Ah, it's time to chill out and get ready for a mediocre. Q&A Live Stream: If you're old enough, grab yourself your favorite adult beverage and if you're not, stick with apple juice. put your feet up and relax. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the chat.

and now let's ceue up the intro music. Oh oh whoa, that happened really quick. I Was thinking that there was going to be a Heatcraft promo at the end of that. but no, not this month.

So yeah, here we are. Hey, welcome to the Hvacr videos Live stream I Don't know why you're here. Don't know why you keep coming back, but I'm here. so it is what it is.

Let's do this. mediocre. You know all that good stuff. No happy New Year To everybody I Hope that your holiday season was awesome I Hope that, uh, you're starting off the new Year right? Um, over here we are doing good.

Uh, cross my fingers, everybody's healthy and uh yeah, life is good. You know, just normal normal life stuff. Uh, it's a new year new budget and uh, you know we can start getting some stuff done. I'm really, really happy.

uh I Enjoy the holidays I Enjoy spending time with families I Enjoy slowing down. Uh, this is my favorite time of the year just because it typically gets a little bit slower at work, so that's really cool. You know you get a little more time at home kind of stuff stuff, but when it comes to the the Christmas and New Year's and the 4-day weekends and 3-day weekends and all that stuff I don't know I'm over that I'm I'm ready to just get back to normal normal work weeks. Um, everything's just kind of chaos right now and you know I like uh, this week we're starting off fresh with a normal week and I'm kind of ecstatic about it, you know? So here we are.

Uh, for us, you know a big thing with the restaurants is they all like stop spending the last month or two of the new year of the previous year and it's just kind of silly. like I have this giant list of things that I brought to customers attentions hey this needs to be replaced. hey we need to change this evaporated call hey you know and all this stuff and they're like oh yeah, let's wait till the new year. let's wait till the new year.

My list for the new year is so long that it's just like G Good grief, but these are good problems to have. I Guess you know I Got a list of work and got to get to it. Um, my new year started off finishing up a project I kind of talked about it on the overtime show but I finished up a big project that I've been working on. uh, bypassing a a smart uh Hood system for an exhaust fan setup and stuff.

I I think I'm gonna go ahead and release a video on that. um I'm always a little reluctant to release those videos because sometimes it's questionable some of the things that whether or not they pass all everybody else's standards and codes and different things like that. but I think this one was pretty safe so probably go ahead and edit that footage down that I took I pretty much take footage on almost everything that I do so hey Brian Sanders thank you very much for that. Super Chat That is much appreciated.

I really really do appreciate that my good friend. so thank you so very much. You're always so kind with that. Um, let's see Will Speed? How are you my good friend? Um, you know I I should say hello to everybody.

There's all or a a a large amount of regular people inside the YouTube chat right now and the other chats and it's really awesome to see everybody you know. You guys keep coming back and it's really cool so thank you very much for that. Um, so yes, uh. Will Speed said that Ahr is coming up so that's far from normal.

That is 100% right? I am kind of in like stress mode right now for a couple different reasons. Um, right now? uh, you know? obviously I'm sure you guys, unless you're living under a rock, you don't know that. you know there's this big whole airplane thing going on right now Where an Alaska Airlines flight had a issue or a cabin depressurization because a door panel flew off and just all this stuff, right? Well, those, uh, those airplanes. uh my, both my flights for Ahr and for the Symposium are on United 73, 737 Max n whatever acronym they use for the airplane.

it's those airplanes that are grounded at the moment are both my flights. so let's hope they get everything figured out. I Don't doubt that they'll get it all figured out. They got to inspect and double check the the door plugs on all the airplanes for basically everything that United flies and basically everything that Alaska flies and some other carriers.

But um, my biggest thing is is how far the delays going to be. So let's see you know we'll have to see how that all goes. But then on top of that trade show season, uh, this year I am going to the Ahr trade show I was actually just confirming calendar, dates and different things. I've got rooms booked and all that good stuff.

Flights booked. Um I will be at the trade show I'm flying in the Saturday before and flying out the Thursday morning after. so I will be there for the whole show I'll be at the Hbac Tactical Awards if any of you guys are going to that, I'll be doing that and then I'll be doing Booth time uh, predominantly uh at the Parker spoiling Booth the refrigeration Technologies booth and the Heatcraft refrigeration booth Monday and Tuesday pretty much almost all the day and then Wednesday is going to be my free day just to walk around the show and actually get to check it out. So if you guys are going, uh, make sure you pay attention to my social media I'll be announcing on social media where I'll be and the times and different things.

If you want to come up and say hi, I will encourage everybody out there I tend to have this mindset when I am walking like I'm walking with a purpose and I'm You know people sometimes will often say after the fact, yeah, you look like you were, you know, in the zone walking somewhere important. so I didn't want to bother you if I'm at the trade show, it's open Game Stop me say hello, shake my hand. If you want to say hi or anything, tell me I suck. Whatever it is what it is, just stop me and say hi I tend to not pay attention to the flowers around me sometimes and I'm just like you know, in go mode and uh, I'm trying to get better at that.

But yeah, if you guys see me at the trade show, if you see me at a booth, don't be afraid to walk up. Um, you know when I'm at those shows I have no problem taking the time to have a conversation with someone. so stop me and say Hello uh I will also be at the Hvacr training Symposium that uh, Kaos services and Hbac school are putting on um that one I know the in-person tickets are sold out I am not presenting at the Symposium this year I Know a lot of people have been asking me that no I chose this year to not present because I just wanted to enjoy the show. Uh, been going to the Symposium since I think pretty much the beginning uh, whether I was doing virtual presentations or whatever and I've been fortunate enough to be asked several times to be a speaker, but this year I just want to go and be a guest and enjoy the show for once.

