mhoush

Vapor + HTMX

2025-02-19T21:47:31Z

Build an example application using Vapor and HTMX.

Free As In Freedom

2025-02-19T21:39:28Z

Salute to open-source software engineers

PGP Encryption Introduction

2025-02-19T21:36:11Z

In this article I introduce PGP and show a use case for me, which perhaps you can use as well.

What is PGP

PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy, it was first developed in 1991 by Phil Zimmermann. PGP uses
cryptographic privacy and authentication and is generally used in data communication.

According to Wikipedia it’s name was inspired
by a grocery store named, “Ralph’s Pretty Goody Grocery” featured in radio host’s Garrison Keillor’s
fictional town of Lake Wobegon.

PGP is commonly used in software development to “sign” software commits or files to help ensure both
who the commits were from as well as make sure they were not modified from the original versions.

It should also be noted that when people say PGP they are often referring to OpenPGP or GnuPGP which
are implementations of the PGP standard protocol.

What it does

Note: I am in no way a cyber-security expert, I am a layman and only describing things in terms
that I understand / make sense to me. Do what I do at your own risk!

PGP offers both symmetrical encryption (uses a session key and password) or asymmetrical encryption
(uses a session key and a private key). Asymmetrical encryption is more secure but is more resource
intensive (which is generally not a problem with computers of today).

Generally speaking PGP uses what are known as public and private key pairs. The public portion of
the key par is meant to be shared with others freely, while the private portion needs to be secured
/ not shared with anyone EVER. It is best practice to generate your keys on a computer that is
“air gapped”, meaning it is not connected to any network / internet, and does not save a history of
commands performed on it.

PGP encrypts data (files, messages, etc.) for one or more recipients, using the recipients public
key. The recipients private key is required to decrypt the data once it’s been encrypted.

Your key pair is tied to your identity / person, generally by your name and email(s). The key can
also have multiple “subkeys”, meaning that if you have more than one public email, alias, etc. it
can be tied to your same private key. This is useful for example for work vs. activism vs. software
development.

Once your key is generated and your private key secured, you can share your public portion of the
key to a “keyserver” where other people can download it and verify messages were sent by you.

Web of Trust

PGP also uses what is called the “Web of Trust”, which is used to validate that messages are
encrypted by a trusted source. There are different levels of trust depending on where a key is
retrieved from. For example, if somebody gave you their public key in person and you were able to
inspect that the identity matches their government id, then you can give it a higher trust level
than one that is sent / retrieved from a keyserver.

My understanding of this portion is that over time your key is signed by other’s with their level of
certainty about you / your key, which over time increases the overall trust in your key.

Out of the weeds

Now that we’ve got an understanding of some of the technical aspects, lets talk about some real use
cases of PGP encryption.

PGP encryption is used by some email clients / applications, such as
Canary,
Thunderbird, or
GPGSuite.

In my understanding, it is also what is used in devices such as a
YubiKey.

Many of the mentioned applications allow for an easier interface / adoption, as one of the reasons
it is not very popular is that it can be hard to use PGP for the average person.

Aside from using my PGP key for signing software commits, my major use case is for encrypting files
that I store in a “cloud” provider. Know that when someone says the “cloud”, it is really just a
computer (in reality a gang of computers in a data center). You are solely reliant that these cloud
providers are not snooping on, inspecting, or even selling your data.

Of course, some data may not be that sensitive, so maybe you don’t care. However with a little bit
of effort on your part you can at least make it very hard for anyone to know what is inside your
documents. You can be in control of the way your items are encrypted and have confidence that nobody
but you can access what is inside your documents.

Heck, I even encrypt documents that are stored on my own network / computer so that if something
get’s stolen or someone breach’s my network they will not be able to easily get to sensitive data.

Conclusion

This article is just meant as an overview of PGP encryption. In future articles I will show you how
to use it to encrypt your data and be in control of your privacy.

Resources

UNVR as NAS

2025-02-19T21:32:01Z

In this post, I’m going to show how to setup a Samba server on a Ubiquity UNVR so that it can be
used as NAS (network attached storage). Be aware that this should be done with caution and may void
any warranty on your UNVR as we are using it for purposes beyond it’s original intent. It’s also
possible that this setup will break when / if updating the UNVR software. With that said, let’s jump
in.

This post follows along with
this reddit post,
with some adaptations to get it to work on the latest Unifi-OS release of 3.2.12.

Step One - Setup SSH & Login

In your unifi network console you need to enable the SSH login option and set a secure password
for the root user to login to the UNVR.

