Testing, Training, Seminars, and Certifications

Online Training Opportunities

here!This is updated on an ongoing basis-Keep checking in!

RSES - Check out the great many past webinars on a multitude of subjects. For RSES members, log into the rses.org page, then click this link Click here! and for elearning, Click here!

Bryan interviewed Steve Rogers and Gary Nelson from The Energy Conservatory discussing Blower Door ACH50 measurements vs. Natural Infiltration rates. It is a good 1 hour talk – Bryan is a great host – and it is also a good opportunity to hear directly from some of The Energy Conservatory researchers – Steve (current President) and Gary (Founder of TEC, inventor of the Minneapolis Blower Door and Minneapolis DuctBlaster). Listen here.

There Energy Conservatory has an article on CAZ - combustion appliance zones and their testing failures, etc. Basically taking combustion appliance exhaust systems into account with structures. Read it here.

NCI training - Air Testing and Diagnostics - A self-directed program to sharpen your skills! Click here!

Trane has many online programs for a fee offered. Check out their selection here!

Resideo, a Honeywell company, has several online webisodes available to view at here. and a HUGE number of upcoming webinars here.

Tuesdays - Geary Pacific presents "90+% Comfort Bridge Installation and Commissioning" 2:00pm to 3:00 PST. Free. Click here at time of webinar or five minutes earlier to download Zoom to your PC.

Tuesdays - Geary Pacific presents "Charging with Superheat and Sub-Cooling" at 8:00am PST. 1 hour and Free. Click here or for the repeat on Wednesdays at noon, click here. Click at start time for Zoom webinar or five minutes earlier if you need to download Zoom to your PC.

Tuesdays - Geary Pacific presents "Air Distribution & Troubleshooting". 1 hour and free. Click here at start time of webinar. Repeats on Wednesdays at noon PST and you can click here at start time for that. If you need to download Zoom, click in five minutes early.

Wednesdays - Geary Pacific presents "Daiken Ductless Installation and Commissioning" from 6:00am to 7:30am pst. Free. Click here at start time or five minutes earlier to download Zoom to your PC. Repeats Thursdays at 10:00am here.

Thursdays - Geary Pacific presents "Ultra Low-Nox Furnace Training" Free 8am to 9am PST. Register here.

Anytime - Bryan Orr of HVAC School has many educational stories, videos, etc for you to review. Visit here for more information. Free.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Aug 11 - Jackson Systems presents "Balancing Humidity as the Season Changes" Free. Noon to 1pm PDT. Register here!

Aug 11 - Samsung HVAC presents "DVM Installation and Startup. Free. 6:30am to 2:30pm. Call Melba at 888-699-6067 ext 421 for details.

Aug 11 - Samsung HVAC presents "ECO 1.1 Single Phase VRF Commissioning" Free. 9am to 5pm. Call Melba at 888-699-6067 ext 421 for details.

Aug 12 - Samsung HVAC presents "RLC 05", an overview of residential and light commercial systems. 8:30am to 4:30pm. Free. Call Melba at 888-699-6067 ext 421 for details.

August 18th, 9am to 10am PDT. Taco presents "Load Match / Low Flow Piping Systems". Free. Topics includeWhat are they, benefits, how to design them using HSS software, and examples. Register here!

Aug 18 - Samsung presents "DVM Installation and Start Up". Free. 8:30am to 4:30pm. Call Melba at 888-699-6067 ext 421 for details.

Aug 18 - Jackson Systems presents "The Growing Importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)". Noon to 1pm PDT. Free. Register here!

Aug 19 - RSES presents "Electric Expansion Valves: Aftermarket Game Changer". 5 to 6pm PST. Free. Register here!

Aug 25 - Samsung presents "DVM Installtation and Startup" Free. 6:30am to 2:30pm. Call Melba at 888-699-6067 ext 421 for details.

Aug 25 - Jackson Systems presents "Hydronic Basics". Noon to 1pm PDT. Free. Register here!

Sept 2, 3, 9, 12 - IHACI presents a 4-part "System Performance Module" online from 6-8 pm PST. Free. Register for each night separately here!

September 15th, 9am to 10am. Free. Taco presents "Air-To-Air Heat Pump Systems. Topics include what are air-to-air heatpumps, what is COP and how is it calculated, heating and cooling water temperatures, conventional system and chilled beam system configurations. Register here.

Sept 29th - TACO presents "Mod-Con Boiler Piping & Pumping" Free. 9a-10am. Register here!

That's it for now. Summer training is lighter than other times of the year, but we'll keep things up to date so check back!

