Our Attendees Demonstrate What They Learn – 2025

Speaker: Cameron Dawes

Hi there. I’m Cameron Dawes at the HVAC Technical Academy. Today I will be showing you the refrigerant recovery process. For this process, you need a manifold gauge set, a recovery system, a recovery cylinder, and a scale.

To start this system, you will unplug your high side from your manifold gauge set and plug it up to the liquid side. You’re going to unplug your low side and plug it up to the suction side.

Next, after you plug those up, you’re going to plug your refrigerant hose to the inlet. This is the end. This is the out. You’re going to plug your refrigeration hose into the inlet. And you’re going to have another hose, extra hose. You’re going to plug it into the recovery the recovery cylinder and the outlet of the recovery system.

Okay. Before you start any of this, you have to you have a scale. You have to get your tear width. Turn your scale on. Once your scale turns on [Music]

Okay. So, the tear weight is 20.2. Okay. That’s the tear weight. That’s how much this cylinder is, not how much it holds. You can put as much as probably about 23 inside of it. You’re going to tear this. You’re going to tear this and put this at zero so you can have that regular.

Next, you’re going to open your ball valves on this. You’re going to open up your high and low side until it’s all the way open, not fully open. Then you’re going to open your refrigerant, your refrigerant knob. Next, you’re going to open your ball valve right here on the inlet. You’re going to purge all air out, all air, all noncondensables. Usually, it’s going to make a noise for about two, three seconds, and then the noise will decrease.

Next, you’re going to come over here and you’re going to purge this. Usually, it would be a ball valve, but this hole doesn’t have a ball valve, so you’re just going to purge it regular. Probably about a couple seconds and close it back up.

Next, you’re going to open up the cylinder. And after you open up the cylinder, you’re going to come here. You’re going to start and switch it to recovery. And then that’s it.

Speaker: Edward Rodriguez

Hey guys, welcome back to HVAC Tech Academy. I’m Ed and today I’ll be showing you some low voltage wiring.

So, we’re going to start over here at our air handler. In this case, you can see this would be our low voltage wiring. You see this low voltage wiring also connects to the back of our thermostat back here as well.

So now our thermostat, our low voltage wiring is always going to be 188 proportions of the AWG. The eight wires being of 18 AWG. Behind your thermostat here is where you’ll also see your connections. C for your common, R for your 24 volts, G for your blower motor, Y for your outdoor contactor, W for your heat, and O for your reversing valve.

Behind the thermostat as well is where you can see that the thermostat makes these connections. If everything is working properly, the thermostat should make these connections and these connections can always be tested either behind the thermostat for continuity or you can always check your voltage here.

In this instance, we have a control. You would use your multimeter volt AC and we can check to see where we have voltage in each and every point from R to common, R to O, R to G to Y to W, so on and so forth.

All right. Well, that was low voltage wiring. Again, my name is Ed. See you guys next time.

Speaker: James Samuels

Good afternoon. This is James Samuels and I am here at HVAC Technical Academy and I am doing a demonstration on the heat strip and how it operates in a straight pool system. It is the primary source of your heat and in the heat pump it would be your secondary source of heat. and it would be your emergency.

So now I will show you how to get the continuity. I got to test it. We switch our gauge over here, our compact meter to microfarads MFD. There we have somewhat of a reading. There we have more of a reading. And now since we have that, I got to show you how to take it out of here. And once you need to replace it.

So now I’m going to disconnect these wires here so you can get right to your heat strip. take it out for you and show how we replace that in case anything goes wrong with it. We’ll switch it out and get you a new one, bring it right back to you so you can have what you need. And we’ll just insert that back in there as fast as possible. And then we will reconnect these wires. And then there you are. You’re all set. Have a good one.

Speaker: Jantz Lee

I’m J. I’m here at the HVAC Institute. I’m showing you the condenser fan motor. This is a condenser fan motor. It’s a motor that runs the fan out and your outdoor condenser unit. It gets rid of heat from your condenser coils that have the refrigerant in it. The refrigerant flows through your inside of your house and um absorbs heat from inside your house. and we move it to the outside and we get rid of it. That’s how we cool your house down.

So, this comes out. There’s screws that go around the top of here. You pull this out. The the fan is attached here. It’s got three wires and they go they go through and they come out. They come out here. Two of them go to your capacitor. One of them goes to your contactor. And it’s pretty easy to take out. You take these screws out. You get this out. This goes Well, first your wires. The wires go through here like this. Put your wires through here. Get the wires. [Music] Like that.

And it’s got these studs on it. They go go here. And then I got the hardware. I got the hardware right here. I need a screw on like that. There we go. There we go. Got two more. There we go.

So, usually when you take the motor out, you take the the blades off. And I had to use this blade pulling tool and it’s pretty difficult. And um I did that earlier. I put it back on for this video. So this goes on here. [Music] The wires run through your hole. that. I got that back on. I can put my screws back in. I can connect my two wires to my capacitor and other one to the contactctor. And that’s it. Thank you for watching my video.

Speaker: Jason Manning

Hi, I’m Jason from HVAC Technical Academy. Today we’re talking about a filter dryer and how to replace it, when to replace it. First, you got to figure out when it’s bad. Sometimes it’s obvious a lawn mower runs over it, something. If you if you ch have to change out a compressor, you have to change out that filter dryer. The filter dryer, it filters dirt, moisture, so it does not damage the compressor.

You can, one way to test if a filter dryer is clogged is to get your manifold out and look at your subcool and super heat. If that temperature is a 3° difference, that means this filter dryer is clogged. Something’s going on. Let’s take that off. Okay, we got our acetylene and our oxygen. All right. We got it off. Now we got our new one. We’re going to put it back on. Let’s put that there. [Music] [Music] You got to get that on first. Okay, I got to heat up a little more. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] That’s it. Turn off our tanks. That’s it. I’m Jason. Thanks for joining us. You have a good day.

Speaker: Junior Polycape

Hello, my name is Junior and I’m here with HVAC Technical Academy and I’m going to be showing you on how a vacuum pump operates.

So, here we have one of the main component that we will need to pull the vacuum which is this vacuum pump itself. And then we have our gauges set right here which will be used as hoses to go inside of the liquid line and vapor side of the condenser.

Now, we pull a vacuum on a condenser system. And the reason why is to get any debris, any kind of noncondensible out of the system before we add refrigerant into it.

And now, how you would need to do it would be right here. We’ll press this button. All of my things already set over here. So, all I will need to do is turn it on, open up my gear, Now, as you can hear, it kind of stopped.

Now, here we do have a gas valid. And the gas valid is just to basically remove any moisture that’s within stuck the condenser. So, what we would need to do is pull it up a little bit. Not too much. You don’t want you don’t want to get it out too much cuz it might damage the vacuum itself.

All right. Now, before pulling it, you will want to make sure that all of your equipment is set up right and tight so that the vacuum can be pulled fully.

Now, if you come over here, it shows on how much is being pulled. Now, through EPA regulation, you want it to be 500 microns or less.

Now, these are the holes where the vacuum is being pulled going to the little cylinder right here and being pulled out of the system out of this big vacuum hose into the vacuum pump and out into the air.

Now, right here, we do have a little oil thermometer right here. And this is just to show you how much oil is within your system. And this oil is used to basically and how could I say that for you guys not let any of the components within the vacuum wear and tear and over time it will go down. So you do need to check it every single time that you are pulling a vacuum.

And this is Junior and I just showed you on how to pull a vacuum.

Speaker: Kevin Hill

Hey guys, what’s going on? This is Kevin from HVAC Technical Academy and I’ll be here today to talk to you guys about duck board, cutting duck work. So we’re going to be making a Plymouth for measurements that were given to me were 10 by 12. So let me show you guys how to get ready to do that.

All right, so first of all, you want to subtract three from 10 and three from 12. That’ll give you a total dimension of seven and nine. Okay.

All right. So, my first cut will be uh my 7 in mark to where 3/4 to your first cut. That way, you can have a little bit of extra lip to form back to actually make your corner cut like so. So, I will grab my Vcut um which is a red. And you want to make sure your sleds are facing forward, guys. All right. So, I’m going to measure my three and a half, 3/4, and my first cut, remember, is seven. So, that’s about three right there. You want to make sure you’re flush all the way through. And you want to travel all the way through, guys. Like so. Okay.

Remove any of this fiberglass, which is called fiberglass. And going to give you a good fold. You will feel the tension inside the fiberglass to let you know. All right, that should be good enough.

All right. Now, second cut. Nine inches, guys. So, you want to start start from the edge point like so. That’s about nine say. So, right about nine. All right. Second cut. Remember, fast forward. There you go. So far so good, huh? Again, it’s going to feel a little tension there, but that’s the whole purpose of folding it back. That way you can release some of that.

You guys remember the next cut? Remember seven and a quarter the first time, but we’re not doing seven and a quarter, just seven. So you start from your the edge of the last cut. We’re at seven. Good to go. But this time want to use the blue. This is the black. Oh, sorry. Damn. We got to do it over. All right. Yeah. I want to go with the red. Sorry. Yeah. Seven.

1. Now we want to go nine. Now we want to go line add it up. Now we’re going with the butt cut. Reason for the butt cut so you can have a little lip to fold over. It’s gonna be a little tough, but cut all this excess off right here because we don’t need any of that. This is no longer needed. And now what we want to do, we want to like so fillet the rest of this excess fiberglass off. If you guys ever filleted a fish, you would understand what I’m saying when I say fillet.

