HVACTA

HVACTA Braze is what I do

Danny — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:31:46 +0000

Today we introduced brazing techniques to a group of first timers. Each had their way with multiple copper cuts and connections… oh such a journey!

HVACTA: My First Braze

HVACTA Braze is what I do

To define, HVAC brazing is a metal-joining process using a filler metal to bond copper tubing and fittings at temperatures above 840° F (450° C). Proper brazing is required for HVAC refrigerant lines because it creates joints strong enough to withstand the high pressures of modern refrigerants and resists mechanical stress and vibration.

Take a look at the photos showcasing each participant first braze job. If you see an outstanding first-time performance, leave a comment on their photo… nothing like a shout-out now and then.

Looking forward to their progression in brazing and in so much more so keep checking us out, comment, and share.

If you enjoy daily challenges, working with your hands, and never a dull moment, the HVAC industry may be a good fit for you and HVAC Technical Academy can help you get there quick, we are talking six weeks.

Danny

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TruTech, Quality Tools. Essential Support

Danny — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:19:22 +0000

2^nd Chance University and TruTech Tools partnered several years ago—the relationship has allowed participants to be equipped with professional tools looking for the right technician.

Out of the box, participants learn safety and applications with our hands-on learning approach. On the final day (week six), tools go home with their rightful owner… think about it, fully equipped with professional tools and hands-on experience while adding the knowledge, skills, and abilities to start their HVAC journey on the ground running!

Getting Tooled by TruTech

Can you imagine going to a doctor without a stethoscope? The same principle is true with HVAC Service Technicians, without the proper tools AND the know-how to use them, one cannot diagnose, troubleshoot, or do just about anything. Together, we prepare and equip each participant for maximum performance.

Recognized nationally (and internationally) for above standard tools and support, we appreciate TruTech Tools for their support and partnership over the years.

During the second week of our six-week program, tools are distributed fresh out of the box. Over the next four weeks all will break down systems, diagnose, troubleshoot, perform preventive maintenances, and build distribution boxes (and so much more) with their new tools. Once the program concludes, tools are theirs to keep.

If you enjoy daily challenges, working with your hands, and never a dull moment, the HVAC industry may be a good fit for you and HVAC Technical Academy can help you get there quickly.

Danny

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HVACTA: Participants Teaching Time

Danny — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:49:15 +0000

HVACTA is not just about HVAC knowledge, skills, and abilities, it is also about preparing participants to discuss and explain HVAC issues and components to the resident.

Building a fundamental knowledge is essential for all HVAC service technicians… that’s just what we do.

HVACTA: Participants Teaching Time

During the first week participants grab a common HVAC component and/or application with the chore of explaining what the part is, what it does, and ways to diagnose as well as the manner of which to explain to the resident for a clear understanding.

Truth is, HVAC is centered around customer service, so we can never neglect customer experience. Recognizing and placing ourselves in the customer shoes is an important part the service technician needs to excel all.

We concentrate on more than the skills to get the job done, participants get a grasp on the full cycle, the good, the not-so good, and the rather uncomfortable part(s).

The enclosed photo(s) shows participants detailing a specific common issue and/or part while explaining the concept to Mrs. Smith. All participants (and instructors) get their hands dirty, get their clothes dripping in sweat, and for those not wearing sun protection, get a tan.

For those interested in getting into the HVAC industry in less than two months, consider HVAC Technical Academy. But this goes with a word of warning, you will be challenged and encouraged to become the very best in the industry… nothing but the best.

If you enjoy daily challenges, working with your hands, and never a dull moment, HVAC Technical Academy and the HVAC industry may be a good fit for you.

Danny

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HVAC Capacitor: What’s it all about

Danny — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:08:51 +0000

An HVAC capacitor is an important component with one mission: provide the necessary torque to kick-start and run your compressor and fan motors.

If your outdoor AC unit hums but won’t start, or if it runs but the air feels lukewarm, a failing capacitor is usually the culprit. Two common capacitor types are start capacitors (for initial power) and run capacitors (for continuous operation).

HVAC Capacitor: What’s it all about

Like anything else, capacitors do not last forever. Signs of failure including humming, failure to start, or short. Having a bad capacitor also causes the air conditioner system to not operate or not operate the way it was meant to. For example, if the outdoor cfm capacitor goes bad, the cfm will not operate, resulting in blowing warm air instead of cool air. Being in Florida, hot air during the summer months is not a positive experience.

