Heating, Air Conditioning, Fridge, HVAC/Expert Profile

Expertise

I can't help you if your whatsis won't work, people (Especially if it's a refrigerator); I have no experience with appliances, and I haven't been involved with H&AC service and repair since March 08, 1996 (Thank the Lord); I reject appliance questions and H&AC "Service and Repair" questions (about 18 a week), so if you want to know why your whatsis isn't working like it used to, ask someone else. I delete answers that are unread after one week (about three a month). If you have questions about how big a unit you need, if one room's warmer than the others, if you want an opinion on bids received, etc. just ask. Do visit askweldin.com, there's a lot of good information on sizing, ductwork, efficiency, as well as some techniques accomplished DIY-ers can use to troubleshoot and improve their H&AC. Finally, I want to thank all of the kind, serious people whom I meet here; I enjoy working with you.

Experience in the area

50+ years in the business. See askweldin.com

Education/Credentials

B of ME U of D 1965, numerous classes and seminars since.

What do you like about this subject?

Helping homeowners who've gotten a raw deal. Really.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

I would love to be put out of work because the industry cleans up its act.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

Contractors frequently (deliberately?) misdiagnose ductwork problems as insufficient cooling: The house is not cooling, so the system must be too small; it's good business for a contractor. In fact, I've never seen an undersized residential system; the most frequent problem is "Too Much Equipment, Too Little Ductwork". I normally reduce cooling capacity when I develop an Improvement Plan.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Installing ductwork is a labor intensive operation, and many contractors profit by doing it too quickly. The end result is energy intensive: Conditioned air leaks into unconditioned spaces, too much heat is gained/lost because of improper insulation, rooms are overheated/overcooled because the system can't be balanced, etc. When efficient equipment is used, I say it's "wasting energy efficiently".