So far so good. Just want to get just take all the rest of this off, guys. Now, from there, it’s going to start forming our plenum box. Don’t forget, stretch it out again. It’s not going to  form the way you want to that perfect dimension that you guys are really looking for. Okay. So, we should be fully squared like so.

Now, more than likely you’re going to have a helper outside in the field with you. But if you but if you don’t, get you a little piece. This right here is called working by yourself. Just rip your little piece off like so.

All right. Well, you want to get this on as easily as possible. It’s way easier than that, but guys get a somewhat of an idea what’s going on. It’s right here. See these ridges in there? This is what you want to see after you assemble this product. And this is how you make a 10 by 12 plenum, but of course it have a cap on it. And this is Kevin Hill from HVAC Technical Academy. Hope you guys enjoyed this video.

Speaker: Nghi Thoi

[Laughter] Hi, my name is Nghi from HVAC Technical Academy. Today I’m going to show you how to take it out capacitor and replace it. This is capacitor. It show like the rating 35 flash five mean 35 is pressure and five is a fan, be like 5%. This is a dual capacitor be like common fourprong. They got home three prong and the fans run part. Especially do is they energize start and running on compressor and the fan. When they go out, when they go bad, the fan and compressor not going to working.

So, let’s check out how it work. I’m going to check out the harm first. It reading zero, so mean it’s bad for compressor. And we’re taking a fan is it’s come up 4.9; this mean the fan is working.

So here the capacitor are located on condenser. If you want to replace it, just unplug a wire from home compressor and commons and fan. Then you swap it in. You plug back in and they should be energized for all condenser system.

That’s how it works. And that should be it. Thank you for watching. My name is Nghi. So, have a nice day.

Speaker: Roger Williford

Hello everybody. It’s your boy Roger. I’m gonna be telling you about a defrost board today.

Basically your defrost board, it just tell you signals about your fan, it give you your 24 volts, it send signal to your heat strip.

And then what can happen on your defrost board? Any little thing can happen like if an amp get into it to just stop working right and not function right.

So, and you can replace them. So, that’s what I’m—that’s all I know about a defrost board.

Speaker: Tommy Cobb

Hey guys, my name is Tommy Cobb and I’m here at HVAC, and I’m gonna tell you about a contactor.

So, a contactor is this guy here. A contactor acts as a switch, an electrical switch. So basically, on a controller, you have high voltage that has to pass through when this clicks down to other components that then pass off voltage to be used in the system.

So basically what happens is say you’re at your thermostat and you call for cool. This high voltage is going to pass through here and then distribute low voltage to the capacitor which then breaks off and sends voltage to your compressor fan motor and your condenser fan motor.

So yeah, how do you test a contactor? You would simply get your micro, I mean your multi-gauge, and go to your microfarad settings, and you would test for continuity. And that would be just putting one here and one here. You hear that? Makes a sound and that’s letting you know that you have continuity. You can do the same here and here and also here and here. I’m guessing that’s this is not a good contactor.

How can a contractor go bad? You can get insects or little ants or anything that really stops this from going down and allowing the circuit to run through. It could make your contactor become this fault.

And yeah, there you have it. That’s a contactor. Thank.

Recovery Process Overview

Hello everybody. This is Ben Chisum with HVAC Technical Academy. Today I want to explain the recovery process.

First off, there are a couple of things you need in order to do a recovery. You need your gauge manifold, a recovery pump, and a recovery cylinder. Usually, they’re the gray and yellow ones—that’s how they come. You also need to know what you’re recovering. This unit came off of an R22 system, so make sure it’s properly labeled.

You’ll also need an extra hose, because you have an in and an out on your recovery pump. That extra hose allows you to complete the vacuum properly.

Recovery in Action

Right over here we have a team working on a recovery process and cleaning the system. They have the gauges hooked up, running into the recovery pump, and then out into the recovery cylinder. The goal is to get all the refrigerant out of the system before doing any major repairs.

At the moment, they’ve got the gauges connected and are waiting for it to zero out and reach at least 500 microns. That’s Mark and C working on the system here.

Pro Tip

Here’s a tip: sometimes the vapor and pressure in these cylinders get high. It’s a good idea to run water over the cylinder to help keep it cool. That will also speed up the recovery process.

Closing

Aside from that, hey, you guys have a good day. This was a great day here working at HVAC Technical Academy, and we’ll get back to you soon. Thank you.

Hi, I’m Ciara with HVAC Technical Academy. Today I’m going to be telling you about capacitors—a little bit of what we learned. Today we’re outside at a condenser unit. That is where the capacitor is found.

If you look down here, you’ll find the capacitor. It’s usually strapped up against here to keep it safe. For now, this unit is off, so I’m allowed to measure it with my micrometer and microfarads.

Testing the Capacitor

You go ahead and turn it to microfarad. Here we have a dual capacitor because I have three prongs. I have two prongs going to my fan. I have three prongs, which is the herm, that’s going to my condenser, and I have my common here that’s coming from my main source of power.

The capacitor gives your system the kickstart it needs to turn on. So if I take my probes and I have my multimeter on microfarads, I would come here to my common, because this is where my power is coming from, and then over to my herm. I’m getting a 2.7 reading.

Then I go to my fan—sorry, my common to my fan—and I have 87.7.

Reading the Label

I just wanted to go ahead and show you guys how you would test it if your system was running. There’s a formula that you would have to use and do a couple calculations to get the correct readings. But if you want to know what you’re trying to find, you always look here on the label.

On the label, it has 45 plus 5 at a 5%. So if you stay in the range of plus or minus 5% of 45, you have a good capacitor and you don’t have to worry about it.

And that’s a little about capacitors for you. Thank you.

High and Low Voltage Transition

Hi, I’m Cyntonio Johnson, and I’m here to explain the formation and the transition between high voltage and low voltage. I’m also going to explain what the thermostat does for the system.

First of all, the thermostat is like the brain of a system. It tells the entire system what to do and helps all the components communicate with each other.

When you first look into the air handler, you’re going to see a whole bunch of wires. It may be a little confusing, but to help break things down, let’s start with the high voltage.

High voltage is around 208 to 230 volts. It travels through the wires labeled L1 and L2. These wires go to your transformer, and at the transformer, the power steps down from high voltage to low voltage. This step-down is critical because if you sent high voltage directly to the thermostat, it would blow it out. The transformer reduces the power so it can safely communicate with the thermostat at low voltage.

Low Voltage and the Float Switch

From the transformer, the low voltage travels to something called a float switch. The float switch protects the system in case of a clogged drain line or water backup. If water rises in the pipe, the float switch lifts and tells the system to shut off—essentially saying, “Hey, I’m drowning, shut off.”

When that happens, the float switch interrupts the 24-volt circuit, shutting the system down. Once the drain line is cleared, the float switch drops back down, and the system turns back on. It lets the system know, “I’m okay now.”

Thermostat Process

Now let’s talk about the thermostat process. The “R” wire is the 24-volt supply. For educational purposes, it’s usually shown as red, but don’t rely on colors alone. If you expect red and instead find a green wire, it can cause confusion. For this explanation, though, we’ll stick to the standard color schematics.

At the thermostat, you’ll see R, G, and Y.

• R is the common 24 volts. Nothing works without R.
• G is the blower motor inside the air handler. R connects to G to turn on the blower.
• Y is the yellow wire that goes to the condenser unit contactor. R connects to Y to turn on the condenser unit. That’s when we get cold air.

Quick Review

That’s a quick review of the thermostat system, along with the transition between low voltage and high voltage. I hope you were able to take something useful from this explanation, and have a great day.

Contactors Explained – HVAC Training with Deyvi

Introduction

Hey, my name is Davey, and I’m here with HVAC Technical Academy at Second Chance University. Today we’re going to be talking about contactors.

What Is a Contactor?

A contactor is basically a big electrical switch that controls high-voltage components, like a compressor.

When your system calls for power, the contactor “clicks in” and allows current to flow from the high side to the load side. That current then powers your compressor or condenser fan.

Think of it like this: click—bam—the contactor closes the circuit. Current runs through, goes to the capacitor, and then out to the condenser fan motor or compressor.

How to Test a Contactor

To check if a contactor is working, use your meter to measure continuity.

• If your leads show continuity: the contactor is good.
• If you get no continuity: it’s a bad contactor and needs to be replaced.

Why Contactors Go Bad

Contactors fail for a few common reasons:

• Insects or debris: Ants and bugs can get inside, stopping the contactor from closing.
• Wear and tear: Over time, arcing creates pits or burns on the contact surfaces, preventing proper current flow.

Types of Contactors

On the low-voltage side, you’ll most often see:

• Single-pole contactors
• Double-pole contactors

But in some systems, there can be three-pole contactors as well.

Understanding the Defrost Board in a Heat Pump

Introduction

How you doing? My name is Dhanny Ramthal, and today I’m here to go over the defrost board. This component is located outside on your heat pump condenser unit.

What Is a Defrost Board?

The defrost board is a control board connected inside your condenser unit. Its main job is to make sure your system properly cycles between cooling and defrost mode.

Here’s how it works:

• In cooling mode, the system turns on as normal.
• When the system needs to go into defrost, the defrost board switches it over.
• During defrost mode, your heat strips turn on, and the fan motor turns off.