Today all received their multi-meter and reviewed capacitor basics, testing, and taking first steps on an exciting journey.

Soon we will be deep diving on the refrigeration cycle as well as getting our hands on stepping into diagnostics and troubleshooting… oh what fun!

If you enjoy daily challenges, working with your hands, and never a dull moment, the HVAC industry may be a good fit for you and HVAC Technical Academy can get you there in under two months.

Danny

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HVACTA Steps up to Ladder Safety

Danny — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:34:34 +0000

Whether you’re standing on the second rung of an A-frame ladder or near the top of an extension ladder, you face potential fall hazards that may result in severe injury or death.

Keeping technicians safe is the MOST important consideration. At HVAC Technical Academy, safety is number one… and it begins with ladder safety.

HVACTA Steps up to Ladder Safety

On the mark, ladder safety is critical… here’s a few application reminders (for everyone):

* Always follow the 4:1 rule for extension ladders.
* Maintain three points of contact and use a tool belt to keep hands free.
* Anchor ladders at the top and bottom.
* Ensure the ladder extends three rungs above the roofline and avoid non-fiberglass ladders when working around electricity.

A few facts along the way:

In 2023, The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reported 500,000 people were treated for ladder related injuries, with 300 of these incidents proving fatal.

Numbers are not just statistics, they represent the lives and livelihoods of people affected by preventable accidents.

Dedicated to your HVAC learning experience, HVACTA focuses on safety.

One small (miss)step can lead to a life-changing injury… please be careful.

Danny

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HVACTA: Ready to take on the HVAC World

Danny — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:33:01 +0000

HVAC workshops at HVAC Technical Academy are about learning quickly and safely. This is completed by limiting the number of participants during each 6-week term.

To showcase journeys in the making, the group of 11 are ready to take on the HVAC world.

Now is the perfect time to become HVAC ready in just SIX WEEKS:

HVACTA: Ready to take on the HVAC World

Tomorrow we will be examining HVAC components as each participant will take their turn on showcasing what they know. In addition, tomorrow we will be taking care of ladder safety. Geepers, what a busy week… and we are just getting started.

* Next HVAC Workshop begins Tuesday, September 8th
* Workshops begin at the beginning, no HVAC knowledge required
* High quality HVAC tools are yours to use, YOURS to KEEP upon completion

HVACTA is a hands-on adult workshop facility located in Sanford, Florida, where “Learn by Doing” defines our approach to get YOU on a path to personal AND professional success.

Interested in pursuing a high in demand career in just six weeks, HVACTA may be the path.

Located in Sanford, Florida, call me at 407-878-0474 to discuss and schedule a visit.

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ESCO Shaping the Industry (and our program)

Danny — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:46:16 +0000

Over the years, 2^nd Chance University has partnered with impressive and internationally recognized organizations. Our partnerships with HVAC Technical Academy, TruTech Tools, Visual 3d Academy, and ESCO Group have been a blessing.

In typical fashion, all encountered friendly competition directly related to the HVAC Industry.

Prizes donated by ESCO Group for the two winners are highlighted in the photos…

ESCO Shaping the Industry (and our program)

ESCO Group is recognized as a gateway to the dynamic world of HVACR and building science, where innovation and knowledge converge to shape the future of the industry.

A nationally recognized leader, ESCO provides standardized training, certifications, curriculum, and professional development to ensure technicians, instructors, and organizations stay aligned with evolving standards and regulations.

Getting the workshop rolling in the right direction, we competed in an HVAC word search project, introducing common HVAC terms each will have to master… our winner accepted a totally fancy HVAC Excellence Certified hat.

In another tightly fought competition, we performed an exercise highlighting clarity, choice, and confidence… a quick workout to measure customer service and the depth of actually listening to what is being said. Not only a fun activity, it showcased the importance of evaluating the situation (and words) into context… and the winner chose a National HVACR Education Conference Excellence shirt. are: for a clue, check out the photos.

In addition, initial hour of the first day we all welcomed Goodman as they brought in system swap equipment. After double checking, clearance was made. Tomorrow the new system will be installed while the old system will return to the facility for diagnoses, component breakdown, and who know what else we will do… oh yes, will recover refrigerant.

It is going to be a great six weeks!

Interested in getting into the HVAC industry in less than two months, consider HVAC Technical Academy.