So uh, that's what I'm going to be doing. So yeah, that's where we're at. but I'll be glad when those trips are over for me again. these are first world problems, but you know my wife was like are you getting excited and I'm like no, not really like don't get me wrong, I'm going to enjoy the but it's kind of a bummer because I don't get to go on vacations a lot because I'm super busy with you know, my business and all that good stuff right? So you know it's kind of a bummer that my family's not going with me on these trips, but you know it is what it is.

it's It still is going to be a good time. and I know I'll have a good time at both events. So all right, let's see what we got going on in the chat right now. uh Aaron he says can't wait me to meet me at the Symposium right on man, make sure you stop me and shake my hand and say hi, let's have a conversation.

So um, that's you know I just wanted to be able to talk and enjoy everything. So yeah, lots of people. um yeah, right on. yeah, lots of great people in here so that's awesome.

Uh, let's see what we got going through the chat. Lots of great normal uh viewers and stuff so that's really cool. So uh Simon Says can I tell the story of what happened with the unit that I installed with the wrong heat package? Oh yeah, see good good thing to remember there Simon So uh I I think I mentioned this somewhere in the back of a video or something like that. So it was years ago.

this was I was still uh, early in my career we were working at a restaurant and we were doing some package unit Replacements and this particular restaurant orders their own equipment and then we do the installation. So we went out there. I think we did a whole roof sweep. We probably changed like six units on the roof and uh, you know this.

We learned a lot from this one. but we actually, uh, lifted a unit on the roof that was actually not correct. Now we didn't order, we didn't pay, we didn't do anything. The customer ordered and shipped their own equip equipment and it showed up on a truck and we just lifted it onto the roof with a crane.

Well, the crane had already left and uh, we walked up to the unit after we set it down and we realized it had no heat package whatsoever. It wasn't gas heat, it wasn't electric heat, It wasn't a heat pump. It was just nothing. It was just straight cool.

Um, so what actually happened was we contacted the manufacturer is actually Linux International or Linux Industries right? Because they have a national account with this restaurant chain and we contacted Linux and we were like you guys sent the wrong unit. Uh, you know we've got it on the roof but we haven't hooked it up yet like we hadn't. you know, done the electrical yet and stuff. It was just sitting on the roof so we said what do you guys want to do? Uh, this was a seven and no, it was a 10 ton unit 10 or was it a 12 ton? It might have been a 12ton unit.

Um, but uh yeah. so I know it was a two compressor I think it was a 12ton. no it was a 10. Yeah, it was a 10 t.

Um so Lennox actually told us just go ahead and install it and they ordered another unit and shipped it out and had us install it later. So we ran that unit for like a month and this was years and years and years ago. We ran it for like a month and uh uh. then we had to go back out and lift a new unit onto the roof that had a gas heat package.

Um, but uh, that was a learning moment for sure because the crane set it and so I've I've learned so much about um, what you do before you let a crane leave the job site. So when I lift a package unit, the first thing I'm I am when I'm working on a crane lift like I'm paying attention to everything, right? And you know we're planning things we're making through everything. you know everybody's staying safe and all that stuff. So we lift a package unit on the roof right? Uh, the first thing I do is we have a level.

Uh, most of us have a level in our tool bag. We set a level on top of the unit. make sure that it's sitting level. That's really important.

Okay, if the unit is sitting level, it's also really important too. Things that you know I remember to do maybe other people don't is I set a level on the old unit before we lift it. Set a level on that one. Does it sit level? Yeah, New new unit goes on.

Does it sit level? No. Why? You know there's something wrong. that kind of stuff. If you set a level on the old unit and you find out that it's not sitting level, you look at the direction it's pitched, find out if it's going to be a problem, and then proceed from there right? So we set the level on the unit.

Uh, once we do that, then we open up the return in the supply and we make sure that the way we set the unit is correct, that everything's you know, sitting on the adapter curb typically is what there is the way it's supposed to be. Then once we do that, you know we move through the line and we don't let the crane leave until we do all those different steps and make sure everything's good. This was one that I learned that because the crane was already gone, we've got a package unit sitting on the roof. It's a straight cool.

We needed gas heat, you know and we ran into that problem. But luckily Linux just sent out a new unit. They actually told us just to scrap the old unit. so we ended up just scrapping that.

That was I Mean that was way back in the day, but uh yeah, we just scrapped it. That's just crazy. But that made me realize too at the time how much those units cost them. And you know when they had to look look at the shipping cost and all these different things for them, it was cheaper just to throw the unit away than to take it back and try to reuse it.

So definitely pretty crazy. So let's see what else we got going on in the chat. What am I missing in here? Uh, looks like my buddy Bill Russell is here. That is awesome man.

Um, did I get approval to change out the Harvest valve on the manat ice machine? No. So I released a video. Was it Sunday Where I had a manat talk ice machine? no and that thing's still running strong. It's been a couple months and it's still working.

I mean I Went there probably about a month ago and I was doing another service called walk by the machine still making ice. so no, we haven't gotten approval. I don't think they're going to approve it I think they're probably just going to order a new machine knowing that customer Again, they buy them themselves. so let's see what else we got going on here.

Okay, uh yeah. if you guys do have questions or things that you want me to cover inside the chat, definitely try to put them in caps lock. So that way um I uh um I can try to see them. If I miss your questions, feel free to shoot me an email to Hvacr videos Gmail.com okay um.

insinuations in undercase. That is pretty funny, huh? Um, let's see. Mike Dylan saying he had a similar issue issue with an Aon. It was shipped without heating elements, wires, everything you need to operate the heating and they ended up shipping everything needed.