In short, it ensures your system goes into defrost mode instead of staying stuck in cooling mode.

What Can Cause a Defrost Board to Fail?

Like most electrical components, defrost boards can go bad over time. Some common causes include:

• Electrical surges – For example, if a storm trips a fuse, it can damage the board.
• Insects and animals – Ants, lizards, and other pests can crawl across the board, shorting it out.
• Corrosion – Exposure to moisture and outdoor conditions can eat away at the components.

Any of these issues can fry the board and stop the system from working properly.

Additional Role of the Defrost Board

The defrost board also works with your low-pressure and high-pressure sensors. It helps manage how the compressor operates, conserving power and protecting the system when those sensors are triggered.

Wrap-Up

That’s it for today’s lesson on the defrost board. I appreciate you joining me for this training.

Thanks again for watching, and I’ll see you next time!
— Dhanny Ramthal

Vacuum Process Overview

Hi, my name is Eric. I’m with HVAC Technical Academy, and I’m here to show you how to do a vacuum process on this condenser.

Every time you do a vacuum, it’s going to be on any major repair or basically anytime you open up the system.

Setup and Connections

We’re going to hook up our low side and our high side, and then we’ll also hook up the bigger hose to the vacuum machine. When you perform a vacuum, all you’re doing is removing the moisture and anything inside that isn’t refrigerant. This makes sure the system holds a vacuum and has no leaks.

Performing the Vacuum

To begin, open up your valves—both the low side and the high side. Then turn on the vacuum machine and open the vacuum port all the way. The system will begin to pull down.

You want to reach 500 microns. This process usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

Final Steps

Once it’s finished, check your pressures. At that point, you’re ready to charge the system. And that’s it.

Filter Dryer Overview

Hi, my name is Mark, and today I’m coming to you from HVAC Technical Academy. I’m going to be discussing filter dryers and their purpose.

A filter dryer is a component that captures moisture and acids from your HVAC system. It’s typically located on the liquid line between the condenser and the evaporator.

Installation and Types

If you look at a filter dryer, you’ll notice an arrow on the side. Always make sure the arrow points in the direction of refrigerant flow—that’s very important.

There are two types of filter dryers:

• Single flow – allows refrigerant to move in one direction.
• Bi-flow – allows refrigerant to move in either direction, which is common in heat pump systems.

Replacement and Importance

It’s very important to replace the filter dryer any time you do a major repair, such as replacing a compressor or evaporator. The filter dryer is brazed into the liquid line, and replacing it ensures the system stays clean.

If a filter dryer is not replaced, it can clog up the HVAC system, which negatively affects performance and efficiency.

Closing

That’s basically it for filter dryers. Thank you for watching, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Condenser Fan Motor Overview

Hi, my name is Rafael Moreno, and I have the condenser fan motor. I’m going to pop this top off and show you what it looks like.

Here you have your condenser fan motor, which is connected to the fan blades. You’ll also see the start, run, and common wires that come out of the condenser fan motor. The motor is powered by the capacitor, which gives it a punch of high voltage energy to turn on the compressor or condenser fan motor.

Purpose of the Condenser Fan Motor

The condenser fan motor helps release heat from the condenser coils. High-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant flows through the condenser coils, and the fan pulls heat out of those coils. This process allows the refrigerant to change states and move through the system.

On the capacitor, you’ll see the start wire from the condenser fan motor. It connects to the HERM or the FAN terminal, which leads to the motor turning on and releasing heat from inside the house to the outside.

Signs of a Bad Fan Motor

Some signs of a bad condenser fan motor include:

• A bad capacitor not giving it the high voltage energy needed to turn on.
• A possible high voltage issue in the system.

During normal cooling, if you place your hand over the condenser fan, you should feel warm air being released from the condenser coil.

Operation During Heating

If you have a heat pump and the system is in heating mode, the opposite occurs—you should feel cold air coming out of the top of the condenser fan. That’s the system taking cold air from inside, releasing it outside, and letting the reversing valve redirect refrigerant flow. The evaporator coil inside then provides warm air to the home while cold air is exhausted outside.

Closing

That’s the basics of the condenser fan motor. I hope you enjoyed this explanation. Thank you for watching.

Heat Strip Overview

Hi, I’m Tavarius Williams, and I’m with HVAC Technical Academy. I’m here to tell you a little bit about the heat strip.

The heat strip is not only the main source but the only source on a subcool unit. A heat pump also uses the heat strip, but in that case, it’s a secondary or emergency source.

Testing for Continuity

We’re going to test for continuity by putting the meter on MFD. Continuity is basically a power surge test—if you get a beep, you have continuity.

• We have continuity here.
• We have continuity here.

Important: You can only check for continuity when the unit is off.

Testing for Voltage

Next, we’ll test for voltage. To do this, place the meter around the wire. But remember, voltage can only be tested when the unit is on.

Usage Notes

During the summertime, you won’t really use the heat strip. When you turn it back on in the winter, you may notice a slight burnt smell. Don’t worry—that’s just dust buildup from not being used.

Replacing a Heat Strip

If you ever need to replace a heat strip:

• Undo the wires.
• Remove three to four screws.
• Swap in the new heat strip.
• Reattach the wires and screws.

Over time, replacement may be necessary, but it’s a straightforward process.

Closing

And that’s a little bit about heat strips. Thank you for watching my video, and have a good one.

HVAC Technical Academy, Sanford FL – May–June 2025

Hello, my name is Cameron from HVAC Technical Academy. Today I’m going to talk to you about the filter dryer.

Filter dryers are used to keep the non-condensibles out, and it pushes refrigerant through. There are two different types of filter dryers. We have BFlow. As you can see, it says “reversible.” Reversible is because this is used on the heat pump, and it pushes refrigerant through both ways. Then we have a single flow. Single flow is used on the straight cool because it pushes it one way. Follow me.

This right here is a straight cool unit. But if you notice, it also has a biflow on it. That’s okay, ’cause it’s still pushing in one way since it’s a straight cool.

Now, when I say non-condensibles — non-condensibles can be dirt, guck — me, it’s — they work as an air filter in the car. I don’t know if you have a car or not. Maybe you’re walking, maybe you’re driving the bus, maybe you’re riding the bike. In a car, though, there’s an air filter. Air filter’s used to keep all the dirt out. Works kind of like a filter dryer. You can say they’re the same thing.

But that’s all I wanted to talk to you about. Now you know what a filter dryer is, you know where it’s located. And then you see this thing is braced together, so you can’t really pull it off. If you want to, you will have to get a brace, heat up the coil, and sweat it off yourself. You got to twist this thing back and forth till it comes off — kind of like taking out a baby from a stomach. But that’s how you take it off.

And uh, to replace the filter dryer, it’s very easy. But the only time you should do it is when you’re making a big change to a condenser — kind of like taking out the compressor — or anytime you have to open up the system, just go ahead and change the filter dryer.

My name is Cameron, and that’s all I want to talk to you about.

#HVACTechnicalAcademy
#HVACTraining
#FilterDryerBasics

What’s up, guys? My name is Connor Picaran, also known as Straight Cool Connor from uh HVAC Technical Institution up in Sanford, and we’re going to be showing you guys the recovery process on this 410A condenser to this 410A recovery cylinder. Now, first things you guys need to do this — you need your recovery machine. You’re going to need the same recovery cylinder that matches your refrigerant in your condenser. It’s very important. Don’t want to mix any refrigerants. You then need your scale to see how much you’re actually putting into your cylinder. And of course, you need your manifold set. Now, manifold set usually has three lines. Has a refrigerant line, a high-high liquid line, and then a low vapor line. You’re going to need an extra hose just so it can go through the out into the recovery tank. So, first thing we’re going to do is get my hose to my out setup. You want your ball valve going into the cylinder tank. And you want to make sure this is closed and the tank’s closed. Next thing you’re going to do is you’re going to grab your refrigerant hose that is on your manifold gauge and you’re gonna hook it up to the end of the recovery system. To do that, you just put it on and close your ball valve. Okay. You then want to— I froze. You then want to open your manifold set right here. And then you also want to open your refriger— your refrigeration dial. Once that is open, you know it’s going to be flowing through your system and your manifold set. That means it’s going to come to right here because your ball valve is closed. You don’t want any non-condensibles or nothing like that in there. So what you’re going to do is you’re going to open your ball valve — ball valve like this. And you’re going to purge the line. Wait two to three seconds. Make sure that is straight refrigerant in there. And close that bad boy up. Okay. The next thing you’re going to do is you’re going to change it to recover. That means it opens this and goes all the way to here. We know this is now pure refrigerant. What you gotta do is — this side is now has to be per refrigerant. So you’re going to open your ball valve right here, go into your cylinder tank — your recovery cylinder tank — and you’re going to unscrew it like this. Let that refrigerant — just a little — come out until it’s straight refrigerant. Purge in the line and tighten that bad boy back up. So then what we’re going to do — we all know that this is straight refrigerant in here now. No non-condensible, not going to mess up anything. What you’re going to do is you’re going to turn this back to close. You’re going to hit start on your system, you’re going to go to recover, and then you’re going to open up that cylinder tank. This — what it’s doing is it’s taking all the refrigerant from the condenser, putting it through the recovery machine, and dumping it straight into that recovery cylinder. Now, your recovery tank should go off, but you should still be self-aware to how much you ought to put in here — how much you know that has to go in there — ’cause you might have to shut it off manually. So say that happens, you’re going to close, stop, and then close your ball valve. All right. After that, you’re going to keep everything open, right? You’re then going to start your system and do self purge. What that’s doing is — this side is now getting everything out. It’s pretty much pushing all the remaining refrigerant back into where we want it to go, which is the recovery cylinder. After that stops, what you want to do real quick is you’re going to close this ball valve and then close your cylinder off. And everything should be okay after that. So hopefully that kind of gives you some justification, some knowledge on how to do a refrigerant recovery for a 410A condenser into a 410A recovering cylinder. That is very important. You do not want to mix any refrigerant. So make sure your tank — your refrigerant tank — matches the refrigerant in that condenser. But other than that — Connor Picar, Straight Cool Connor. Hope you guys enjoyed. Cross three.

