meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

Spidey Sense - Airflow - Short #205

HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

Bryan Orr

Training, Careers, Airconditioning, Self-improvement, Hvac, Business, Education, Refrigeration, Heating, Ac, Apprenticeship

4.8985 Ratings

🗓️ 6 August 2024

⏱️ 14 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this short podcast, Bryan talks about how to pay close attention to airflow issues and use your "spidey sense" when you're doing a visual inspection or commissioning a system. He also covers some causes of common airflow problems and some services and upgrades you can offer to your customers.

The skill of being able to use your senses and notice when something isn't quite right is a valuable one, especially when you're getting ready to set the charge. Not every technician has access to the tools to do a comprehensive airflow assessment, but every tech can use their senses to determine when something is wrong with the system airflow. Keep an ear out for whistling or other strange noises, and watch out for cabinet shaking, which may indicate an airflow problem.

Airflow restrictions are also significant issues. Filter cleanliness (or lack thereof) and improper filter selection are very common causes of airflow issues, including high static pressure drop. Most filters should also not be doubled up (in series). Watch out for furniture blocking vents and registers that are partially (or fully) closed; shutting off registers is NOT a good strategy. Air movement throughout the building is also important, including the presence or absence of returns, open doors, etc., and these things affect MAD-AIR.

Watch out for things like leakage as well, which can be around the platform, in ducts around the equipment, and around vents or recessed lighting.

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 6th 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

Yeah, dabba do it right the first time. This is the HVAC school

0:06.8

podcast. I'm Brian and this is a short episode. Actually a short series

0:12.1

I'm going to do some of these where I talk about spidey senses.

0:15.1

I'm going to focus on these, not on measurement, even though you know that I think measurement is

0:20.5

important. But also just thinking about some basic things as you're

0:24.5

walking up, as you're touching, feeling, listening, smelling, things to pay attention

0:29.9

to that can lead you in the right direction. For a lot lot of newer text, that's really, really important.

0:33.7

It's a good place to start.

0:35.4

And then also, of course, taking proper measurements.

0:37.9

But today we're talking about the spidey sense of airflow,

0:42.2

which again, people might make fun of me about, I'm not saying to be a

0:45.6

she feels she's blowing hard Charlie on the back of the hand but there are things that

0:50.1

you can do. But before we do that we want to thank our great sponsors.

0:54.0

carrier and carrier.com fieldpiece.com and specifically the SR-47 wireless

1:02.1

refrigerant scale the new heavyweight champion of digital scales.

1:06.8

The ESCO Institute, with over 200 HVACR Training Solutions courses, webinars, and simulators, find out more by going to

1:14.4

escogroup.org. Refrigeration technologies at refrigetech.com

1:23.3

First things first. First, airflow is important and a lot of people will say airflow before charging and that's

1:29.4

definitely true. If you're going to put refrigerant in a system, you really need to know something about your airflow.

1:34.6

But I also know from a practical standpoint, not every tech has a true flow grid under truck.

1:38.9

Not every tech is going to do a full duct traverse, and not every tech has an airflow an air balancing

1:44.9

could let alone something like a great tool like a DG8 to look at zonal imbalance and all that

...

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 2025.