Heat Exchanger Crack Comment - Short #280
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
Release Date: 02/24/2026
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...
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Hard Lessons w/ Roman, Tim D., Nathan O. and ELK
HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
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HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs
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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...
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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 responds to a comment we received about cracked heat exchangers and how they were characterized in a recent combustion safety podcast episode.
In reality, heat exchanger cracks counter the effects of the inducer motor. The inducer pulls air through the heat exchanger, but a crack causes the inducer to pull the air from elsewhere, especially once the blower motor comes on. That is a cause of flame rollout and a higher CO measurement.
Induced draft (80%) furnace venting is under negative pressure near the equipment (WRT the air in the room around it). The inducer fan pulls the air through the single heat exchanger, but air isn't "pushed" out of the flue. That's because the draft in the flue is greater than the inducer itself.
80% furnaces are also open-combustion units that pull combustion air in from the air around the furnace, and they require access to fresh air. When you have gaps and cracks in the ductwork, the blower comes on and may cause the combustion analysis readings to change briefly. In a 90%+ sealed combustion furnace, the change is very minimal and doesn't last long; if the numbers vary a lot and are sustained, then that's an indicator of a cracked heat exchanger.
In any case, if you suspect a cracked heat exchanger and want to quote it, you must be able to find it. Proper combustion analysis and combustion analyzer use and care also matter for accurate cracked heat exchanger diagnosis.
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