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#HVACTechnicalAcademy #HVACRecoveryProcess #StraightCoolConnor

Video Walkthrough with Darwin from HVAC Academy

In this quick video, Darwin from HVAC Academy gives a hands-on explanation of how defrost mode works during cold weather. If you’ve ever seen frost or ice build up on the outdoor grill of a heat pump, this breakdown of the defrost board function will help you understand what’s going on — and why it matters.

[00:00:00]
Two, one. Now, hey guys, this is Darwin with HVAC Academy, and today we’re going to be talking about the defrost board. Come check me out.

All right, that’s my defrost board. That’s where it’s located.

So now, as we know, during the wintertime, temperature drops — it gets cold. So my grill right here gets cold, sometimes gets frost in it or ice.

Now we’re going to go in defrost mode. So how exactly do we go into defrost mode?

So now, we got the sensor wire here. That’s the DTF sensor. We call it Barbie around here.

[00:00:39]
So Barbie’s going to send a signal to my defrost board. So now we’re going to go to defrost mode.

So how does defrost mode work?

So the first thing that’s going to happen — my outdoor fan motor is going to stop. And then my defrost board is going to send 24 volts to my air handler right here so it can activate my heat strip.

And then I’ve got the reversing valve — that’s going to change the flow of my refrigerant.

And then the defrost mode is going to stop. And then it’s going to start heating up, and then all the ice is going to melt, and

[00:01:17]
then the water is going to go away.

And that’s how you go to defrost mode.

I hope you like it.

In this hands-on walkthrough, Deante, a May–June 2025 workshop attendee at HVAC Technical Academy in Sanford, Florida, demonstrates how to safely and efficiently remove a condenser fan motor. Whether you’re in training or refreshing your skills, this real-time demonstration gives you a practical look at how the job gets done.

[00:00:00]
Two, one. Hi, I’m Deante. I’m here at HVAC Technical Academy, and today I’m going to show you how to remove and replace a condenser fan motor.

So, uh, I took a couple of screws out here, but you have four screws. Just for time’s sake, I took one out. So, you’ll unloosen the screws with your trusty dusty drill.

And then what I like to do is kind of flip this over, and it’ll fit into the system the same way you took it apart, just to make sure that everything is there.

And you would disconnect the fan from the condenser so there’s no power getting to it. You would hate to reach in here, someone hits the fan, and this would cut your arm off. Hate to lose a finger on the job.

[00:00:41]
So, after I unplug the fan motor, I’m going to pull these just to make sure they’re out of the way. So now I have total access to the condenser fan motor.

I’m going to take my trusty dusty and unloosen the fan motor here. And if it doesn’t just come off so easy, you do have a motor fan pulley that you can put on here, and you’ll tighten the sides around it like so. And you’ll use that to remove the fan motor.

This one should come off pretty easy — I got lucky, it did.

[00:01:30]
Once you remove the fan blade itself, then I would go ahead and detach the actual fan motor.

Again, I kind of, uh, cheated a little bit — unscrewed these — so I’m going to go ahead and just loosen these up with my hand. And again, just using this for a little bit of leverage and kind of using it as a workspace.

Take these off so the fan motor doesn’t drop down on your compressor.

And now that it is loose, you’ll be able to simply pick it up.

And that is how you remove a condenser fan motor.

Tune in again. Thank you.

In this clear, step-by-step explanation, Jonathan Harold — a May–June 2025 workshop participant from HVAC Technical Academy and Second Chance University — explains what a capacitor does in an air conditioning system and how to test one using a multimeter.

[00:00:01]
Two, one. Hi there. My name is Jonathan Harold and I’m here with the HVAC Technical Academy with Second Chance University. And today I’m going to talk to you about capacitors.

Capacitors are a very important part of the air conditioning system. They help cycle power through the entire system, amplifying it as it goes through. Some people think of it as a battery. And while it does store energy, its main function is to pass energy back and forth, building it up over thousands of times per second in order to power the compressor and the fan.

There are different types of capacitors. There are start capacitors, which just give a jolt to get things to start. There are run capacitors, which help things maintain their momentum. And there are dual capacitors, like this one right here, which is both in one.

[00:00:31]
Today I’m going to teach you how to check a capacitor to see if it’s bad.

So first we’re going to do is — we’re going to see over here, this is rated for 35 microfarads and 5 microfarads. The 35 is going to the HERM, or the compressor, and the 5 is going to the condenser fan motor.

So what I’m going to do is I’m going to take my leads, turn my multimeter to look at microfarads, and I’m going to check my Common to my HERM and see what I get.

Now, the capacitor is also one of the weakest parts of the system. It’s usually one of the first things that goes. As such, rust and corrosion can make it difficult to get a good reading on one of these. As you can see, I’m having trouble with that now. So let’s see if I can get a good connection and get that working for me.

[00:02:07]
Does not look like I’ll be able to on this one.

Luckily, I brought a spare. This one we can test a little easier, I think, since — as you can see — it’s nice, it’s shiny, there’s not a lot of rust or corrosion on it.

So instead, we’re going to check this 70 and 7.5 microfarad capacitor, with a 3% tolerance up and down.

So I’m going to check my Common to my HERM and check that out on here. And we can see that on here, for my HERM, I’m getting a 70.7 microfarad reading. And that is perfect. That is just what we want.

So now I’m going to check my Common to my Fan, which is rated at 7.5 microfarads, and we can see I’m getting 7.57. So even if this has a very low tolerance of 3%, I can tell right there that we are right on the money. That is exactly where we need to be.

[00:02:47]
All right. Thank you everyone. This has been Jonathan Harold from the HVAC Technical Academy. I hope you learned something today.

In this instructional video, Karen Smith, a participant at HVAC Technical Academy’s May–June 2025 workshop, walks you through what a contactor is, how to test one safely, and what signs may indicate it’s time for a replacement.

[00:00:01]
One. Hi, my name is Karen Smith. I’m here at HVAC Technical Academy. I’m here to talk to you about contactors.

So, contactors can be either 15 amps or more. They have different poles, which are one, two, and three. The most common you’ll see in basic HVAC appliances will be a two-pole.

To test a contactor, you can use a voltmeter or multimeter. Perfect. And when you test it, it is very recommended that it’s disconnected. I don’t want to get electrocuted.

[00:00:53]
So, you will take your multimeter and put it to MFD, and then you will select for open line or closed line. You will take your multimeter here so you can read it, and you can test the top, which is the low voltage.

Once you test that, you should get a reading. This won’t be much of a reading because it’s not connected to a system. It is connected to a capacitor, though, so it has some power — not too much, though. I didn’t blow back or nothing.

So, you have a reading on the top, but when you go to the bottom, it just says open line, but it’s not closed.

[00:01:39]
So in the middle here, you have an electromagnetic coil, which opens and closes when the system is running. Once you press this, the circuit is closed and you’ll see a reading.

Okay, so that is one way to test it voltage-wise.

But over time, these contactors can go bad. And this is an example of a bad one. A common cause of age is called pitting, and it has copper deposits on the metal.

When you see that, it’s very much recommended to replace it because it can cause problems in any part of your system.

[00:02:27]
There are many different types of contactors, but I would recommend going to a hardware store or talking to a professional electrician about the more options you would need for your system.

Thank you so much. You have a good day.

In this hands-on walkthrough, Lane from HVAC Technical Academy walks you through how to connect and run a vacuum on an HVAC system — a critical step before charging the unit with refrigerant. This clear, step-by-step demo is part of the May–June 2025 workshop series.

[00:00:01]
One. Hey, I’m Lane with HVAC Technical Academy, and uh, I’m going to show you how to do a vacuum — how to go through the vacuum system today.

So we’re going to start. We’re going to take our low-pressure hose and unscrew it from our gauge. We’re going to take it to our low-pressure side over here. We’re just going to screw it on. Make sure it’s nice and tight. Make sure these are closed.

Take our high-pressure hose. Hook it to our high-pressure side. Again, we’re going to make sure these are closed. Make sure it’s tight. I want nothing leaking.

[00:00:56]
All right. From there, we’re going to take our black vacuum hose right here. Unscrew it. We’re going to take it over here to our vacuum. Screw it right on there. Make sure that one’s tight.

All I’m going to do is I’m going to walk through and I’m just going to make sure that all of my connections are tight. I don’t want anything leaking, coming out of here, having no issues. That’s all tight. These are tight. It’s tight right here.

I’m going to plug this into my extension cord right here. It’s plugged in.