______________________________________________

Does Air or Nitrogen Absorb Water?

By Bryan Orr on Jul 30, 2020 08:57 am

There are many examples of teaching using metaphor to help someone get a grasp of how something works without being EXACTLY correct.

Some examples are how we often use water flow to explain electrical flow or refrigerant circuit dynamics. It’s enough like the way it works to get our heads wrapped around it but there are many differences and the metaphors eventually break down.

This is definitely the case with air and nitrogen “absorbing” water

I’ve done podcasts and videos about how air can “hold” less moisture when it is cooler and more when it is hotter. You have likely heard old school techs talk about triple evacuation and sweeping with nitrogen to “absorb” the moisture from the system.

News Flash, Air and Nitrogen DO NOT absorb or hold moisture… They ignore one another at parties and they certainly don’t shake hands.

Water vapor in the air behaves much like all the other gasses contained in the air with the notable exception that water exists in both vapor and liquid states at atmospheric pressure and temperature.

When the temperature of water vapor is higher, a higher percentage of the air by volume can CONTAIN water vapor, but the air itself isn’t what is holding it. It does interact with it as the molecules move and bounce around and the percentage of water vapor in the air does impact the mass/weight of the air by volume (water vapor weighs less than dry air) so there are certainly impacts to the makeup of the air based on moisture content.

The percentage of the air around us that is moisture can vary from almost zero In cold arctic & Antarctic climates to nearly 4% in hot, tropical climates.

When teaching it we speak as though the air is a sponge and the hotter the air the bigger the sponge. This certainly helps us remember but it isn’t really how it works. In reality water in the air is all about the saturation temperature and pressure of the water and the air has little to do with it.

By Greg Benson

This is the same sort of thinking when a tech is having a hard time pulling a vacuum and they add dry nitrogen to the system to “absorb” the moisture. First off, you will want to sweep the nitrogen through the system, not just pressurize. Secondly, the nitrogen has no special properties that allow it to “grab” moisture. It can entrain the water vapor using Bernoulli’s principle, it will warm up the system a bit, it will certainly add in a bit of turbulence which can help move the oil around and potentially release some trapped moisture… but nothing more than that.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with sweeping with dry nitrogen, even better to use a heat gun and warm the compressor crankcase, receivers and accumulator and coils during a deep vacuum on a large system to help speed up the vaporization of moisture.

It doesn’t change the fact that air and nitrogen don’t “hold” moisture.

— Bryan

The Long Beach chapter of RSES occasionally hosts events that are in addition to our monthly educational meetings.

For the public and our membership, we make every attempt to hold exams for NATE (North American Technician Excellence) certification, EPA standard 608 certification for handling refrigerants within the U.S., and for Certificate Member (CM) exams which are for RSES members only. When needed, we will also try to accomodate Certificate Member Specialist (CMS) exams which are available for CM status members.

For more information on what NATE is, please select the NATE link on the "Blogsite & Industry Links" tab, or see below to see what to do to keep your certification.

Need To Study For Your Exam?

Here are some links to order study materials to help you. If you are participating in our NATE study session (see below, near bottom), we'll order the manuals for you!

For NATE: Study Manuals

For EPA-608 exams:EPA-608 Manual

For CM exams: There is a CM study PowerPoint available on the registration page for $20.00, if interested, and is offered when our chapter is hosting the exam. You must be an RSES member. You can order this via the registration link above. A link to download the PPT file will be emailed to you within five days. Note: You must have signed up for a CM exam this chapter is offering to be eligible to purchase the PowerPoint.

For CMS exams: You will need to study in the area of your exam. Exams offered are Commercial Air, Commercial Refrigeration, Controls, Domestic Service, Dynamic Compression, Heating, Heat Pump, and HVACR Electrical. Must be an RSES CM member.

R-410a - The seminar before the exam includes a book. It may also be available at the RSES.org website. Try these links...

SAM and Journal articles

R-410a study book

It has been 3 1/2 years since we've last offered this seminar and because it was so well attended and received, we wanted to offer it again!

Have you given any thought to obtaining a C-20 or C-38 license and going into business for yourself? This seminar covers most of what we hope are your areas of need...

Why should I need a license?
What is involved in getting a license and what are the pitfalls in doing so?
What kind of help might be available for small start-ups like mine?
Once you start your business, you may want some information on how to run it. Whether you want to be a "one man show" or build it up to several technicians, we'll have some suggestions for you to get you started.

Lunch will be provided. This is a one-day seminar.

Class to be offered in the spring of 2017. Watch for signup information after the first of the year!