Once that is complete you can login to your UNVR using your terminal and the IP address of your UNVR
on your network.

ssh root@192.168.1.10

Step Two - Install Samba

First, we’ll update the package registry information.

apt-get update

Next, install samba.

apt-get install samba

Step Three - Setup Samba

In order to edit the configuration we are going to need to install your terminal based text editor
of choice (generally nano or vim), for me I will install vim.

apt-get install vim

Create a backup of the default configuration.

cp /etc/samba/smb.conf /etc/samba/smb.conf.bak

Open the configuration file to be edited.

vim /etc/samba/smb.conf

Just above the Share Definitions section of the configuration, I added some global settings to
make the samba server act better for time machine backups.

#======================= MacOS Client Optimizations  =======================
vfs objects = fruit streams_xattr
fruit:metadata = stream
fruit:model = MacSamba
fruit:posix_rename = yes
fruit:veto_appledouble = no
fruit:nfs_aces = no
fruit:wipe_intentionally_left_blank_rfork = yes
fruit:delete_empty_adfiles = yes

Also because we want users we create to be able to read and write to their home directories created
on the samba server, we need to change the option under the [homes] share definition to be
read only = no.

That is our primary configuration. You can add more share definitions at the bottom of the file to
suit your use case, there are decent examples of this in the original reddit post, linked in the
beginning.

Save and exit the file.

:wq

Step Four - Start Samba

Use the following command to start the samba server.

sudo service smbd start

You can check the status, by running the following command.

systemctl status smbd

Enable the samba server to start on boot.

systemctl enable smbd.service

Step Five - Create Users

Create a user with a home directory that they can use.

useradd --create-home michael

Give the user a password to login to the samba server.

smbpasswd michael

Step Six - Login to Samba Server from Client

In the Finder app on macOS you can type ⌘k to connect to a server.

In the text field enter smb://<USER>@<UNVR_IP> to connect to the samba server.

You can also automatically connect to the server when you login to your client device, for this to
work you need the credentials to be stored in your keychain (ticking the box in the step above when
you first connect to the server).

This is found in System Settings -> General -> Login Items -> Open at Login. Click the plus button
and select the volume you would like to mount at login.

Once you have it setup so that the server is connected on login, you can also set it up as location
for Time Machine Backups. System Settings -> General -> Time Machine

Elevating HVAC: A Skilled Trade Beyond Labor

2025-02-19T21:25:29Z

This is a guest post from my good friend, Ty Branaman.

Introduction:

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is often mistakenly categorized as a simple labor
job, overshadowing the intricate skill set and technical expertise required in this field. Labor
jobs are also very important positions needed to keep society running. HVAC, like other skilled
trades, demands a high level of knowledge, precision, and adaptability. This article aims to shed
light on the misconception surrounding HVAC, emphasizing its status as a skilled trade that plays a
pivotal role in creating comfortable and efficient living and working environments.

Technical Proficiency:

One of the defining features that distinguish HVAC as a skilled trade is the level of technical
proficiency required. HVAC professionals must have a deep understanding of thermodynamics, fluid
mechanics, electrical circuits, Psychrometrics and air properties. This knowledge is essential for
designing, installing, and maintaining HVAC systems that operate seamlessly and efficiently.

System Design and Installation:

HVAC professionals are involved in the intricate process of designing and installing heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning systems. This task requires not only a thorough understanding of
the physical principles governing HVAC but also the ability to tailor solutions to meet the unique
needs of each space. Proper system design and installation are crucial for achieving optimal energy
efficiency and performance.

Diagnostic Skills:

Troubleshooting and diagnosing issues in HVAC systems require a keen analytical mind and
problem-solving skills. Skilled HVAC technicians possess the ability to identify and rectify
problems efficiently, ensuring minimal downtime and disruption to the comfort of occupants. This
diagnostic acumen is a hallmark of a trade that goes beyond routine labor.

Adaptability to Advanced Technologies:

The HVAC industry is in a constant state of evolution, with new technologies and innovations
continuously being introduced. Skilled HVAC professionals are adaptable and stay abreast of these
advancements. From smart thermostats to energy-efficient systems, they integrate cutting-edge
technologies to provide state-of-the-art solutions for their clients.

Safety and Compliance:

Safety is paramount in the HVAC trade. Professionals must adhere to strict safety protocols to
protect both themselves and the occupants of the spaces they work in. Additionally, compliance with
industry regulations and codes is a testament to the skilled nature of the trade, ensuring that HVAC
systems meet the highest standards of safety and efficiency.

Continual Learning and Certification:

Unlike a labor job, HVAC professionals engage in continual learning to stay current with industry
trends and technological advancements. Many pursue certifications and attend training programs to
enhance their skills and expand their knowledge base. This commitment to ongoing education is a
hallmark of skilled trades.