Yeah, that's cool, all right. Um, you know I already mentioned that you know it's it's the new. it's just time to get back to normal. like I'm super ready to just get to the normal work weeks and everything.

and I mentioned that um, when it comes to uh, AI I wanted to talk about that artificial intelligence. All right? So I don't know about you I'm a pretty irritable person I'm kind of a grumpy old man. the older I get and you know, just things start to irritate me and artificial intelligence I like I Like some of the things that might come from artificial intelligence it, it does seem like there's some good things that can happen because of it. But I'm going to tell you right now.

one of the more frustrating things that I see with artificial intelligence being used right now and this is my opinion: I could be completely wrong. Okay, no offense to anybody out there I really don't mean any offense I know that I probably have lots of undiagnosed mental issues and I know I do Okay I have some diagnosed ones too, but I'm sure there's a lot more to pile on top of there. So I know that maybe I'm not the target demo for a lot of these companies that are doing this kind of stuff. But when it comes to artificial intelligence, please do Not replace the human that talks to the customer.

I Can't tell you how many business groups I'm in with like residential companies and all kinds of different stuff. and I get to see really interesting conversations going on with some of the biggest residential company owners out there, right? I mean I'm talking some big people, some big time players in the residential side and a good majority of them are super excited and already implementing AI kind of stuff that's like lead generation. You know those stupid phone calls you get telemarketers all the time? That's what they're going to start doing. It's going to be AI Bots just calling people saying hey, do you need air conditioning work and then if someone says yes, Boom right? Um I Get it.

It's a way for the residential company owners to make more money and not have to pay out commissions and different things I Get it right, because a good majority of the time the person on the phone that's doing the cold calls, they're going to get some sort of a commission for how many people they sign up. uh, or to even just get a lead gener ated or something like that. and using AI to do that. Lead Generation: Yeah, you're not paying a commission out, but still, we need human interaction.

I I I Don't know about you guys. but I mean what are you guys in the chat? Do you guys think that it's cool having artificial intelligence people calling you just cold calling you or things calling you just to try to sell you crap? Is that something you're interested in? or does it annoy you too? Let's have a look at what the chat has to say. Um, let me see. Jennifer says she is hoping that AI replaces her.

That's funny. Um, you want to look up AI to a 3D Oh, you want to hook up AI to a 3D printer and see the chaos that ensues. That'd be interesting? huh? Uh oh wow, that is really interesting. Um Jason Johnson says he's not into the Skynet stuff.

Yeah, this this definitely is. Skynet It definitely is. Skynet Just like the Metaverse is. uh, the Oasis if any of you guys read uh uh Ready Player One the book.

Uh, you watch the movie too. but I encourage you guys if you haven't. the book Ready Player one from I think it's Ernest Klein Who the author that book is a hundred times better than the movie. The movie is good, but the movie was disappointing after you read the book.

But uh yeah, the Oasis uh, that is definitely what the Metaverse is for sure. So uh, or is that what they call it now or I don't know what they call it. But anyways, all right. Uh, let see uh AI can be good, but he's scared of what it could do said Simon that's interesting yeah uh J John saying extremely annoying those phone calls yeah I'm not a huge fan uh Aaron G says he wants to check out Blue On's AI help desk Um yeah I don't think uh, we're gonna have Blue on on the HVAC overtime show in a couple weeks I Believe we're going to have someone talking about their AI chatbot and stuff so it'll be interesting to kind of pick their nose.

I'm gonna be upfront and honest and I will be with the AI with the blue on people too I Don't like the idea of artificial intelligence um telling people how to fix things like I just I just don't see the the the practicality of it yet I Don't think it's quite there. Uh, but you know, maybe I'm wrong I haven't really used it so I need to just try it. I'm just a grumpy old man though. How often do I work on the FM series hosaki ice machines FM series? Let me remind me what the FM FM Hosaki? What is the FM Hosaki machine? Um f900 I don't work on I I'm looking at it right now Yeah I do work on these um I don't work on them that often though, so not enough to uh to give you much diagnosis or technical support help I think I work on the FM yeah I'm almost positive I do um but yeah I it's I don't know.

You know most Hosaki machines unless you get into what's the what's the Hos machine that they made that was a competitor of The Manaat Quiet Cube machine they made one I can't remember the model number. It's an absolute nightmare It it's that machine is just a terrible nightmare. their their standard Cub Crescent Cube machines are are awesome, but that one that was a manat clone I just do not like it at all. Uh, let's see.

what about AI for tech support I just don't see it I really don't but I could be wrong I'm going to tell you I get extremely frustrated and I was actually just reading an article saying that like one of the you know, the symptoms cross across a bunch of different things. but one of the symptoms of ADHD I guess can be um, people not having the ability to wait for someone to finish the sentence without trying to answer their question and that's me. My wife will start telling me something and I already know what she's going to say. so I cut her off and I answer her question for her all the time and it drives her nuts and I always struggled now I don't know I've never been diagnosed ADHD but it's just interesting to hear that that's an act I thought it was just me that does that, but uh, I do that all the time when it comes to Ai And when it comes to tech support when you know when I call tech support I usually get on the phone with tech support and I say hey, this is Chris my company name.

here's the model and serial number what I'm working on. Here's what I run into and here's what I've done and I give them a big old long list and usually what that does is the tech support guy on the other end of the line realizes that he's not gonna have to tell me how to reset the power or unplug the unit and plug it back in like he realizes I've gone through all this different stuff and he just skips to the end of the manual or transfers me to the right person. And I don't have to play any of the stupid games if I have to do that to get technical support. That's going to piss me off because I'm gonna have to go through every single question and tree and it's just G to be ridiculously dumb.

So uh, AI is only as good as the data input. That is true. Uh KMS Yes, that is right. That is right.

Planet size says that's the machine that I hate the KMS that is the dumbest machine that that hosaki that's almost as dumb as hosaki making Refrigeration equipment Almost okay. The making the refrigeration equipment is pretty dumb. Too Part of feel bad I if you work for hoshisaki and you're watching this: I don't mean to offend, but your Refrigeration equipment is just not that great. It really isn't.

