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Tools and Diagnostic Equipment for Mobile A/C Service
April 29, 2022
Remember it is up to the individual service company or technician to ensure they are following the requirements established in the location where they are working.Read Article >
The desiccant myth
April 12, 2022
There is a myth that exists involving A/C service work and driers that seems to come up from time to time. I have encountered it when handling tech calls and have seen it come up in A/C forums. Read more to find out what it is.Read Article >
No drier replacement, no compressor warranty!
April 6, 2022
Compressor manufacturers and parts distributors are adamant about driers being replaced when one of their compressors are installed. No drier replacement, no compressor warranty!Read Article >
What is a receiver drier?
March 29, 2022
With A/C season just around the corner, this seems like a good time to provide some updated information on these units. NOTE: Receiver driers are sometimes called filter driers and accumulators are sometimes called accumulator driers.Read Article >
Refrigerant supply, pricing and safety
March 8, 2022
What I'm hearing about refrigerant supply and pricing this year reminds me of a similar period in the mid-2000s. It was springtime, just before the start of A/C season. Supplies of R-134a were tight and the price had come close to tripling from the prior year.Read Article >
Heat pump basics
March 2, 2022
An internal combustion engine (ICE) is relatively inefficient, using only about a third of the fuel's heat energy (BTUs). The rest of the heat energy is “wasted” in friction, cooling and exhaust heat losses. Yet, the ICE’s wastefulness benefits the vehicle's interior heating.Read Article >
Refrigerant reminders
March 1, 2022
It could be a challenging year keeping adequate supplies of R-134a on hand and it will be more expensive.Read Article >
The benefits of MAP-controlled thermostats
February 9, 2022
A customer driving a 2014 BMW 328i arrived at the college's 2nd-year electrical lab reporting his illuminated check engine light. The customer had no complaints other than the light. The vehicle had just over 82K miles showing on the odometer. A student (Phil) assigned to the BMW performed a review with a scan tool, and a single code (P0597 – Thermostat Heater Control Circuit Open) was present.Read Article >
Sometimes it is user error
February 8, 2022
I encountered a situation in the early days of recovery/recycling machines when they had just been introduced. I had set up a machine about four months earlier when the customer purchased it. I went to great lengths to cover proper operation of the unit and the shop owner even attended a certification clinic I conducted.Read Article >
Air contamination in an A/C system can ruin your day
February 2, 2022
I had a memorable encounter with air contamination in the mid 1990s. I was conducting a lot of retrofit clinics at the time and had recently acquired a demo refrigerant identifier which I took to those clinics. At one clinic, there was a technician who was extremely interested in the refrigerant identifier.Read Article >
