HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

Join industry veterans Tim De Stasio, Roman Baugh, Eric Kaiser, and Nathan Orr as they share their most memorable HVAC lessons learned the HARD WAY. This unfiltered conversation from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium reveals the real stories behind costly errors, dangerous situations, and valuable HVAC training moments that shaped their careers.
What You'll Learn:
Critical refrigerant handling mistakes and their consequences
Combustion safety lessons that could save lives
Chemical safety protocols every technician must know
Equipment installation errors and how to avoid them
Real-world troubleshooting failures and solutions
From seized compressors and ruptured refrigerant lines to dangerous gas leaks and combustion incidents, these HVAC professionals hold nothing back. Each story comes with crucial HVAC/R lessons that can help you avoid making the same mistakes.
Whether you're a seasoned technician or just starting your HVAC career, these hard-earned insights will help you work safer, smarter, and more professionally.
Remember: The best lessons are often learned the HARD WAY by others. Learn from these experiences so you don't have to repeat them!
 
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.
Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.

In this heartfelt and wide-ranging episode, host Bryan reconnects with Jim Bergmann of measureQuick after nearly three years apart. The reunion is anything but ordinary — Jim opens up about a serious battle with non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma that sent him through not one but two rounds of chemotherapy, ultimately requiring a cutting-edge CAR-T cell immunotherapy treatment at the Cleveland Clinic. Jim shares the remarkable medical journey of having his T cells extracted, genetically modified in a Maryland lab, and reintroduced into his body to permanently attack cancer cells. Now past the critical six-month remission milestone, Jim is back, healthy, and more motivated than ever to push the HVAC diagnostics industry forward.
From his medical comeback, the conversation transitions naturally into what Jim loves most: the world of HVAC diagnostics and the evolution of measureQuick. After years of defending a per-use pricing model that the market simply didn't embrace, Jim candidly admits the old model wasn't working. With the help of business partner Eric Preston (formerly of TruTech Tools), the team overhauled the software's pricing structure in February — a move that has since driven 90%+ customer retention and accelerated growth significantly. The new focus is squarely on "time to value," streamlining workflows so technicians reach key diagnostic reports faster than ever before.
A significant portion of the episode dives into how measureQuick is thoughtfully integrating artificial intelligence. Rather than chasing AI trends, Jim and his team — including AI specialist Ben Reed — took a deliberate approach: identifying the precise areas where AI genuinely helps technicians without creating distractions. The standout use case is label identification, where AI reads equipment labels and auto-populates system profiles. Jim is refreshingly candid about AI's limitations in HVAC diagnostics, explaining that the field variability of real-world systems (varying line set lengths, mismatched equipment, non-standard airflow conditions) makes purely AI-driven diagnostics unreliable. Instead, measureQuick leans on first-principle modeling and non-dimensional mathematics to generate objective, data-driven results.
The episode closes with a thought-provoking discussion about the state of the HVAC industry at large. Bryan and Jim tackle the growing influence of private equity consolidation, the persistent problem of technicians skipping probe deployment, the difference between clearing faults and actually fixing them, and the importance of commissioning and retro-commissioning equipment to manufacturer design intent. Throughout it all, the conversation is anchored by a shared belief: that measuring everything — in business and on the job — is the foundation of genuine, lasting improvement. It's a must-listen for any HVAC professional or business owner who wants to understand where the industry is headed.
Topics Covered
Jim's cancer diagnosis: non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma and the progression from standard chemo to aggressive relapse
CAR-T cell immunotherapy explained: how T cells are extracted, genetically modified, and reintroduced to fight cancer permanently
Jim's recovery at the Cleveland Clinic and surpassing the critical six-month remission milestone
Neurotoxicity as a side effect of CAR-T therapy and what that experience was like
The pivot away from measureQuick's per-use pricing model and the dramatic improvement in retention after switching
The "time to value" philosophy driving measureQuick's new hybrid workflow interface
How measureQuick is integrating AI — and where AI falls short in real-world HVAC diagnostics
Label identification as the most practical current AI application in field diagnostics
Why AI is highly sycophantic and the danger of relying on subjective, internet-sourced training data for HVAC decisions
The power of measureQuick's proprietary measurement data and target zones as a foundation for AI summaries
First-principle modeling and non-dimensional mathematics: why brand-agnostic diagnostics work
The importance of deploying all nine probes on every air conditioning service call
Benchmarking vs. commissioning vs. retro-commissioning: the three layers of equipment assessment
Design temperature difference: measuring evaporator and condenser delta-T as engineering benchmarks
How ECM motors mask airflow problems — and why that leads to premature motor failure and higher energy costs
The two "elephants in the room": incomplete probe deployment and clearing faults without fixing them
Why clearing a fault in measureQuick without addressing the root cause is like putting duct tape over a check engine light
How poor installation practices in high-growth markets (Florida, Texas, Arizona, Las Vegas) have created widespread system deficiencies
The role of private equity in HVAC consolidation and why many PE firms add cost without adding value
Why implementing field measurement systems like measureQuick is the missing link for PE-owned and independent shops alike
The legacy mode vs. new mode toggle in the upcoming measureQuick update — no forced UI changes for existing users
How measureQuick helps newer technicians become productive faster and helps seasoned technicians be more consistent
The importance of presenting diagnostic findings to homeowners and helping them understand what the numbers actually mean
 