Danny

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HVAC Action Day One

Danny — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:06:02 +0000

Not every program has participants in action from day one… HVAC Technical Academy is not like any HVAC program out there. Day one means not only getting to know the industry but actually getting hands dirty.

HVAC Action Day One

Day one is not just about getting accustomed to general HVAC applications, safety, and finding the HVAC way, today was also about full equipment handling. Check out the photos and see some of the action.

This afternoon new equipment will be delivered. No doubt the group will be inspecting, unloading, and getting all prepped… all this and so much more day one!

It is going to be a great six weeks! Definitely check in daily to see what’s really going on… here’s a hint: contest winners will be exposed!

Interested in getting into the HVAC industry in less than two months, consider HVAC Technical Academy.

Danny

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May–June 2026 Workshop Opening Ceremony

Thomas Vaughn — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:09:35 +0000

This page features the opening of the May–June 2026 HVAC Technical Academy Workshop Completion Ceremony. Danny welcomes graduates, their families, and friends before sharing the vision behind HVAC Technical Academy and the value of hands-on HVAC training.

Danny – Opening Remarks and Introduction of Robert Burns

Danny – Opening Remarks and Introduction of Robert Burns - Transcript

Hello. Hello.

[Laughter]

Okay, let’s begin.

My name is Danny. For those of y’all who don’t know me, who haven’t spoken to me, I’m sorry, but you missed a great, great opportunity to work and to meet a wonderfully charming and handsome fella. But good news is today’s a new day.

HVAC Technical Academy Second Chance University was born because Andrew, myself, Robert, and many other business owners realized that technicians are needed. This is a much-needed industry. And what we have to offer is something that is a lot different, very, very aggressive, very intense, very work-related as opposed to anywhere else.

Our graduates do very well. And we’ve been around for quite a few years helping individuals out. And like I say, you’re going to see some of the… Oh. Hi, Zach. Hi, Zach. No. Just kidding.

So, what we do here, for those of y’all who don’t know, we do a lot of HVAC. We do some personal development. We do a lot of HVAC because we believe that you learn by doing. Literally. And they did.

And some of y’all did extremely well. Some of y’all had to get out of the heat sometimes. And you’ll see some of those things. But I want to always… Well, we always encourage individuals to continue. This is just one step of the road. Just the first step.

Getting through here, you took your EPA yesterday. Hopefully everybody passed and did well. We do the OSHA training Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00 to 3:00 in case anybody’s confused. So, that way you’re certified, you got your OSHA, you got hands-on, you got your tools. You’re ready. You are ready. And that’s always a positive thing.

In the very beginning, the very first day of class, I always look at everybody and just sort of, “How is this going to end up?” Individuals for the first couple of days are always a little hesitant because they don’t know what they’re doing, and I understand that.

So, I measure people and how they succeed by how they progress. This class progressed in a lot of ways. The first couple of weeks was very difficult. But the last few weeks, I noticed from the third week on, I noticed a lot of progression. And that’s what I look forward to. I want y’all to progress and to feel success in any… all levels possible.

Ultimately, I am not a technician, as anybody would attest. You don’t want me out of your house, but I do take care of a lot of different things here, more of the background, more of the acting inside. [verify]

I do have two very specific, very talented instructors. Robert has been in the business for 45-plus years, even though he doesn’t look a day over… whatever. And Andrew, he’s been around for quite a while as well. Very respected.

They’re on a webcast that has gone international. It is just going huge.

[Laughter]

I think we’ve had at least… we’ve had at least 20… 20 views. So, that’s always a good thing. Whatever that may be.

So, I always enjoy having them come up, and they’re going to do that. They’re going to come up and say a couple of words. And then we’re going to continue, and I’m going to ask each participant to come up after we see a video that they’ve done.

So, Robert.

“Yes, sir.”

Come on up here.

“I’m nervous.”

And this is Robert.

“I like it first.”

Robert making a few comments

Hello, everybody.

It’s really nice to see the family and friends show up for this. It’s really special that we like to see the support mechanism that our students had behind them. I really appreciate you showing up, and like I like to say, we get them there.

Hopefully you guys are ready for the new environment that you have ahead of you because it’s not really like anything you’ve really been used to. So hopefully I got you broken for that.

Really, just congratulations. You made it through six weeks of putting up with Andrew and I and Daniel and Chris, of all people.

So, yeah. Thanks for making it through. Thanks for being here.