Let's be honest about it. Um, but that KMS machine just done d dumb too. So um, exactly Jason Johnson I have ADH oh look a squirrel? yeah, that's that's me 100% of the time. So um, just oh yeah.

there you go. Uh, what else we got going on in the chat? I'm reading through here real quick. flakers or nuggets? Yeah, there you go. Uh, that's the FM that's right.

I haven't worked on a hosy flaker in probably 10 years. uh I Used to do a lot of work on the hosi flakers a lot, but I think I only worked on the hosi flakers that had that, uh, had the circuit board in it before I was working on most of them that didn't have the circuit boards yet. Uh, and you know now they went to a circuit board with um, logic and and safeties and different things. Uh, it was probably the first model of that one that came with the circuit board for the flaker.

that was the only one that I worked on. and I haven't worked on a flaker since. uh I used to work on a lot a lot. About nine years ago.

Uh, I was working on a lot of Fet machines. Those ones were really, really interesting. The symphony machines. They were super easy to work on.

Uh, it wasn't the Horizon model yet. the Horizon fets. they just got kind of dumb. they they they got too big I like the symphony ones because they're still small enough to work on.

Uh, they had the removable skid but even the the horizons have the removable skid. So I do appreciate that about fullet machines. if you guys don't know a fullet ice machine like what you get it Sonic or Chick-fil-A or something like that. A lot of times they'll have.

well actually Sonic doesn't do fullet. Sonic Sonic does. Scotsman Um, nugget machines don't they? Anyways, I'm going off on a tangent, but um yeah, the the the fullet machines. those are really cool.

The Horizon and the Symphony because they have the removable skid on the top. It's a condensing unit with the evaporator and everything and all you do is unhook the water and unhook a power and you can pull the whole condensed unit off. So if you're in a gas station which I did recently I worked on a Fet in a gas station and uh, we had to clean it and it was a pain because it's at the soda machine and I don't know if you guys work on gas station if you don't something that you're going to have to learn when you work on a gas station and you're working on an ice machine. When you set up cones right around the ice machine with caution tape and you set up an 8 foot ladder in front of the dispenser head where the sodas are at and stuff and you put a sign on your ladder and you put a sign on the soda machine that says out of order 756 times you are going to be asked by the customers that walk up is the ice machine not working Can I get ice and you just look down at the sign and they look at you and then you look down at the sign and they look at you and then you look down at the sign and then they look at you and they say well can I Like oh my gosh, gas station ice machine work is the bane of my existence Now that I went off on a crazy tangent.

All right, let's see what else we got. Um, reading through the chat uh with the safe temp units, we get a call that states screen just shows DF Which means defrost Those machines will not show temperature until it gets to 15 degrees. Oh, that's interesting. Um, cones and caution tape mean nothing says Brian Sanders Exactly exactly.

Uh Simon I Really, really like the Km series ice machines. the Hoshizaki dude I love those and then the what is it the stackable ones I'm starting to forget the number is it C No. What is a stackable machine I Don't know. But anyways.

um I I' I Learned ice machines working on Hosaki and Vote Ice machines. Those were the two ice machines that I worked on the first, probably five years of my career was Hoshisaki and Votes. and uh, I like those model machines they're they're They're really, really good. Until the last, probably four years with the evaporator Fiasco is just getting silly.

Um, you know these machines are not lasting. The evaporators are lasting months. you know, maybe a year. It's just kind of silly.

but you know every other ice machine manufacturer has problems too. I Don't mean to keep just knocking on Hosi, They all have issues and you know that kind of leads me to something I wanted to talk about on the show. You know some of the issues that these ice machine manufacturers are having is not necessarily their fault. Okay, some of it is, but some of it isn't A lot of these ice machine manufacturers.

When it goes to or refrigerator manufacturers or air conditioning manufacturers, they have to abide by government regulations and those regulations are making those manufacturers make a lot of changes in a perfect world. And I'm going to I'm going to go out and speak for the manufacturers. In a perfect world, the manufacturer wants to make the most profit with the most reliable machine, right? So that way they continue to have a good reputation and they make really good profits, right? But it's hard to stay reliable. This is my opinion.

Okay, it is hard to stay reliable as a manufacturer if you don't have a lot of time to test and do research and development. Okay, because of the regulations and the rapidly changing regulations these manufacturers are not in my opinion. H Getting enough time to do enough research and development to you know, procure parts and have everything you need to launch a new product or to upgrade a product I Feel like they're being rushed a lot of Manufacturers and that's leading to quality issues. But then on top of that, because of our economy and just all kinds of issues, they're having a hard time finding people that really really want to work the manufacturers.

Of course, they want to make the best product and make the most profits. They that is their goal. Okay, because then they have the reputation and they make the money. Like I said earlier, but it's difficult when they're having Workforce issues.

Okay, now you know there could be arguments about different manufacturers not paying enough and different stuff like that. That's a whole another argument. but it's hard to find people that want to do quality work and so you know the the. The quality coming out of some of these manufacturers is getting kind of sad and you know I Kind of mentioned it in my recent video I Praised Linux in my recent video because they made the new core controller that was amazing It it really is a cool controller.

A little bit of connectivity issues in the beginning I Kind of showed a little bit of it in the video. there was actually a little bit more. um, but you know I just didn't want to show you a bunch of me pushing Bluetooth pushing Bluetooth a bunch of times. but I really like the core controller but then you know they had some quality control issues.