Conclusion:

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning is undeniably a skilled trade that goes beyond the
perception of a labor job. Labor jobs are also very important to the function of society and I have
proudly done these jobs myself. The technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, adaptability,
and commitment to safety make HVAC professionals essential contributors to the creation of
comfortable and efficient indoor environments. It is crucial to recognize and appreciate the skill
set inherent in the HVAC trade, as it plays a vital role in shaping the quality of life for
individuals and the functionality of diverse spaces.

Ty Branaman

Most Important Job

2025-02-19T21:21:54Z

This short tech tip is about something one of my good friends in the trade told me a long time ago,
that has stuck with me through the years. It is a simple phrase / mindset.

“The current job you’re on, is the most important job of your day”.

This mindset should be carried from the dispatcher, manager, and technician to make this successful.
I’m not gonna lie and say this is always easy, or even always possible, but if you strive to use
this mindset then you will gain lifelong customers and satisfaction of not having loose ends hanging
out there.

I do think it’s also important to acknowledge that there are times that a technician has exhausted
all their options, maybe they just don’t have the mental capacity anymore to continue with a problem
job, or need a break to come back another day with a fresh set of eyes, etc… This is also an
important thing for a technician to realize, and hopefully those type of instances are much more few
and far between, but I do want to acknowledge that scenario does also exist.

If you are a business owner, then this is something to consider instilling in your operations.
Empower your technicians and dispatchers to understand when things need to be shuffled around in
order to accommodate taking care of the customer at hand. It costs a lot of money to get a
technician to job, so minimizing truck rolls to the same job is important from a business
standpoint.

This was just a quick tech tip of something that has been rolling around in my mind lately. I hope
you find it helpful and it sticks with you through your career as it has mine.

Cancel This

2025-02-19T21:17:16Z

This post is going to be hard to put into words, it’s going to seem egotistical at points, but know
that my actions / feelings online are the same as they are if you met me in person. The problem with
online interactions is tone and other subtleties do not come across, so it’s hard to tell when
someone is joking or being serious.

The Meat

It has been brought to my attention that someone out there thinks that I’m sexist and should not
speak at the HVAC School symposium because of it. They are holding a curse word against me that I
said two years ago, in the moment A) it was fitting and B) it was one of those times that my mouth
was working faster than my brain (raise your hand if that’s ever happened to you).

I am an open book, I am not afraid of showing failures and strengths. I’ve never claimed to be
perfect (well, actually I have but it’s always a joke). I’m not at all condoning what I’ve said in
the past, nor will I repeat it out of context now, but I communicate with people like adults and I
look at people as piers. We do not always have to agree with one another, conflict helps us learn
where to grow, but we also can not expect people to change to fit our wants / needs, that’s just not
how it works.

I do not at all agree with the tactics used by whomever is behind this. I would happily discuss this
in private or out in the open. You can find all my contact / social information in the sidebar of
this website and I’ve offered up my cell phone number in private groups that we are all probably a
part of.

The Potatoes

I am a father of 3 girls, I have a sister, talk crap about my mom and you’ll find out who I am! I
love women, I have no problem with women in the trades, I encourage women who are in the trades. I
try to help every person that I can, if I can. I have failed more times than you can imagine! I am
self taught in about everything I do, so I give of it freely. I have all kinds of work to do to grow
into the man that I should be, but at the same time, I am not afraid to be the man that I am today.
I will greet you by whatever pronoun you want to be referred as.

I would love to say that I don’t judge people, but I do, just as I’m being judged! I am fine with
someone judging me and having opinions about me, I mean that is our right. I will not say that
person is wrong, because in their mind they’re right. What I will not do is stop being myself. I
know for a fact that I’ve helped more people than this person has gotten “cancelled”. I will
continue to help people in the trades, homeowners, or people in need. I also will not remain quiet!
I will give my opinion like it or not. There are people in my corner that really know me and my
intentions.

Final Words

The trades are rough around the edges, just as am I. The trades are a slow turning ship (just look
at how many still do not follow proper practices, etc. even with the capabilities and resources
available today).

If you are new / coming into the trades then I hope you are not overly sensitive to foul language
and other inappropriate comments. Thick skin is valuable in the trades, but at the same time don’t
be afraid to speak up if something offends you. Remember we are adults, we can handle disagreements
like adults (well, some of us can). Adults can learn from those of any age, they can reflect on
their own behavior and make their own decisions.

I personally think that being offended is not a bad thing, it causes us to reflect / repair our
foundational beliefs. I hope that we can stop with this “cancel culture” of today, stop hiding
behind a keyboard, and be a diverse community.

