Building Science at the Kitchen Table: Using Testing to Close the Sale
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Recorded live at the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium, this episode brings together Roman from HVAC School and building science practitioner Brynn for a deep-dive conversation on one of the most pressing challenges in the HVAC industry: how contractors can use building science principles not just to solve problems, but to communicate value and close sales at the kitchen table. With 26 years of industry experience and 15 years of consistently applying building science in his contracting business, Brynn shares the process his team has refined to help homeowners understand their comfort...
info_outline
Hard Lessons w/ Roman, Tim D., Nathan O. and ELK
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Join industry veterans Tim De Stasio, Roman Baugh, Eric Kaiser, and Nathan Orr as they share their most memorable HVAC lessons learned the HARD WAY. This unfiltered conversation from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium reveals the real stories behind costly errors, dangerous situations, and valuable HVAC training moments that shaped their careers. What You'll Learn: Critical refrigerant handling mistakes and their consequences Combustion safety lessons that could save lives Chemical safety protocols every technician must know Equipment installation errors and how to avoid them Real-world...
info_outline
Better Seen than Viewed w/ Jim Bergmann
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
In this heartfelt and wide-ranging episode, host Bryan reconnects with Jim Bergmann of measureQuick after nearly three years apart. The reunion is anything but ordinary — Jim opens up about a serious battle with non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma that sent him through not one but two rounds of chemotherapy, ultimately requiring a cutting-edge CAR-T cell immunotherapy treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. Jim shares the remarkable medical journey of having his T cells extracted, genetically modified in a Maryland lab, and reintroduced into his body to permanently attack cancer cells. Now past the...
info_outline
Symposium - What Good Techs Do Different W/ Data
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Discover what separates elite HVAC technicians from average ones in this eye-opening session from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium. Shelby Breger, co-founder of Conduit Tech, and Jim Bergmann, President of measureQuick, reveal what good HVAC techs do differently with data and how they leverage data to transform their diagnostics, commissioning, and service work. What You'll Learn: Why top technicians deploy all 9 probes on every air conditioning system How proper data collection reduces callbacks by 24% or more The critical measurements most techs are missing (charge and airflow...
info_outline
Heat Recovery from Data Center w/ Jeff Staub
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan sits down with Jeff Staub, Director of OEM Sales for Danfoss North America, to explore one of the most rapidly evolving frontiers in the HVAC and refrigeration world: thermal management for AI data centers. With nearly 30 years of industry experience spanning technical support, application engineering, and product development, Jeff brings deep expertise on how the explosive growth of AI chip technology is reshaping data center cooling architecture — and creating major new opportunities for HVAC professionals, contractors, and facility...
info_outline
All About ESCO with Renee Tomlinson and MeasureQuick's Latest Features with Jim Bergmann
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
In this short episode, the HVAC School team members talk with Jim Bergmann (measureQuick) and Renee Tomlinson (ESCO) about the latest and greatest that they brought to their booths at the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium. First, JD Kelly spoke with Renee about ESCO Institute's educational offerings. ESCO offers a mix of books and online training content, including new training for A3 refrigerants, a new CO2 (R-744) training manual, and the newly released second edition of System Performance. ESCO has been working with Visual 3D Academy to bring augmented reality (AR) training to the...
info_outline
Building Tools & the Trade w/ Tony G. from Fieldpiece
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Recorded live on the third day of the AHR Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada, this episode of HVAC School brings together host Bryan and longtime friend of the show Tony Gonzalez, Director of Training at Fieldpiece Instruments. The conversation kicks off with some light-hearted banter about trade show survival tips — including the classic trick of hanging around near closing time to score free gear from exhibitors who don't want to ship anything home. Tony, who spent much of the show working the Fieldpiece booth, shares what it's like to be on that side of the expo floor, while Bryan admits he...
info_outline
Symposium - Do Inverters Suck?
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Join us for this eye-opening session from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium featuring industry experts Roman Baugh, Jon Esquivel, and Adam Mufich as they expose the truth about inverter-driven HVAC systems. What You'll Learn: Common Inverter Problems - Why these systems fail and how to prevent callbacks Design Mistakes - Oversized inverters acting as expensive single-stage units Dehumidification Challenges - Understanding sensible heat factors and humidity control modes Building Science Integration - How envelope leakage and infiltration affect inverter performance Installation Best...
info_outline
Recovery Pro Tips w/ Jesse from NAVAC
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Recorded live on the floor at the AHR Expo 2026, this episode of the podcast brings together host Bryan and his guest Jesse, National Training Manager at NAVAC, for a candid, high-energy conversation about professional best practices in the HVAC/R trade. The two have a long-standing friendship and professional rapport that makes the discussion feel both educational and genuinely entertaining. Jesse brings a unique background to the table — from underground coal mining in West Virginia to becoming a lineman, then pivoting to HVAC through vocational school and a contractor-sponsored...
info_outline
Symposium - What is the House Trying to Tell Me?
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Join Chris Hughes and Adam Mufich at the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium as they interview building scientist Tessa Murray. In this eye-opening conversation about what your house is really trying to tell you. Discover why HVAC techs need to understand building science fundamentals to truly master their craft. What You'll Learn: The critical connection between HVAC systems and building science How to identify hidden moisture problems in walls and attics Combustion safety testing that could save lives Understanding dew points and thermal bridging Proper ventilation strategies for different...
info_outlineIn this short podcast episode, Bryan covers the history of the great heating debate: furnaces vs. heat pumps or combustion vs. compression. He also gives a breakdown of each other's strengths and gives his two cents on the winner of the debate.
Fire kept humans warm for much of history, but engineers developed a way to move heat by manipulating refrigerant pressures. Early heat pumps got a bad rap because they didn't live up to the hype; they had frequent operational issues, didn't heat effectively, and were largely unable to be serviced effectively by technicians.
However, heat pumps have evolved and now outperform furnaces in many areas. Ones with COPs between 2 and 5 can be anywhere from 200-500% efficient in terms of watts in, BTUs out. They also have many safety benefits over gas furnaces, including no risk of flame rollout, carbon monoxide poisoning, and gas leaks; removing the gas meter and all its risks entirely is a possibility.
Nevertheless, some people still insist that combustion is king due to its comfort, as furnaces' heat is more intense than that of heat pumps. Furnaces also require little electricity, making them more sensible in markets with weak or dirty electrical grids. Combustion appliances also only need to work part of the year, meaning they run fewer cycles and experience less mechanical wear over the same period of time as heat pumps (thus may have longer lifespans).
Dual fuel allows you to get the best of both worlds; it allows the heat pump to handle the cooling and most of the heating for the energy efficiency benefits, and the furnace can step in when more intense heat is needed. Ultimately, the "winner" of this debate, at least to Bryan, is the most sensible solution for energy costs, safety, comfort, and reliability; the real answer will depend on the climate, infrastructure, and other factors.
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.