cause of potential system blockages.  There were also technicians that would ignore the process of a system leak c ..read more

    Gerry Wagner is the Vice President of Business Development for Bathica, Quebec,Canada. He has forty one years in the HVACR industry working in manufacturing, contracting and training. You can contact Gerry by email: gerrywagner@Bathica.com and also please visit our website: www.TOSOTamerica.com   History Of The Mini Split Air Conditioner   The Past Prior to my time at Bathica TOSOT, I did some contract work for Heat Controller, Inc. out of Jackson, MI. You know them by the brand name Comfort-Aire.  I had the pleasure of learning the h ..read more

Gary McCreadie is an HVAC tech, the creator of hvacknowitall.com and the HVAC Know It All Podcast   How To Read Wiring Diagrams For HVAC   When I first started in the HVAC trade, wiring diagrams looked like a different language to me, that's because they were.  Not only were they a different form of communication but every manufacturer had their own way of drawing them out.  This was confusing at times, as each manufacturer's rendition was like a different dialect or accent of the same language. I hope that analogy hits home with you because that's exactly t ..read more