There was a bunch of loose, you know, nuts for the bolts that hold the condenser fan brackets in and stuff like that. It's like wow, You know if I didn't catch that, that would have been a new condenser or something like that. So you know every manufacturer has those issues right now. At least you can buy a hosaki manat is 6 months out.

you'd be surprised. Mike B So that's what's interesting is yeah, the ice machines right now they are difficult, but you know they also you need to understand something that these manufacturers are prioritizing their best customers. Okay, so and this happens all across the board when it comes to air conditioning. Refrigeration Ice machines.

All that stuff friers. Everything. manufacturers are going to favor their best customers. So manufacturers have allotted so many ice machines for some of their biggest national accounts because those national accounts make you know large commitments to purchase X number of boxes of equipment right? And so they give them priority and they give them first access.

So there is ice machines, there is air conditioners. It's just that we're not good enough to get them and the best customers are getting them first. That's what's happening. Same thing with the residential side too.

Um, let's see what else we got going on in the chat. What am I missing an issue to be aware of with the Linux core controller and the loose screws on the communic unication module. verify W4 Communication module screws are secure. That's a really good thing to bring up Chris And you know see, this is something that I and this is a frustration of mine.

I Feel like manufacturers need to do a better job of getting this information out there. Now the manufacturers Lennox manat toalk whatever manufacturers on their websites. They typically have some sort of service bulletin or with their dealer. Network They're going to push out really key warranty items like what just Chris just shared with us, right? Is that the M4 controller that's the main circuit board has some sort of loose screws on a a certain communication module or something, right? So we need to be checking that.

um, that stuff is happening across the board And you know I Feel like manufacturers need to do a better job of getting it out to us because if we go to their website, we can probably find it buried in a tree on the website. But you know they need to do a better job of just having a email blast you know, or something to the general public like hey, you bought our machine. Boom! Keep an eye out for this. You know? uh, could I make a video on how to Winter charge a unit Jonathan Pettit is asking me Jonathan shoot me an email to HVAC Rvideos Gmail.com Remind me of your question I'm G to tell you that I actually have a crap ton of videos on my channel.

but I realize there is a problem with this I have a ton of videos that show me doing winter charge. But the problem is those videos are not indexed and they're not searchable. so you can't just go to my YouTube channel and say winter charge and Boom! You know it finds all the videos that do that. No, because they're not indexed the right way and they're not categorized like they should be.

Um, but that is something. There is a ton on my channel. but shoot me an email. I'll try to get you a a good example of how to do the winter charge on a unit.

Uh, any new install you have to take the time to check wire connections and bolt connections. Yes, Yes, yes you it is. It is a very important thing that you do that. Okay, but life happens.

We can't be responsible for everything about that unit. We are the installers, you know. Yes, a startup technician. You know the the definition of a startup technician from the factory is typically someone that's going to go out and check issues and do the the final.

uh, quality Control inspection. Okay, a fact Startup: Tech But we are not Factory startup techs. We are. You know, the people that are doing the installation.

We're the people that's selling the equipment. Uh, our profit margins, in my opinion, are not big enough to be responsible for going through that entire unit to make sure every single thing about it is perfect. And that's the thing that sucks because you know we're selling to the customer. we're not making the profits to be able to afford to spend that time and and double check every single component of the unit.

and that's kind of a problem. problem. Um, those oh, the spoiling documents have some really good information. Yes, you are probably referring to the Sporin tech documents that explain how to understand the flooded charge.

and uh, I have them right here. So Sportland Bulletin 90-30 Okay, this one is going to explain uh, head pressure control valves and their operation and how they work. And then 90 -30 D1 is the tech document that is going to tell you how to calculate the flooded charge or the winter charge of a refrigeration system that has a head pressure control valve. Um, as long as it has a standard tube and fin condenser.

Okay, with microchannel condensers, you have to lean on the manufacturer of the equipment to find out the proper flooded charge. But I can tell you it's basically going to be 80% less than what the flooded charge was on a tube and Fin condenser because microchannel condensers can achieve a lot more efficiency with a lot less surface area and they do a great job of it. Um, so definitely look up those Sporin Tech documents. Sporin has a great website with a lot of information.

Speaking of that, I mentioned in the beginning of the stream I Am going to be hanging out at the Ahr trade show a good majority of the time I'm going to be at the Parker Sporing. Booth uh doing live streams from the booth, uh Booth presentations and just interacting with everybody. Forgive me, it's the winter time. Uh, our winter we are freezing.

This is probably going to be our coldest time of the year. We're hitting right at design temperatures and just a little bit below I Think we're getting down to like 34 degrees outside tonight at my house. Oh my gosh, that is probably the coldest that's going to be at my house all year. Um, and it's only for a short amount of time.

But uh I do have to say too that with that I'm going off on a totally different subject right now. but with that I am below design temperature or right at design temperature and my heat pump that I just installed in my house is chugging along absolutely no problem. We have the heat set a little bit above design at 71 degrees. uh and we are just maintaining no problem.

Um currently I Looked earlier today when I came home my system was running uh, it was just basically at real low uh variable capacity and uh I think it was at 30% Capac capacity or something like that I mean it's just just just humming along I and remember too when I installed the system on my house. If you don't know I made a video where I designed or I I had a friend design my HVAC design my buddy Adam Muffet uh he did the design for me with my me taking all the information and then I did the install in this you know whatever of the system for my house I put a two ton in and I had a 4 ton. Previously, the four ton was massively oversized. A lot of people said that it was dumb I was putting in a heat pump it wasn't going to work.

Uh. Also, on my 4ton cooling system it had 100,000 BTU furnace which it just absolutely did not need. Uh, we put a two ton heat pump system in with no resistance heat. no backup heat and it is doing perfect so far.

no issues whatsoever. Um, let's see what else. 34 degrees. Put that heat pump to the test.

Yep, it's doing just fine. Um, inefficient compressor or bad? TXV How to recognize? Uh, it depends on there's a couple different ways you can go about that. but use your system. vitals is going to be huge.