Learn more about measureQuick at https://measurequick.com/. 
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.
Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.

Discover what separates elite HVAC technicians from average ones in this eye-opening session from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium. Shelby Breger, co-founder of Conduit Tech, and Jim Bergmann, President of measureQuick, reveal what good HVAC techs do differently with data and how they leverage data to transform their diagnostics, commissioning, and service work.
What You'll Learn:
Why top technicians deploy all 9 probes on every air conditioning system
How proper data collection reduces callbacks by 24% or more
The critical measurements most techs are missing (charge and airflow problems)
Why benchmarking systems creates invaluable assets for your company
How to identify system faults that gauges and temperature splits alone can't reveal
The relationship between sensible capacity, latent capacity, and total system performance
Why right-sizing equipment differently matters more than ever with modern high-efficiency systems
Jim shares insights from analyzing 270+ data points per service call and explains how HVAC professionals can use tools like measureQuick to eliminate uncertainty from their work. Learn why contractors doing Manual J load calculations are downsizing equipment 1-3 tons and becoming more profitable in the process.
 
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.
Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.

In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan sits down with Jeff Staub, Director of OEM Sales for Danfoss North America, to explore one of the most rapidly evolving frontiers in the HVAC and refrigeration world: thermal management for AI data centers. With nearly 30 years of industry experience spanning technical support, application engineering, and product development, Jeff brings deep expertise on how the explosive growth of AI chip technology is reshaping data center cooling architecture — and creating major new opportunities for HVAC professionals, contractors, and facility managers alike.
A central theme of the conversation is heat recovery — specifically, how the enormous amounts of heat generated by high-density GPU chips in modern data centers can be captured and repurposed rather than simply rejected into the atmosphere. Jeff explains that while heat recovery itself is not a new concept (supermarkets have used reheat coils and heat reclaim for decades), its application in AI data centers presents fresh challenges and possibilities. The heat coming off liquid-cooled server chips typically runs around 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit — useful, but not immediately at the temperature needed for most end applications like domestic hot water or space heating. Boosting that heat using heat pumps or feeding it into district energy systems, boiler pre-heat loops, vertical farms, or multifamily housing developments are among the most promising strategies being explored around the world.
Jeff highlights a significant contrast between Europe and the United States in how heat recovery is being adopted. In Europe, where district energy networks are widespread, data centers can plug directly into community heating infrastructure — and projections suggest that 80% of European data centers will incorporate heat recovery in the near future. In the US, the picture is more fragmented: while opportunities exist at universities, hospitals, urban mixed-use developments, and facilities co-located with nuclear power plants, the economics are trickier. Key sticking points include who owns the capital expenditure for heat recovery modules and heat pumps, and who ultimately benefits from the recovered heat. Bryan and Jeff discuss how innovative ownership models — with landlords, municipalities, or co-tenants sharing infrastructure — are beginning to unlock these opportunities, and how co-generation arrangements with power stations present exciting long-term potential.
The episode wraps up with highly practical guidance for HVAC contractors and facility managers looking to break into the data center space. Jeff encourages technicians not to be intimidated: the fundamentals of vapor compression, chiller systems, and fluid flow that HVAC professionals already know transfer directly to data center work. The key additions are familiarity with large centrifugal and screw compressors, variable frequency drives on pumps, glycol loop management, and central distribution unit (CDU) architectures. Bryan emphasizes that the boundary between HVAC and plumbing will continue to blur as secondary fluid pumping becomes more prevalent — and that staying curious and investing in ongoing training (through manufacturer programs like Danfoss Learning, Carrier University, and others) is the best way to ride this wave rather than get left behind. Both hosts agree: AI data centers are not going away, and the technicians who keep them cool will be indispensable.
