Lifetime of HVAC/R w/ John Pastorello - Short #279
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Bryan Orr
4.9 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 17 February 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this short podcast episode from AHR Expo 2026, Bryan sits down with John Pastorello for a discussion about the latter's lifetime of HVAC/R. John was a chemist and an HVAC technician before founding Refrigeration Technologies in 1987, and he received the HVAC Tactical Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026.
Prior to entering the trade, John was a chemist in a lab. He applied for and was hired by an HVAC company when he realized the financial opportunity in the trade. He eventually owned a contracting business, but he didn't truly make his HVAC/R chemistry debut until 1987 with Big Blu. When he noticed problems with existing liquid leak reactants and inaccurate electronic leak detectors, John developed Big Blu in his kitchen (with the help of his local library and patent office for research) and tested it in the field.
Big Blu was the first Refrigeration Technologies product, and it was the only one for a while. He then developed Nylog in the early 1990s while developing a different product. After falling down research rabbit holes and doing lots of trial and error, he eventually realized the product's potential as an assembly lubricant, and Nylog became an official Refrigeration Technologies product.
Even as Refrigeration Technologies continues to grow and has received several purchase offers, it remains a family business. John's son, Mike, became a mechanic but eventually decided to return to the business, and he runs it to this day. John's career culminated with the HVAC Tactical Lifetime Achievement Award, which is a testament to the service, education, and mentorship he has shared with the HVAC/R industry.
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.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The HVAC School podcast is made possible by these great partners. Carrier and Carrier.com |
| 0:09.8 | refrigeration technologies at refrigetech.com and specifically the new Viper Wetrag heat shield. |
| 0:17.5 | The revolutionary flame-resistant welding pad designed to be used either wet or dry. |
| 0:23.6 | Find a viper wet-rag heat shield at a distributor near you or go to TrueTechTools.com |
| 0:28.6 | and use offer code, get schooled for a great discount at checkout. |
| 0:32.6 | Navak at navakglobal.com. |
| 0:36.6 | PhilTreat.com. Philet at philtreat.com. |
| 0:38.8 | Filetreat goes above and beyond other filter manufacturers because it publishes its filters |
| 0:44.1 | effectiveness in capturing even microscopic particles. |
| 0:47.7 | Those real tiny ones. |
| 0:48.9 | So you'll see a Merv rating and an MPR rating on the packaging. |
| 0:53.5 | NPR stands for microparticle performance rating, |
| 0:56.3 | and it describes how well a filter can capture those really small particles |
| 0:59.6 | like smoke, bacteria, and more. |
| 1:02.4 | Filtreat filters are designed with pleaded media |
| 1:04.1 | that can maintain similar airflow levels across the Merv ratings, 8, 11, or 13, |
| 1:09.8 | and according to California Energy Commission, Phil Treats 1900 MPR MIRV ratings, 8, 11, or 13, and according to California Energy Commission, Phil Treat's |
| 1:12.7 | 1900 MPR MERV-13 filters have the highest airflow rating among commercially available 1-inch |
| 1:19.4 | MIRV-13 filters. Don't just take my word for it. Filtreate was even selected by wirecutter |
| 1:24.9 | for its particle capture abilities without straining the HVAC system. |
| 1:30.0 | Again, look at the specs, choose a filter that's right for the system that you are working on. |
| 1:35.5 | Learn more about Philtreat's filters and standards at philtreat.com. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Bryan Orr, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Bryan Orr and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.