Come over here. We’re just going to open this up. That’s going to let our, you know, residual refrigerant just come out. We’re going to just put this on.

We’re going to open these up right here on the side of our gauge. Open them all the way up. Open these up down here.

[00:01:47]
You should probably make sure your gauge is on. And then—oh! And then you’re going to open up your vacuum knob. It’ll start vacuuming. You’ll see right here. It’ll change in just a minute. It’ll start saying microns.

We’re just going to wait till that number gets down to 500. Take a minute to get there. Usually goes over me. [Music]

That’s basically it. You sit here, you wait. You wait till it goes down to 500 microns.

Once it gets there, we’re going to close off, you know, our ball valves. We’re going to close all these knobs off. We’re going to turn our vacuum off. And then from there, we will refill it with refrigerant.

That’s it. Goodbye. Have a good day.

In this helpful walkthrough, Shemica Armstrong from HVAC Technical Academy demonstrates how to test a heat strip for continuity, explains what to expect when turning it on after months of no use, and walks through the basics of removing and replacing the unit.

[00:00:02]
Now, my name is Shemica Armstrong, and I’m from HVAC Technical College. And today we’re going to be working with our heat strip.

We’re going to be testing it for continuity. But the first thing to know is — during the summer months, normally you don’t use your heat strip. So when you start it up in the winter, it’s going to be some little dust in there. So you’ve got to remember that it’s going to have a smell of like something burning. So don’t be alarmed. It’s perfectly fine.

One thing else to know is — in a straight cool system, the heat strip is your main source of heat. And in the heat pump, it is your secondary, which is your emergency heat.

[00:00:33]
Okay? So, we’re going to test for continuity. We get our multi-tool out, and you test from this point to that point. You hear a beep — that means you have continuity.

We’ll test the other side. You have continuity. Okay?

And there is another way you can test it. You test for continuity when it’s not running. When it’s operating, you test for voltage, which is our AAC. Then you would test the wire like this. We’re not going to get anything because it’s not hooked up and it’s not running. But that’s how you would test it.

[00:01:20]
Okay. Say we needed to replace the heat strip. What do you do?

You have one, two, three screws — typical. All right.

Then you want to pull it out straight. Take a look at it. All right. We’re going to get the new one.

All righty. And look back here, ’cause sometimes they have the little slots back here where it goes on easily and it kind of levels it out. See it back there?

And you want to put it back in. And it typically doesn’t take that much to put it in.

You want to make sure you get your screws good and tight.

[00:02:17]
All righty. Then you want to always make sure you connect all your wires back.

And there you go.

In this detailed demonstration, Stephen from HVAC Technical Academy walks through the full process of measuring and cutting duct board using two different tools — one with two blades and one with three. This step-by-step breakdown is practical, hands-on, and great for anyone learning the trade or refreshing their skills.

[00:00:00]
How you doing? I’m Stephen with HVAC Technical Academy. Today I’m going to measure and cut duct board.

We’re going to use two blades. The first one is a device that contains two blades, and the second one is a device that contains three blades.

What we’re going to do is start out with 12 inches by 10 inches. We’re going to subtract 3 inches to compensate for the cut. And after we subtract 3 inches to compensate for the cut on both sides — for the first cut and the first cut only — we’re going to go ahead and add 3/4 of an inch.

So the first cut is going to be 9 and 3/4 inches. We align it, and then we hold on to the tool and go forth and cut.

Okay, if you notice on the first cut, I should have expanded my tool — I should have expanded my hand to cover the whole tool. So, from this point forward, I’m going to expand my hand to cover the whole tool.

[00:00:34]
When we measure the second cut, we’re going to measure 7 inches from the last end of the V-line. We’re going to use the red tool again.

And this time, I’m going to open my hand to cover the tool. And we push all the way through.

Now, the next cut is going to be 9 inches. We measure 9 inches from the outside of the V-line, and we follow all the way through.

The last cut is going to be 7 inches. With this last cut, we’re going to use the blue tool with the three blades. We’re also going to measure from the outside of the last V-cut.

We’re going to expand our hand. This one’s going to be a little harder, so we’re going to have to put a little more muscle behind it. We follow all the way through.

[00:02:08]
Once we get that last cut in, we’re going to go ahead and put our tool aside. We can put these aside.

What we need to do is — on the edge of the last cut — we’re going to need to use our blade in order to cut through that last cut.

Okay, I’m going to finish cutting through that last cut. Cut through the last cut. This is waste.

We’re going to go ahead and take off the two edges. These two edges will also be waste.

What we’re going to have to do is — this is the end that’s going to go ahead and close it.

So what we need to do is go ahead and use the straight blade side of the duct cutting tool. And we need to go ahead and not cut the tape. But what we want to do is cut underneath like a fillet style.

Before we do that, to help us out, we’re going to put a little pressure here. Do not cut the tape. The goal is not to cut the tape. The goal is to get the insulation as much as possible off the tape.

[00:03:17]
And once we cut under as much as possible, we separate the insulation from the tape as much as possible.

Once you separate the insulation from the tape, what we’re going to do is remove each section.

As we remove each section, we can go ahead and pull it down. We’re going to fold this.

After that, we go ahead and tape it down.

And I’m going to show you the finished product. Once it’s all said and done, this would be the finished product. We want to make sure it’s squared.

Thank you for your time. Thank you for your energy, your blessings. Have a good day.

n this quick, practical demo, Zach Mattingley from HVAC Technical Academy explains the basics of low voltage wiring — the communication pathway that connects the thermostat, control board, transformer, and more. Whether you’re working with a straight cool system or a heat pump, this is a great intro to how everything talks to each other.

[00:00:00]
One, two. All righty.

Hi, this is Zach Mattingley at HVAC TA, doing a video for low voltage wiring — which is the communication of the entire system, from the thermostat to the control board to the transformer. Whatever you want to call for, you do it through the thermostat.

So this is in straight cool. If you want to call for cool, it would be R to Y and R to G. And you would do that — if we can get this off — through these low voltage wiring right here.

So here’s your R, and here’s your Y, and here’s your G. And that would be in a straight cool.

[00:00:51]
For something a little bit more involved and complicated — over here, since you have emergency heat — this would be a little bit different because you might have O or B. And I don’t want to take this off — he’s working on it.

Let’s see here… there you have O right there. So yeah, that can be just a little bit different. Straight cool and heat pump. Heat pump.

And that’s low voltage wiring.

Oh, and the float switch. The float switch can call for the entire system to shut off.

So, low voltage wiring.

🧊 What Is a Filter Dryer and Why Is It Important in HVAC?

Want to know what a filter dryer does and when to replace it?
In this brief demonstration, Comarsh Lunan from HVAC Second Chance University explains what a filter dryer is, where it’s located in an HVAC system, how it works, and why it’s essential for maintaining system performance. Whether you’re a student, technician-in-training, or curious homeowner, this overview will help you better understand this small but critical component.

Transcript – Filter Dryer Explanation by Comarsh Lunan
Hi there, good afternoon, good morning. My name is Comarsh Lunan. I’m here with HVAC Second Chance University, and I have this component in my hand — it’s considered to be a filter dryer.
A filter dryer is normally found in an HVAC system, similar to this component, which is the condenser unit. Their typical location would always pretty much be on the liquid line — this line right here, which is the smaller line. It would be somewhere right here on the liquid line.
Now, we’ve got different kinds of filter dryers. This one in particular can go with a heat pump. It has a flow on either side where the reversing of the refrigerant can go either way. On a straight cool, we have filter dryers that only go in one direction.
Its prime reason for being in the system is basically to restrict impurities that you normally find within the system. It restricts and catches moisture from the system, and it also restricts particles like contaminants and acid.
With proper use, it helps preserve the unit and give it a longer lifespan. The cooling efficiency will also have more longevity.
The filter dryer is a very small component, but it actually works like an air filter. You’re basically filtering out the things that cause impurities and malfunction in the system.
You really want to replace these guys whenever we make, for instance, an upgrade to the system — when we’ve gone in and cut the system. Once the system is open, it’s always good practice to replace the filter dryer, just in case, so it can filter out any contaminants we might have accidentally let in.
That’s pretty much the life and operation of a filter dryer.
Thank you.

💡 Understanding AC Capacitors – With Danny from HVAC Technical Academy

Curious how to detect a faulty AC capacitor?
In this hands-on explanation, Danny from HVAC Technical Academy walks you through the purpose of a capacitor, how it works in your condenser unit, what signs to look for when it’s malfunctioning, and how to properly test it using a multimeter. Watch the video above — then review the full transcript below to reinforce your learning or share with others.