Uh, knowing what the compression ratio of the compressor is? Uh, doing a calculation with that? Uh, what is it? Uh, absolute suction divided by absolute discharge? Is that how you do compression ratio I can't remember off the top my head. Um, but uh, you know compressor manufacturers especially. Copeland They're going to do a great job of publishing Tech data. Uh, they have a compressor analysis tool on the Copeland mobile app where you can input some variables and some data and it's going to help you to know what's going on within that compressor.

So how to figure out between a compressor and a bad? TXV How to recognize? You're just going to need to look at the vitals and, uh, evaluate that. So look into the compressor manufacturer's data. Make sure you're checking your subcooling, making sure that you have proper liquid going to your expansion, but you know you know what? I'm you know, go through the basics. all right.

let's see what else we got going on in the chat. Uh, variable capacity is amazing. You love your XV 20 on your house? Right on? man. Yeah, variable capacity is great.

Now Um here's the biggest issue we are going to have a lot of problems with the heat pumps. Okay, is it because the heat pumps designed? No. I don't think so. Uh, I'm going to go out on a limb and say majority of our industry doesn't understand and or know how to properly install equipment.

Up until recently, that was me and I'm talking very recently. Okay, Uh, I was installing oversized equipment and doing things incorrectly. I'm not saying that people are bad. I'm saying that they're ignorant.

they don't know how to do it correctly and that's going to give the heat pumps a bad name, just like it did in the late 80s, early 90s. Uh, with a big heat pump boom. Especially out here in California Everybody hates heat pumps because of it when in reality it's how they were being installed and designed. Okay, so that's a big issue.

Um, bill says yes. Absolute discharge divided by absolute suction. Okay, yeah, so wow. I actually remembered something from school.

How did I compensate for defrost on my new heat pump at Home Zachary My defrost isn't that much and I mean we don't blow air on anybody so we can't feel that air coming out of my registers. We we designed our our registers and everything for the proper throw but I didn't want to feel any air hitting me. So with that being said, my system goes into Defrost for 10 minutes. We're not even going to notice where our house is at 71 degrees.

It's not like we have enough infiltration to to change massive temperatures. for 15 to 20 minutes of a defrost, it's just not happening. Um, you know it. we don't need it now.

I did just to be safe when I designed my system I designed it for heat strips. Uh, but I I sized the wire and everything for the heat strips. so if I ever needed to add them, I could. But I you know I'm doing fine.

Um, in the mountains in Buffalo Dude had 110 degrees out of the registers with 0 degrees outside. Or inside? Yeah or outside? Yeah, uh, not going to put a K2 defrost on your heat pump. Oh, you're going to put a K2 Defrost. That's funny.

100% Um, Uh, Nicholas says he agrees 100% with that and that's why he does a blower door and a load calc on every replacement to confir confirm proper equipment sizing. Yeah, um, let's see. Tom is saying the venting induction is so welld designed you don't even hear and you cannot even tell that that the heat pump is running exactly. Yeah, no, the the system on my house I mean the the loudest it gets it.

It's funny. um it's so quiet it just makes us like my indoor fan unit. you know, just kind of makes a little bit of a a white noise sound just ever so slightly. Uh, one of the mistakes.

On a side note that I did when I did my series of videos was I didn't use a decibel meter I should have used a decibel meter as an example to everybody how loud my system was before as compared to how loud it is now inside for fan and um but I actually heard the other day I was walking by my unit and I told my wife I said I think we have a dirty filter and she's like what do you mean how do you know and I said I can tell just by the sound that the fan coil was making like I could just tell that I was hearing a little bit more noise I was hearing that the motor was working a little bit harder. um you know and uh, she's like no way and I pulled the filter out and sure enough, it's plugged up. you know, like I I'm just so used to that sound but um, yeah, we designed it and I have to give credit credit to Adam my buddy Adam because he did amazing in helping me with the design. So uh, it is awesome so far.

Uh, variable speed units do not even go into defrost very rarely I mean they rarely need it I have I have come out in the morning and seen that my unit you know seen water around it. you know as it went into a defrost so it has but it's just so minimal. So uh, do I ever work with heat reclaim? No, No. I don't you know I work with a a very early design of heat reclaim.

Probably not what you're even thinking of, but years and years and years ago. So in the 1980s there was a massive Energy Efficiency Um, uh, demand and and implementation into the HVAC industry. Uh, especially with controls. But there was some Refrigeration Energy Efficiency that came out in the late 80s, early 90s too.

So I came up in the industry working with my dad through the the late 90s, uh, mid to late 90s and then into the the early 2000s was my my entry into the industry officially right. So we had a lot of heat Harvester units that were doing heat reclaim but in a different kind of way. So what they were doing was uh, it would be something that I would sell to the customer and I would go out and install it and a plumber would pipe in uh, domestic water into the the the heat. Harvester that was the brand name but it was a heat reclaim unit and uh, the technicians would have to cut the condenser open and take the discharge and divert it into the heat.

Harvester or heat reclaim unit. Um, and that would have a small circulator pumped and it would pump it into the actual uh, actually before the domestic water inlet basically so that way it could reuse some of that preheated water. Um, now that was old school stuff. and I know that's not what you're asking me about, but that's basically the only bit that we had.

other than that I don't deal with any heat reclaim whatsoever. Um, like heat reclaim off a parallel rack? Yep, Yep. so uh, exactly. auxiliary heat is when the condenser can't keep up and uses electric heat to supplement.

Oh yeah, I'm sorry if I was I was saying you're right I was saying auxiliary heat I meant that Well, yeah, no, that's what I mean that's that's the auxiliary heat will be turned on when the unit goes into defrost, right? A lot of places will do that, so is that? I Think that's what the point you were trying to make. Um, let's see what else we got going on in the chat. Same thing. Yeah, exactly.