To wrap things up, I just want to reiterate that I am not at all mad at whomever is behind this. To
everyone out there who has shown me love and support, I greatly appreciate it.

Hope

2025-02-19T21:13:20Z

This is a piggy-back article off of
The Struggle article that I had recently.

I was a bit of a “Debbie Downer” in that article, which is okay, I get that way sometimes. In this
article I’d like to take a minute to layout some of the things that give me hope, things that I
focus on to try and kick myself out of the rut I can get into sometimes.

I believe it’s important to have hope, to realize that feeling down is normal / part of being
human. It’s just as important to have hope. For some it is a harder thing to focus on, it may be
easy for us to try and dwell in negative feelings, to some that may feel more comfortable. When
we’re feeling cynical, it’s easy to feed the negativity, although it’s rarely helpful.

Hope

One of the things that I try to focus on is that I’m human, it brings me hope to realize that I’m
not the only one who feels the way that I do. This was evident by the feedback on my previous
article.

My problems are very much “first world problems”.

Make no mistake, I’m selfish, but it’s the selfishness that makes me feel distant or disconnected.
The times that I feel connected are without a doubt the times that I let go of my ego and focus on
things outside of myself.

It’s the feeling I get from going to customers home and feeling truly appreciated. There’s no push
back on price, no one telling me how I should run my business, no “the part only costs $x on
amazon”, etc.

The feeling of seeing your child smile. The safety you feel when getting a hug from your mother or
father. When you’re looking up at the stars and realize how small you actually are.

When you’re out with friends and trick the DJ into playing a Mr. Bungle song and no one else
appreciates it, but you. The times when your guard is completely down and you laugh with abandon.

The smell of your lover’s hair when you’re holding them close. The joy you receive from sitting with
your pets. The songs of nature, insects, birds, etc. The sounds of waves / water in the distance.

The feeling when you’ve helped someone learn a new skill, when something finally clicks and makes
sense. When a complex topic is understood at a fundamental level. The breakthrough of a problem
you’ve pondered for days / months / years.

Conclusion

There are so many things to be grateful for. This does not mean that there will not be hard times,
there surely will be. This does not mean that you are wrong for having negative feelings, for
feeling depressed or anxious. There are many around you that likely feel similar (they may just not
be able to express it in the same way). You never truly know what the person next to you is dealing
with. Be compassionate (including showing yourself compassion).

When you are feeling down, try to do something for someone else. Make your own list of things to be
thankful for. Maybe my non-exhaustive list above will give you some ideas. Write those items down
regularly so that you can look back on them when you feel out of balance.

There is plenty of negative energy in this world, be true and genuine and you will receive rewards.
When you focus on blessings then the negativity will fade.

What impact are you going to leave with what little time we have?

I hope that you enjoyed this short article. Know that you are NOT alone, you are important, and
that I appreciate you!

Heat Recovery Chiller

2025-02-19T21:08:37Z

This is an article that I wrote back in 2020, but I don’t believe that I published it anywhere, so
I’m doing it now. I did discuss this on
this episode of the HVAC School Podcast.

Heat Recovery Chillers

I have always had a love and passion for hydronic systems, perhaps it’s because they are not that
common in most areas. The designs tend to be elegant and the flexibility is unparalleled by most
equipment choices currently available in the U.S. I’m going to try to not get too far into the weeds
in this article, but offer an overview of what I feel would be my dream system.

The Source

A heat recovery chiller will do simultaneous heating and cooling, as opposed to a traditional
heat-pump or reverse cycle chiller that can only operate in one mode at a time. This system would
have a second refrigerant to water heat exchanger and utilize the air-source when we don’t need to
bank / store heat, or are running in heat only mode. There are several benefits to this style
system, the main being that while operating simultaneous heating / cooling mode the COP of the
system doubles. For example, the Multi-Aqua MHRC2 shows a COP of
about 8, which is approximately equivalent to 30 EER or 34 SEER. This gives us geothermal level
performance without the need of a field.

Indoor Portion

The indoor portion of the system, we would utilize buffer tanks as thermal storage for the chiller.
The buffer tanks give us several benefits, including longer run times for the chiller, load
matching, and the ability to size for larger load (heating or cooling) without some of the problems
that occur when over-sizing a traditional system. The buffer tanks also allow sizing more
aggressively by having storage during peak load conditions.