Transcript – Capacitor Overview by Danny
Hey, this is Danny. I’m with HVAC Technical Academy here, off of Lake Mary Boulevard, and today I’m going to explain the purpose, use, and ways to detect malfunctioning capacitors on an AC unit — I prefer, specifically, a condenser unit.
So basically, here we have a condenser. We have the capacitor that’s located right here next to the contactor. And this particular capacitor has a rating of 80 on the compressor side, 7.5 on the fan side. It gives you a 5% plus-or-minus range — so that gives you a little leverage on the actual capacitance.
Ways to find or detect damaged capacitors can be bulging in the capacitor, capacitor leakage, or cracks. If you see cracks in the capacitor, that means it’s not good. It can cause a problem with your AC functioning properly.
So basically, a capacitor really just stores energy for a quick start. It can act as a temporary power source. It smooths out functions in voltage and in current. So that’s just basic functions and purpose of it.
We’re going to go ahead and test the capacitor real quick here to see if we have a good one. And by doing that — okay, so on the capacitor, you have a two-prong, three-prong, four-prong, okay? This is a dual capacitor. So basically, the four-prong is the common port — that’s the one that goes to the contactor. The three-prong is your HERM, and that’s the one that goes directly to the compressor. Your two-prong goes to your blower — blower fan, blower motor.
So we’re going to go ahead and test that. In order to test it, you would take the reading from microfarads — that’s what it’s based on — and you would put your multimeter, that’s what I’m using, to test it. I have it on the microfarad meter setting.
I’m going to go first and test for the compressor portion of it. So I’m going to take my common port, and I’m going to take the reading on the HERM. And we’re getting a 79.5 reading on that.
Now to test for the fan — still use the common port — and then we’re going to go ahead and test on the fan portion of it, the fan port. And we’re getting a 7.37 reading, and that’s pretty much well within the range of what’s required for this capacitor to function.
And that’s pretty much it — the whole function, the reasons why it would go bad, and so forth.
So again, I’m Danny. I’m with HVAC Technical Academy here off Lake Mary Boulevard, and thank you for your time. I hope this really helps to explain how the capacitor works, the purpose of it, and some things that could go wrong within your system.
Thank you, and have a great day.

🔧 Thermostat Terminals & Float Switch Basics – With Cisco from HVAC Technical Academy

Wondering how a thermostat connects to your HVAC system — or what that little float switch really does?
In this short video, Cisco from HVAC Technical Academy (aka Second Chance University) walks through the basic thermostat terminals, explains their role in powering heating and cooling functions, and breaks down how the float switch protects your system from leaks and overflow. Whether you’re learning HVAC for the first time or reviewing core concepts, this quick overview can help.

Transcript – Thermostat & Float Switch Overview by Cisco
How’s it going, y’all? This is Cisco at HVAC Technical Academy, aka Second Chance University. Today we’re going to go over the basic steps about our thermostat, how our float switch works, and the terminals connecting to the thermostat.
So here we have a thermostat. If you look on the back, we’ll be able to see the terminals, and this is where our low-voltage wiring connects up to. Just to give you some basic steps on what each terminal means —
R is our 24 volts, which is going to give us power to the system.
G is our call for the air handler blower motor.
Y is going to be our call for the condenser fan motor.
O is going to be our reversing valve that energizes in cool mode — so all of these first terminals are when you have a heat pump that energizes in cool mode.
Now, when you have a heat pump that energizes in heat mode, we’re going to go to our B, which is our reversing valve that energizes in heat mode.
Then we’re going to have a W — sometimes there’s a W+, W1 — just W is our call for the heat strip.
W-E is our call for the emergency heat.
And then we’re going to have W2, which is our call for the stage two of the heat.
All right, so those are just the basic steps, terminals, and what they mean.
So now we’re going to go over to our float switch — this little device right here. We’re going to help you understand this a little better.
The float switch is pretty much something that you add into your 24 volts to make sure that, just in case there is either a clogged drain line or the pan from the evaporator coil fills up due to freezing — like when the evaporator coils freeze — it will fall, and it can fill up the pan.
So in that sense, when those things happen, this little float switch device is going to turn off the system to make sure that nothing else continues to keep leaking or any of those types of things.
Hopefully that helps you better understand the terminals on the thermostat and exactly how this little float switch device works.
Thank you, it’s been nice knowing you guys — and, uh, Cisco out.

🔧 How to Replace a CFM Fan Motor – With Jose Vera from Second Chance University

Not sure how to safely replace a CFM fan motor in your HVAC system?
In this straightforward step-by-step video, Jose Vera from Second Chance University walks through how to remove and replace a CFM. He covers essential safety precautions, which wires to watch for, and tips to help you avoid mistakes — like taking pictures before you disconnect anything and not losing your screws.

This is a great primer for HVAC students and techs in training who want hands-on clarity about replacing fan motors and handling capacitors safely.

Transcript – CFM Replacement by Jose Vera
All right. My name is Jose Vera from Second Chance University, and I’m here to explain how to replace a CFM. So basically, before you do anything, we have to make sure the power is off.
And then after you shut off the power, you have to discharge — uh, you have to come in here to the capacitor and make sure the capacitor is discharged by using a flathead, right? And you’re going to cross it around, touching each other.
Once you’re done with that, you will need — then you have to take a picture very quick, see how all the cables are and where they are located. Unless you have experience doing this for a long time, I would just make sure — pictures at this time will be your best friends.
After you’re done with that, you can just pull out the cables that are coming from the fan, which in this time is the brown, yellow, and the black one.
Okay, so I’m going to show you by taking these off exactly what I’m talking about. Do not lose the screws — I always put it into the pack there.
You see the cables that I’m talking about — it’s the black, yellow, and brown. So I’m just going to pull this out, right?
Right after I disconnect them — and yellow is coming from the contactor. All right.
Okay, now that I have this out, turn this around, and we’re going to take the blade out.
Sometimes this gives you a hard time, but this one was easy to take out.
Place the blade the same way you took it out so you don’t forget — you don’t want to put it backwards.
And then after that, you’ll be taking out these screws right here, right? In order for you to take the fan motor out.
So I’ll be using, at this point, a 5/16.
All right — oh, I got the wrong one. It was the one that I had on before. It’s actually a 7/16.
All right, and that’s off.
And once you take that off — okay.
All right. And that’s how you replace a CFM with a new one.

🔁 HVAC Refrigerant Recovery Process – With Justin Rivera from Second Chance University

Need to understand how to safely perform the refrigerant recovery process?
In this step-by-step walkthrough, Justin Rivera from Second Chance University and HVAC Technical Academy demonstrates how to properly set up and operate a recovery machine, connect the hoses, monitor pressure, and safely transfer refrigerant into a recovery tank. This process is essential for every HVAC technician learning proper system handling and EPA-compliant practices.

Transcript – Recovery Process by Justin Rivera
How you guys doing? My name is Justin Rivera. I’m here with Second Chance University and the HVAC Academy. I’m going to show you how to do the recovery process today.
Right now, I’m in recovery mode. So, to be into the recovery mode, you’re going to end up hooking up your vacuum hose. Make sure they’re closed at first. Once you hook them up, you can turn on the machine, open up your manifold on the high side and low side, open up your vacuum suction, and you will be in vacuum mode at that point.
And now, to do the recovery process, you will need a recovery tank — a 410A tank. You make sure it’s a proper tank for the machine and the rating of it. This is a recovery tank. You would obviously have it plugged in — it’s not plugged in at the moment because I’m in vacuum mode right now.
You would plug in your inlet to your manifold, and then the out would go to the out. Once you start that process, you would press start on the recovery machine. You open up the valve. You make sure you have the refrigerant side open, your manifolds are open on the high and low side, and then it will start sucking in all the refrigerant into this machine.
With this machine, you scale it out. It’s rated for about 80 pounds. I already have about five pounds of refrigerant in here.
When you’re putting the refrigerant in the machine, this part of the machine gets hot. You cool it down with the hose. When you cool down the machine, it allows the pressure of the machine to go down, and it recovers faster that way.
Once it’s about 7 psig, you don’t have to cool it anymore because it’s already low enough that it doesn’t need the coldness from the water to go into the recovery tank.
It’ll beep about one or two times. It’ll chime at you. You’re in the recovery mode. You close your valve. You close it off. You close this valve. And then you self purge.
Once you self purge, it’ll go for about less than five minutes and then it’ll also beep at you. Once it beeps at you, you close it off and then you can start your vacuum mode — which I’m in right now.
All right, my name is Justin. Thank you guys for listening to my video.

💨 Understanding the Pump Down Process – With Lucas Circelli from HVAC Technical Academy

What is a pump down process, and why do HVAC techs use it?
In this fast-paced, practical explanation, Lucas Circelli from HVAC Technical Academy and Second Chance University walks you through the pump down process — what it is, how to do it, and why it matters when working on an evaporator coil or replacing parts like a TXV valve. Learn the step-by-step method to safely isolate refrigerant into the condenser so you can service the system properly.

Transcript – Pump Down Process by Lucas Circelli
Hey there, my name is Lucas Circelli. I’m here with HVAC Technical Academy and Second Chance University. I’m here to explain the pump down process to you.
So basically, what the pump down process is — we’re going to isolate the refrigerant into the condensing unit, into the condenser coil, and all of that within the condenser.
The way we do that is by shutting off the liquid line service dials. That will allow all of the refrigerant to be sucked in through the suction line into the condenser.
As soon as we have that one closed, we have to start really going at it on the other one and closing it real fast. So we’ll go ahead and do this.
Make sure you have your gauges set up so that you can read the pressures as they go through. You really got to go fast on this.
You should start seeing your pressures go down as soon as it starts getting closed. There we go. So your pressures start dropping real fast. You’ve got to get over here and start closing your suction line.
You’ll start hearing your compressor start to get upset at you and start groaning. Once it gets down below — starts really getting mad — you’ve got to shut it off.
You have to do this quickly so that you minimize the amount of refrigerant that gets pulled into the line set.
The reason you do a pump down is so that you can work on the evaporator coil. You can take it out to clean it, replace a faulty TXV valve — anything basically from your service valves to your evaporator coil.
Any of that maintenance is done with a pump down.