Um, so let me get through my list of things because I've already covered a lot of them. Uh I have a list whenever I do these live streams just to make sure I'm getting through everything I did that? Um, so manufacturers I kind of talked about this a little bit and I want to share something that's coming up too. Um, manufacturers of course are having to come out with all kinds of new technologies. and one thing that I really do like with the implementation of the new technology is the ability for equipment to be able to connect to our phones.

I think it's very convenient and I really at this point like it. I realize it can go wrong too, but at this point I really do like it uh I just installed and I haven't released a video on it yet, but it will be coming out I actually installed just before the holiday I finished up a project I had a lot of projects. that's what we do in the Winners. We have projects so um, uh, just before Christmas I finished up a project with the new Heatcraft um uh, Intelligen Ifm kit.

So it's an intelligent module that's not mounted in the evaporator. You can mount it up to 40 feet away from the condenser from the evaporator and you just got to run calm lines and Eev lines and everything. But anyways, I did an install on a really small walk-in with one of those and it's really cool because I did that. I got the intelligent outside all that but then you can hook your phone up to it if you buy a wireless card and Bo Bluetooth you can program the controller have everything very similar to what Linux is doing with their core controller and what train is doing with the Symbio controller.

So I like the ability to access things now. I Will say that Ketm K2 kind of pioneered this. Uh, they were one of the first big manufacturers and they've gotten really big and have been very successful with it, but a lot of people have jumped on since. K2 Kind of pioneered remote access with your phone.

Um, and I know some people had it before, but I mean K2 was the one that really kind of stepped it up. but K2s is still a little bit difficult. It's getting better, so they're all helping each other and the competition is helping Ke2 to realize that they've need to change a few things too, so you know it's good. All in all, um, you want to see the controller.

Been waiting to see those? Yeah. Mike B it'll be released I have actually for a while I had one sitting behind me, but um, it's in my garage right now. Uh, but yeah, I've got a full video doing the install. It's pretty cool.

so um, let's see what else we got going on in here. Uh, the ability sounds handy, but it really is worth the Boost in money. That's the question. You know it's the cost.

Uh, the Heatcraft Controller is very expensive. Like, very very, a good third the cost of a whole new evaporator. Um, so the argument to be made is that majority of the time you're going to want to buy the Heatcraft Intelligent Controller all already equipped in the evaporator because it's going to be cheaper. Um, basically to do it that way and get a new evaporator, you get what I'm saying it's not going to be actually cheaper, but you're going to get everything already integrated and not have to do as much labor with the Ifm kit.

It's just going to be a a certain use case for that. Uh, but I like it because you can put an Ifm with the Heatcraft Intelligent on other manufacturers evaporators very easily. You can use uh, other brands. uh, eevs.

You can use the spoiling eevs. In fact, maybe I'll do an install with the spoiling eevs on those. um, but you know that's cool. And then I can say this I know it's not a product that's released, but Spin's working on one of those too.

Uh, they have basically change taken uh, some technology that they already had and basically made their own. um, you know, aftermarket evaporator. Um K2 Heatcraft Intelligent Ifm like module. They've been working on theirs for a while too.

Um, so I know at Ahr last year they had a prototype on display so that that'll be cool too. So I like what they're doing here. Um, the ability sounds handy, but is it really? oh, you already asked that one. Let's see what else we got going on that check.

Oh, that's a bummer if you guys are buffering I don't know why, huh? Interesting. all right. let's see what else we got. I'm reading through my chat right now.

You know someone asked me this and uh I Have to be honest. I I get actually quite a few people, but someone just asked me this recently. You know how come when I install new equipment I don't install direct drive as opposed to installing belt drive like I typically do right? Um, if that makes sense I don't know if I said that right, but people are just basically asking why I prefer belt driven equipment because I still do if I have a choice in the matter. I'm going to order belt driven equipment because in my opinion, Motors that are used to turn power, transmission, pulley, and belts and different things are easier to get right now in the aftermarket side than a lot of uh, direct driven.

OEM Motors Because sometimes these manufacturers will spec some really weird Motors They don't typically use just a off-the-shelf direct drive motor, so it makes it harder to find aftermarket Replacements in a pinch. Uh, so I prefer belts and pulley just because they're true and tested I Get it, they're not as efficient and I get it. You know you have to change belts and stuff, but I'm just kind of old school in that way. I'm probably being stubborn.

Um, belt driven Scrolls Yeah, exactly what do I do when a part isn't available and has to be ordered? Is it more? Get them by and explain to them you have to wait. Um, so you know it depends on what the equipment is if. if it's an emergency equipment like emergency repair for like a major equipment Walkin freezer, walk-in cooler. You got to do whatever you got to do and the customer understands that because they need that stuff running.

Uh I've done some crazy stuff to get Refrigeration equipment through a weekend, including box fans, water hoses, um uh, the like. One time I needed a condenser fan motor so bad and I didn't want to open a supply house but I only had 115 volt condenser fan motor so I installed it, ran an extension cord across the building, down the roof hatch into a receptacle, and ran the condenser fan motor through the weekend instead of opening a supply house. you know and then go back out later and you know. So I mean there's all kinds of stuff you have to do.

Uh, but we try to put OEM back in the equipment as much as possible so it just depends on what the customers needs are. really. can I explain why you remove shers from JB propane scale in order for it to work properly? I mentioned that in one of my videos. Yeah, so the JB scale uh I have the r290 JB scale.

My favorite r290 scale out there is the JB one. Okay, um and uh, when it comes from the factory, it has two shers in both sides so that way refrigerant can get trapped inside the scale. But what I tend to notice is that refrigerant has had a hard time. No matter if I change the shers or not depressing the shers with the refrigerant to get it to flow through both shers, it just goes way too slow.