And with that…

**Thank you.**

**[Laughter]**

**”Real short speech.”**

**”That’s…”**

Danny – Introducing Andrew - Video

Danny – Introducing Andrew - transcript

Thanks for making it through. This is hard work. Everybody knows that. And if you’re part of the family, part of the friends, you recognize the hard work that was involved. Moms, friends, family, you know that there’s a lot of work. They would come home, and hopefully they were doing their homework. Hopefully. The next person who I definitely want to introduce is Andrew. Andrew is a critical part of this program and Tropical Air of Central Florida. A lot of people don’t know this, but he used to be a male dancer, and that’s how he made his way through. Okay, I’m just kidding about that. He could have been a male dancer. I don’t know.

Andrew Bott – Remarks - Video

Andrew Bott – Remarks - Transcript

Pay the bills, K. Bills, K.

I just want to say, this is… it’s… this is tough coming from not understanding or knowing what it takes to shake a hammer. [verify]

As I’ve told most of you, I thought I wanted to be an accountant. I went to school for it, studied it, worked in two different accounting offices. I was accounts payable clerk, accounts payable manager, and somehow I install air conditioning equipment now.

I’ve seen both sides of it. You just saw it for six weeks.

It’s tough. Everybody in here kind of got pushed through it. You made it, which is positive. Now you got more to do, and it’s just going to get tougher.

The progression that a lot of you made… Grayson, you included, Big Doug… from day one until now is… it’s immense.

So I’m extremely proud of you guys.

The sky’s the limit at this point.

Really, now all you got to do is go out there and find a job.

Oh, and pass the EPA test.

I’m 40%. Forty percent.

Danny – Why We Record Student Videos- Video

Danny – Why We Record Student Videos - transcript

Good morning, Cordell. Good to see you.

“Who you got there with you?”

“What’s up?”

“Really? What’s going on?”

The neat thing about this is individuals come from so many diverse environments and areas. It’s really pretty awesome how we can bring together different people, different ages, and different backgrounds into a cohesive unit and progress into something positive. And it is positive.

Anytime you finish something, it’s a completion. It is a success.

The individuals in here succeeded. If they didn’t pass the EPA, that’s okay, too. We’re going to retake whatever part they did not complete. That’s okay.

If we fail at something, that doesn’t make us a failure. That just means we can learn from it and become better.

I’m sort of getting you ready for that. No.

So, what we do now is I’d like to see individuals in action. We’re going to see some individuals in action.

We require every individual to do a video. The video is multi-purpose.

“Did you do a different video?”

“It’s a little late to redo it unless you want to come up here and redo it in front of everybody.”

Okay.

For a couple of reasons, it builds confidence. If an individual is looking for a job and they go to a job interview, and if the interviewer looks them up, there’s something positive on social media, on Facebook, and on YouTube because it is on YouTube.

That way they can see something positive… or maybe not so positive. I don’t know.

But we’re going to be doing that. We’re going to look at people.

Let’s see who we have first.

I’ll have to manipulate this for a second, so be patient.

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Greyson Felt – May–June 2026 Workshop Recognition

Thomas Vaughn — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:50:53 +0000

Danny – introducing Greyson Felt - video

Danny – introducing Greyson Felt - Transcript

The greatest positive things that have been said was after about two weeks. Really, the third week, I was a little bit not real confident on this young kid.

“Sketch.”

“Okay, that’s it.”

But the following week, Chris, Andrew, and Robert all three told me that you made some remarkable headways into… maybe… I don’t know what happened.

“You woke up.”

“Woke up.”

“Okay.”

But typically it does take several weeks because it’s hard, and it’s a new language. It’s a new everything.

But you did. Out of all of the people, you were the one they said made some really big progress.

So, keep it up because we didn’t beat on you on a regular basis.

Greyson Felt Acceptance - video

Greyson Felt Acceptance - transcript

Thank you.

Okay.

I thought it was amazing, and I learned a lot. Everyone here was great. Rob, Andrew, Chris, Danny.

Yeah, it was all great, and I learned a lot.

“That’s it.”

I learned a lot. It was really fun. It was a good experience.

“Do you like it? Are you going to stay in HVAC, or what’s your plans?”

Yeah, probably. Yeah, I might. Probably.

“I hope you do.”

Yeah.

“I hope you do.”

Attendee Training Video

Greyson created a training presentation explaining “What Does an HVAC Filter Dryer Do?” This presentation demonstrates the knowledge and communication skills he developed during his HVAC Technical Academy workshop.

View the video

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