⚡ What Is a Contactor? – With Pat from Second Chance University

Ever wonder what a contactor does in your HVAC system?
In this short and practical video, Pat from Second Chance University gives a simple explanation of what a contactor is, how it works, and how to spot when it’s going bad. Whether you’re starting your HVAC training or want a refresher on common system components, this is a great beginner-friendly breakdown.

Transcript – Contactor Overview by Pat
Hi, my name is Pat, and I’m here in Second Chance University.
Today, what I’m holding is a contactor. I’m just letting you know what a contactor is, and a little bit about its job, and how you can find out when your contactor is becoming faulty — and yeah, that’s about it.
So, this is a contactor. It’s actually like a big electronical switch. It has different circuits.
Okay, down here is your high voltage, and on the side is your 24 voltage — so that’s right here and right here.
When this presses down, you can hear that click — that is going down. You have different circuits depending on what it’s calling for.
So let’s say it’s calling for the top here — this will isolate and become a 24 volt. And yeah, so you have your 24 volts and your high voltage.
So this is a switch that has an open and shut, and the way that you can know that something is going on that’s out of the usual is when it stays down. So it’s just giving circuit — it’s just energizing, energizing, energizing.
You come out, you’ll be like, “Oh, I have a little dead lizard in there — it’s stuck.” So you just remove it, and if it’s still working, it’ll go ahead and energize the circuit that you’re looking for to energize.
Do you replace these? Not very often — but you can, and you will. You won’t like try to re-mend or fix this — you would just go ahead and buy. They’re not that expensive.
So, yeah — this is a contactor.
And my name is Pat, and I hope it was helpful.

🌀 What Is the HVAC Vacuum Process? – With Pete from HVAC Technical Academy

Ever wondered what the vacuum process is in HVAC and why it matters before charging a system?
In this lighthearted but important explanation, Pete from Orlando, representing HVAC Technical Academy and Second Chance University, walks through the vacuum process used to prepare a residential HVAC system for refrigerant. Learn what a vacuum really is, why 500 microns matter, and how to safely complete the process with the right tools.

Transcript – Vacuum Process by Pete
Oh hey, hey there. Hi, my name is Pete from Orlando here at HVAC Technical Academy.
You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here — that’s a good question. I wonder myself! But it’s a very important step. Today, we’re going to be talking about vacuum.
You’re probably wondering, what is vacuum? That’s a good question — because I myself was wondering the same thing.
So what we have here is a residential system where the refrigerant was recovered and placed into a recovery tank. This is a recovery tank right here.
We then connected a vacuum machine — which is this unit right here. This is going to provide a negative pressure into the system to allow a vacuum process to take place.
But what is a vacuum process? That’s a good question. A vacuum process is basically a process where we are extracting certain elements and non-condensable gases, moisture, and other possible contaminants within the system — to make sure that the system has a clean and smooth transition to accept the refrigerant when it’s time for recharge.
But you’re wondering, “How long does that take?” or “When do I know that the vacuum is ready?” That’s a good question.
The EPA regulations state that a minimum measurement of a vacuum in a system should be no more than 500 microns or less. So 500 microns is the measurement for a vacuum.
On this system right here, we’ve reached that level of vacuum, and now we’re getting ready to stop the vacuum.
So follow me as we show you how we do that.
Basically, our machine is on right now. I’m going to go ahead and turn the machine off by hitting this button right here.
Then I’m going to rapidly close this manifold gauge. Then I’m going to disconnect my vacuum hose.
And I’m going to rapidly place my vacuum hose on the manifold retainer hook.
And now the system is ready to accept refrigerant.
Processes like this and much more can be found on the HVAC YouTube page.
Again, my name is Pete. I am from Orlando and I am very proud to come to Second Chance University’s HVAC program.
I hope you enjoyed this video and look forward to more exciting news and videos in the future.
Thank you very much.

🔥 What Are Heat Strips? – With Yelanie from Second Chance University

Trying to understand the difference between heat strips, straight cool, and heat pumps?
In this short and practical video, Yelanie from Second Chance University explains what heat strips are, how they function differently depending on your HVAC setup, and how to check for continuity using a multimeter. Whether you’re learning HVAC basics or troubleshooting a heating issue, this is a great place to start.

Transcript – Heat Strips Overview by Yelanie
Good morning, I’m Yelanie. I’m at Second Chance University, and today I’ll be teaching you about heat strips — what they do, the difference between a heat strip and a straight cool and a heat pump, and how to test for continuity.
Your heat strips would be located on the top of your air handler. The purpose of your heat strips in a straight cool system is that when you call for heat, your heat strips blow hot air through here.
On a heat pump, you have a reversing valve which reverses the flow of refrigerant — and it’s more cost-efficient. It’s cheaper to have a reversing valve inside of your AC system.
The way you check for continuity when the heat strips are out is:
First, you’ve got to put your multimeter on ohms. You’ve got to check that right here. You want to check your thermal fuse from one side to the other — you can hear the beeping. Again, continuity there.
I don’t get continuity from here to here, or from here to here, because obviously they’re not connected to one another.
But that’s pretty much it.
Thank you.

Hi, my name is Adel, and I would like to explain the metering device and what it does.

How the Metering Device Works

Okay, there’s a sensor bulb, and it goes over here, and the sensing bulb goes over here.

What happens is:

• When the compressor releases high-pressure liquid, it flows into the metering device.
• From there, the refrigerant slowly flows through, with 80% liquid refrigerant and 20% vapor.
• The sensor bulb detects the temperature.
• If everything is working correctly, the refrigerant turns into 100% vapor before going back to the compressor as low-pressure, low-temperature vapor.

Since the compressor doesn’t take liquid refrigerant, the metering device is essential for controlling the refrigerant flow and ensuring that only vapor reaches the compressor.

How to Test if the Metering Device is Working

If you’re not sure if the metering device is working, you can test it by following these steps:

1. Remove the sensing bulb from the system.
2. Place it in hot water.
3. Check the pressure gauge:
   • If the pressure on the gauge doesn’t move, that means the metering device is bad.
   • If the pressure changes, the metering device is still good and working properly.

Final Thoughts

That’s the reason for the metering device—it controls the refrigerant flow and ensures the compressor only gets vapor.

Hope this helps! Thank you!

Hi, guys! This is Alisia with HVAC Technical Academy, and today I’m going to be talking about a condenser fan motor.

What is a Condenser Unit?

First off, I just want to show you guys what a condenser unit is. This is the outdoor unit of an HVAC system—the outdoor condensing unit of the HVAC system.

This is what houses the condenser fan motor.

What Does the Condenser Fan Motor Do?

The condenser fan motor turns the blades just like this. But inside, it pulls air across the condenser coils, circulating air around the condenser coils.

It condenses high-pressure, high-temperature vapor into a high-pressure, high-temperature liquid.
This process transfers heat from the refrigerant system.

So, that’s pretty much what a condenser fan motor does.

How to Tell if Your System is in Cool or Heat Mode

Right now, this is a non-operating condenser unit, but if it were running and you placed your hand across the top, you would feel it blowing out hot air.

That is an indication that your system is in cool mode.
If you place your hand on top and it is blowing out cooler air, that means your system is in heat mode.
Types of Condenser Fan Motors

This right here is an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) fan motor.
This one is a universal fan motor, meaning this one will cost a little more than the OEM.

What to Check When a Condenser Fan Motor Goes Bad

These fan motors do go bad. If yours stops working, the first thing I would check is the capacitor, because replacing a capacitor is much cheaper than replacing the entire condenser fan motor.

And yeah, that’s all about an outdoor condenser fan motor!

Have a good day, guys!

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Hello, this is Arthur from HVAC Technical Academy, and they’ve invited me to give you some basic knowledge about capacitors.

We see two here right now—this is a dual capacitor, and this one here is a singular capacitor. Since this one has a lower microfarad (MFD) rating, you will see that logically, as you begin to understand this, it is measuring for the fan.

This one right here is a dual capacitor because it is dealing with both the fan and the compressor.

Where Will You See It in the System?

This is a heat pump, and you’re going to see the capacitor right here, basically in the corner.

Capacitors come in different sizes, but what you want to focus on specifically is the microfarad rating (MFD).

To put it as simply as possible:

• The 70 MFD is always going to be dealing with the compressor.
• The 7.5 MFD is going to be dealing with the fan.

How to Hook It Up

When you install and hook it up, as you see here, these plugs are labeled so that you can understand where the common wire goes to the fan.

Testing a Capacitor

Now, I want to share with you a little about testing, not operation—just testing to see if it’s in operative mode.

• When you buy a capacitor from the store, you always want to test it first to make sure it’s effectively operative.
• If the measurement is not according to the 70 or 7.5 MFD, it could go over by five or under by five, and that’s acceptable.
• But if it goes below five in the measurement, using this clamp meter, then there is something wrong with the capacitor.

Signs of a Bad Capacitor

You will also see trouble with the capacitor when it is bloated out—more than likely, that means the capacitor has overheated.

• If you see a bulging or balloon-like top, you’ll know this is a bad capacitor.
• What do you do? You have to replace it with the same microfarad rating (e.g., 70 or 5 MFD).
• Some capacitors are 45+5 MFD, so you will need to match the measurement you need.