Why do you even need those there? There's no point there's no solenoid valve in my scale. it's just a pass through. Port The shers are merely there just to annoy you. Really? I mean there's no reason to lock refrigerant in the scale.

It's such a minute passageway. it's not even going to hold that much refrigerant. So I found when I was using that scale. If you take out both the shers, you never have those slow refrigerant transfer problems at all.

So I just eliminated them. Um, let me see. like the bone board do solenoid temp control deal. Um, oh oh Chad you know what else too? Uh, you just reminded me I don't know if that's what you were asking me.

but um, so the last install and I think this is like my favorite way to do a Heatcraft Intelligent is uh I installed a liquid line solenoid valve too on that and you can do that on any Heatcraft Intelligent. but I installed a liquid line solenoid. Uh, so if the Eev stator ever has an open winding because I've had this happen several times where the Eev stator would have an open winding and it would think that it was closing the valve when it wasn't so the valve would just sit there and I've had them freeze the entire contents on multiple occasions. um of a walk-in like I've had them had that happen and so just for Giggles I Installed a liquid line solenoid valve before.

Uh, so that way we would never run into that issue. So um, yeah, that was something fun that I and that that'll be Rel least in the video. I got to stop talking about it because it was a cool video. So that way you guys have to wait until I edit it and you can see it.

Um, all right, reading through the chat. All right. Cool. Um, let me get through my list and see what else I'm missing in here, you know I've talked to a lot of people.

People keep asking me why don't I film my videos with a GoPro Why don't I strap a GoPro to my head Why don't I put a chest mount on first Reason why I don't do that is because you look like a dumbass when you walk around with a GoPro on your head. Okay, but you know, arguably nobody's going to be uh, going on the roof looking at you. but still, that's just you look dumb. Okay, number two: I get motion sickness.

So I would consider looking like a dumbass if it made really, really good footage. but I get motion sickness and I imagine other people get motion sickness too. So I have to edit that video. every video.

that you guys see I've probably watched it three times in the editing process. Okay, I can't watch myself shaking around as I'm walking with a GoPro strap to me. Just just can't do it. it.

Um, all right, let's see what else we got. Okay, cool, uh, sweet. All right going through here. Um, already covered that one.

Okay, let me look at one more thing right here. Uh, recently I made a video where I had a package unit that um, had a bad indoor blower motor. It was a carrier package unit and also had a a broken refrigerant line so it had no refrigerant charge and uh, when I had walked up to the unit I didn't power it down and I stuck my hand in there. Um, and you know that was a mistake.

Why did I do that? I'm a horrible person I should not be a technician. uh I should never be able to own a set of gauges I mean I've heard it all and I've seen it all in the comments. Good grief guys. I'm human and I make mistakes like that's that's the bottom line.

I'm not perfect. This channel is not a proper education. My videos are not meant to be educational. My videos are a window into my brain.

They are the expectations and the the the The the wants that I have for my own employees. That's what my videos are. Okay I made them public that the public gets to see how my brain works. There's good and bad that comes out of my channel again.

I Make mistakes just like you do. You make the same mistakes just in a different way. We all make mistakes. We're flawed.

We're human. It is what it is. It's how you overcome those and it's how you come back. So yes, I made a mistake.

stuck my hand in there I shouldn't have done that. Okay, acknowledge it. let people know you know my videos. Again, they're not meant to be this educational resource.

That's the end. All be all. that's just not what they are Okay I'm a human all right. Uh, what else we got going on in here, reading through here.

okay, see, um on my list right here I Already answered that? um oh yeah. really good one. A gentleman had brought to my attention that uh, he does a good job of getting calcium off of the ice machines I mentioned in the Ice Machine video that I released recently that when ice machines get U massive amount of calcium on it, there's really not much you can do to get that calcium off anymore. Uh, a lot of people and myself included in the past would take screwdrivers and putty knives and scrape the calcium off.

but what has actually happened is people realize that when you scrape the calcium off, often times you're gouging the metal and you're you're creating place for bacteria to Harbor So you can only do so much. And if it's plastic, it's even worse because if you're scraping plastic with putty knives and different things like that, you're making tiny little microscopic grooves where bacteria can grow even more. So it's a bad idea. And that's why it's so important for customers to do normal routine maintenance so their ice machines don't get that full of calcium.

Um, oh, there you go. Keith Peterson Yep, you're getting it right now. Uh, true mistake says that? Uh, true mistake is the one that you never corrected. Yes, exactly.

Am I going to the Ahr Expo Yes, I will be at the Ahr Expo and the Hvacr training Symposium that are going to be happening in the next month. Um, the Ahr Expo I will be there all three days. Majority of my time will be spent at the Parker spoiling Booth the Refrigeration Technologies booth and the Heatcraft Refrigeration booth on Monday and Tuesday Wednesday is my free day at this point in time for the A R show where I'll be walking the show and actually getting to experience. But if you want to come and stop and say hi, find me at any one of those booths.

Shake my hand. Whatever you want to do, let's do it. So uh, do I work on Eventco Ice machines? Are they any good? Uh, no they are not good, but no I've never worked on them but I can tell you that they're not good 100% just I already know those that that is not known to be a great brand. So um, all right.

Well it is time to wrap this this up guys. Apparently there's buffering anyways so I apologize. Uh don't know why that's the case, but it is what it is. Uh, it is time for dinner at that anyways.

So I really do appreciate you guys. Remember the Hvacr overtime or the HVAC overtime show is this Friday 6:05 PM Pacific uh with my buddies Bill Russell Adam Muffet and Joe from Canada So um we do that show Friday evenings. it should be a good time. Hope to see you there, hope to see you at Ahr Uh thank you so very much and and uh we will catch you on the next one.

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