Topics Covered
The evolution of data center cooling — from direct vapor compression on chips, to air-conditioned server rooms (CRAC units), to today's liquid cooling and chiller-loop architectures
Why AI GPU chips generate unprecedented heat densities, with individual server racks approaching 250 kW to 1 MW of heat output
What heat recovery means in the data center context: capturing hot water (90–100°F) off chip cooling loops instead of rejecting it to outdoor air
The concept of 'heat quality' — why low-temperature waste heat is abundant but difficult to use directly, and how heat pumps solve the temperature-lift challenge
Real-world heat recovery applications: district energy systems, boiler pre-heat, vertical farms, multifamily housing, hospitals, and universities
Europe vs. the US: why district energy adoption makes heat recovery far more common in European data centers, and what the US can learn
Business model challenges: who pays for heat recovery infrastructure, and how co-location, municipal incentives, and landlord ownership models can unlock value
Co-generation opportunities: feeding recovered heat back into steam turbines at co-located nuclear or power plants
How heat recovery makes heat pump technology more viable by raising the source temperature and reducing compression ratio
Danfoss's role in data center thermal management — from compressors and drives to plate heat exchangers, CDU flow control, and prepackaged heat recovery modules
Refrigerant transitions and what they mean for data center cooling (R-410A to R-454B, CO2 transcritical systems, potential two-phase refrigerant direct-to-chip cooling)
The convergence of HVAC and plumbing trades in a world of secondary fluid pumping and isolated refrigerant charges
Absorption chiller technology as a potential future use case for low-grade waste heat
Advice for contractors: how existing chiller and refrigeration skills translate to data center work, and what new competencies to build
Career and training resources: Danfoss Learning, manufacturer universities (Carrier, Trane, McQuay), and leveraging AI tools for self-education
The importance of redundancy and uptime in mission-critical data center environments — and what that means for service response expectations
 
Learn more about Danfoss at danfoss.com/learning
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.
Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.

In this short episode, the HVAC School team members talk with Jim Bergmann (measureQuick) and Renee Tomlinson (ESCO) about the latest and greatest that they brought to their booths at the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium.
First, JD Kelly spoke with Renee about ESCO Institute's educational offerings. ESCO offers a mix of books and online training content, including new training for A3 refrigerants, a new CO2 (R-744) training manual, and the newly released second edition of System Performance. ESCO has been working with Visual 3D Academy to bring augmented reality (AR) training to the market. Beginners and advanced techs alike can find training material to benefit their careers, as ESCO offers courses on fundamentals for beginners and specialized knowledge for those with more industry experience. ESCO's HVACR Learning Network allows you to access all ESCO courses with a monthly subscription package or purchase access to individual courses, such as if you only need one or two courses of specialized training.
Then, Roman Baugh spoke with Jim Bergmann about the latest developments to measureQuick, especially as it has expanded in both breadth AND depth. The unlimited-use subscription has been a positive development that has been well-received, and Jim Bergmann's latest update in development aims to make the value even better with improvements to workflows (creating a hybrid between regular and guided workflows). Developments have also included improved support for VRF systems and all of those systems' operational considerations.
The core function of measureQuick is to bring visuals to data, and measureQuick is implementing AI to reduce user errors, such as when it comes to label-reading and ensuring that pressure-temperature data matches the system. User testing is also rigorous to ensure that the software works as intended and to minimize tech support calls for the app itself, and Jim has spent the past several months on user testing in advance of the update's rollout.
 
Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.
Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.
Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.