Quick Test Process

• You are going to use this device (meter) and start from Common to Fan.
• Check the measurement here for microfarads (MFD) while it is not in operation.
• When you test Common to Fan, you should see 7.5 MFD—if so, it’s up to par.
• Then, go back to C and Herm (Hermetic)—hermetic means the compressor is hermetically sealed.
• If you see 70.5 MFD, that is acceptable because it can go over or under by five.
• However, if it goes too high or too low, something is wrong with the capacitor.

Final Thoughts

So, that in a nutshell is the most basic way to test a capacitor to see if it’s in operative mode.

Again, this is not about operation—when you install and connect it, that’s a whole different ball game.

• You’re going to be using clamps to measure voltage and amps, and that’s a different lesson for another class.

Hopefully, you guys enjoyed this—it’s basic information that you need to know.

If you’re in an HVAC class, especially at HVAC Technical Academy, they’re going to test you on this, so it’s important to have some basic understanding of capacitors.

Thank you guys for listening! I’ll catch you some other time—maybe I’ll be teaching something else like a compressor or something.

Have a good day!

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Good afternoon, you guys! My name is Christopher H., and I’m at HVAC Technical Academy.

Today, I want to talk about this little device right here called the reversing valve. The reversing valve is located on the outside of the condensing unit. You can probably find it around here, but it can vary depending on different unit types.

Understanding the Reversing Valve

I would recommend learning refrigeration before getting too in-depth with the reversing valve because it’ll give you a better understanding of what it does. But to make a long story short, a reversing valve is what reverses the flow of refrigerant.

• If you’re in cooling mode and switch to heat, it’ll basically switch the cycle around.
• This means it’ll put your cool side where your heat side is.
• If you can see this—and if you’re not color-blind, you feel me—just follow the arrows and see how everything flows.

What it does is reverse the refrigerant flow back and forth through these tubes.

How the Reversing Valve Works

To go more in-depth:

• Refrigerant goes in through the top and comes out through the bottom, distributing it through the other parts of the refrigeration cycle.
• Inside, there’s a shifter that you can’t see, but that shifter moves the refrigerant left and right.
• What makes the shifter move? Pressure.

The Role of the Solenoid

That pressure comes from this smaller device right here called the solenoid.

• Basically, what you see here is what’s inside the reversing valve, just in a much smaller form.
• When the solenoid is energized, it sends a pressure signal back to the reversing valve, making it shift left or right.
• And like I said, all it’s doing is reversing the flow of refrigerant to match the setting you have it on.

So, that’s basically what a reversing valve does in short.

My name is Christopher, I go to HVAC Technical Academy, and I gotta thank Danny, gotta thank everybody, and of course, thank you guys!

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Hello, my name is Desmond, and we’re at HVAC Technical Academy. I’m going to tell you about your compressor.

An air compressor is a pneumatic device that converts mechanical power into compressed air, which can be used to power your outdoor condenser unit.

Where is it located?

It is usually found in the outdoor unit of your air conditioning system, either on the side or at the rear of the house.

How does it work?

The compressor squeezes refrigerant gas molecules together, which increases the refrigerant’s temperature and pressure.

Also, this is the heart of your unit. If you need to get it replaced, in most cases, it would be better cost-wise to replace the whole unit rather than just the compressor.

Thank you for watching! Anything else you need to know? Ask Google!

That was quick—okay, let me make sure.

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Hello, guys! My name is Jorge, and I’m here at HVAC Academy. I’m going to break down what nomenclature is.

So, here we have a Carrier unit condenser, and the main things about your nomenclature are your model number and your serial number.

Understanding Model and Serial Numbers

First off, the model number is going to give you the type and size of your unit. The serial number is going to give you the year and week the unit was manufactured.

For example, let’s look at the serial number on this unit. It reads 0218, followed by other letters and numbers. What does 0218 tell me? It tells me that this unit was manufactured in the second week of 2018.

Now, moving to the model number, I try to look for the big numbers. This one reads 25HCC5 4883. I stop at 48—what does that mean? The 48 tells me the unit has 48,000 BTUs.

To calculate the tonnage, you divide 48,000 BTUs by 12,000 BTUs:
48,000 ÷ 12,000 = 4
This tells me that this is a 4-ton unit.

Another Example: A Lennox Unit

I want to show you another unit over here—this is a Lennox.

Looking at the model number, I find 60—this tells me that it has 60,000 BTUs. To determine the tonnage:
60,000 ÷ 12,000 = 5
This means this is a 5-ton unit.

Now, looking at the serial number, I see it says 11919. What does that tell me? It tells me that this unit was manufactured in the 19th week of 2019.

One More Example: Another Carrier Unit

I want to show you one more unit—follow me!

Looking at this Carrier condensing unit, I check the serial number. It starts with 1N15. Again, what does this tell me? This tells me that this unit was manufactured in the 19th week of 2015.

Next, I go down to the model number and find 30. I assume that means this is a 30,000 BTU unit. To calculate the tonnage:
30,000 ÷ 12,000 = 2.5
So, this is a 2.5-ton unit.

Final Thoughts

If you’re not familiar with nomenclature, take a picture of the label, Google it, and it will tell you exactly what the unit is.

Thank you! I’m Jorge from HVAC Technical Academy.

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Hi, my name is Monique, and I’m at HVAC Technical Academy. Today, we’re going to be talking about the thermostat—what the letters stand for, what it does, and how it operates.

I’m going to take off the covering of the thermostat right here. It has the letters that indicate how it functions and what each one does.

• R – 24 volts, which is the power
• G – The blower motor
• Y – The contactor that calls for the condenser motor fan
• C – The common, which is the ground
• O – Reverse valve
• If it’s a heating system, it will have:
  • B – A heat pump that energizes in heat mode
  • W – Heat strip
  • W/E – Emergency heat
  • W2 – Stage two

Testing the Thermostat for Power

To test if your thermostat has power, you’re going to check R to Y, which calls for the condenser motor fan on the outside. If it’s not working properly or if there’s no low voltage on the contactor, that could indicate a problem.

That’s all I know for now about thermostats. I hope I gave you enough information.

Thank you!

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All righty, hello there! My name is Pedro, here at HVAC Technical Academy, and I will be showing you guys how to test a transformer and how one works.

So, this right here is a transformer. As you can see, we have two—one right here and one right here. The reason we have two in this system is because, let’s say, it’s for a two-story house. This transformer right here will be controlling this zone board.

How a Transformer Works

A transformer has two legs of power—120V, which bumps up to 240V on the transformer. Then, it bumps it down to 24V for things like your thermostat relays, boards, and other low-voltage components.

How to Test a Transformer

To test it, we grab our multimeter and set it to VAC. I’ll set it here so you can see.

• Then, we’ll grab our two leads (two prongs) and place one on Common and one on 240V.
• As you can see, we’re getting 242V—it’s okay to get a little over or a little below, but not too much.

Now, we’re going to test our low-voltage side, which would be the other side for things like our thermostat.

• You would go to the back side, put a probe here, and another probe right here.
• As you can see, we’re getting 27V—that is good!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how a transformer works and how to test it.

Thank you!

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Hello, my name is Stephanie, and today I’m going to tell you how a contactor works and how to test one.

As you can see, in this case, we’re looking at the condenser, and the contactor is located here, which is usually found in the casing that covers the capacitor and the U contactor, where the high voltages come in and everything.

Okay, so before you test anything, you definitely want the power off—you want to be safe, okay? Sometimes that can mean power on or power off, but in this case, since this system isn’t connected, we’re going to learn how to check it with the power off.

What Does a Contactor Do?

First of all, the contactor allows the electricity to pass through and power whatever device or wire the thermostat calls for.

For instance, if we need to turn on the fan blower motor, this bad boy here will click in, allowing the energy to pass through, hit the capacitor, and the capacitor will start and run whichever device the thermostat called for that has to do with the condenser, in this case.

How to Test a Contactor

Usually, when you test a contactor, you want to test it in Ohms, all right?

If you don’t know what Ohms are, you can take a quick look at this thing right here—our metering device. I always say look for the one that looks like the horseshoe. You see it there? Zoom in—little horseshoe—all right?

To test it, set your sticks on your machinery condenser, and you pretty much want to place your point on the little screws here—on the bottom and the top.

Do it this way—you’re not going to get anything, okay? So, you want to do it here and here. This is basically checking for continuity.

And when you press this in—uh-oh, what happened? There you go! Switch over! Sorry about that.

When you press this bad boy in—there you go—I gotta stick it on there, you guys!

As you can see, this contactor works. CU, you’re hearing that hum noise because the energy is now flowing through. It’s not—It is now—It is not.

This side is the side that has the part that basically does not transfer the electricity all the time.

But as you can see here, this side does not have the push-in device, which means this side always has continuity, all right? Because it’s always going to be providing power.

Final Thoughts

Want to know more information about a contactor? Google it!

But overall, those are your basics.

Thank you!

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Hey everyone, Breezy here from HVAC Technical Academy! Just a quick reminder—learning to use tools properly in the lab is just as important as practicing safety while doing it. New attendees are getting hands-on experience with essential HVAC tools, all while following the safety guidelines that will keep them and their team protected on the job.

Remember, safety isn’t just a rule—it’s a habit that sets you up for success in the field. Keep practicing, stay sharp, and always put safety first! See you in the lab! 🔧⚡ #HVACTechnician #HVACTraining #SafetyFirst