This shows a cooling buffer tank as well as a heating buffer tank. The horizontal pumps are what
circulate water through the chiller, while the vertical pumps are what distribute the water to the
load / emitters. This configuration allows for water to be used for the loads first and extra
capacity to go into the buffer tanks. The buffer tanks also offer hydraulic separation for the pumps
(meaning that they won’t interfere with each other if / when there are different flow rates).
Another advantage of the buffer tanks is that you can connect multiple heating or cooling sources in
parallel to the system. This is shown by the extra tees in the hot buffer tank where we could
connect something such as solar water collectors, pellet or wood boiler, or a conventional boiler.
You’ll also notice on the right side of the hot buffer tank, that I am showing a brazed plate heat
exchanger that would be used to supply domestic hot water.

Distribution System

This could be a number of things, from radiant panels, in-floor, high-output baseboard radiators,
however I’m going to model it as a 4-pipe hydronic air handler.

The hydronic air handler is able to provide cooling, heating, and re-heat dehumidification, all in
one package. With a hydronic system, it would be very easy to load match by controlling the fan
speed and utilizing a Delta-T pump or outdoor reset controls. These air handlers are available from
several manufacturers and come in different styles from traditional (as shown), small duct high
velocity systems, and even ductless styles.

Disadvantages

Not highly available in the U.S.
When the chiller is down nothing works (not much different than traditional)
Lack of understanding / technicians afraid to work on this style system.
Potentially higher upfront costs.
Lack of design or planning could cause unhappy clients (same with traditional)
Distribution systems need to be designed around low water temperatures (not a drop in replacement
for traditional boiler systems)

Advantages

Central plant for heating, cooling, and DHW (also a disadvantage)
Flexible distribution options / methods.
Self contained refrigerant circuit
Ability to produce / store thermal energy during off peak electrical hours
Ability to move BTU’s more efficiently through water than air
Long life for distribution system (50-100+ years)
Easier transition to natural / flammable refrigerants

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many advantages to this style system, as well as disadvantages. One of the
main points is to think of the system in 3 distinct components, the source(s), thermal storage, and
distribution. As mentioned, this only one concept, but in reality, there are many ways to accomplish
this, which is one of it’s advantages. For example, perhaps in certain scenarios it makes sense to
dump excess heat into a pool, create ice storage during off peak hours, cascade into another water
-> water heat pump for higher temperature distribution, incorporate solar collectors, and so on.

Thank you for reading all the way to the end!

You Should Learn Markdown

2025-02-19T20:51:49Z

This is a quick article about why you should learn markdown.

What is markdown

Markdown is a “mark-up” language. It allows you to write content in plain text that can be easily
converted to other formats, such as html, pdf, docx, and many more. All the articles written on
this website are written in markdown, here’s an image of this article written in markdown.

The reason you should learn markdown is that it allows you to focus on the content / text of your
content with simple concepts for formatting. Markdown is used heavily in documenting software
projects, which is how I got introduced to it, however it can scale all the way up to writing
research papers or even books.

I use markdown for probably 80% of all the text documents I need to write, from company documents,
web / software documentation, and so on. It allows me to get content out quickly without having to
click around with formatting options in a program like Word or Pages. To be clear, a lot of
the reports and things I generate for my Home Performance Assessments are written using
Pages (for now at least) because I have templates that make the documents look more
professional, however I am working on solutions to migrate those to be markdown based.

Markdown is supported in mostly all the Google tools, as well as the Outlook email client
(which is one of my least favorite tools, BTW). It makes it simple to create tables, lists, and many
common document related tasks.

Resources

You can learn more about the syntax used for markdown at
markdownguide.org.

A non-exhaustive list of where you can use Markdown and editors.

Platform	Description
Google	Most goggle tools support markdown, docs, sheets, etc.
Outlook	Although I hate outlook email client, it does support markdown.
Dillinger.io	An online tool for writing / previewing markdown
MarkText	A multi-platform editor for writing markdown

You can use tools such as pandoc to convert Markdown files to other formats.

Conclusion

I hope that you take the time to research and see if Markdown is good fit for your document /
content creation.

Thanks for reading until the end!

The Struggle

2025-02-19T20:53:34Z

This is a get stuff of my chest article. Probably going to be a mixture of ranting and whining. If
that is not your cup of tea then feel free to skip this article.

The struggle

It has been one of those “when it rains, it pours” type of weeks. As write this, I feel like a baby
/ complainer, which is not my intention, but here it goes.

My aunt had a stroke and is likely not going to make it through the week. My aunt has always lived
in Florida during my life / memory, but has always come to visit. She is my mom’s oldest sister (9
years apart), so she helped raise my mother growing up. They’ve always had a close relationship and
are like two peas in a pod. They would always visit us, especially while my grand-parents were still
alive. She is currently not really awake or expected to make it. She does not eat / drink and
they’ve basically just been making her comfortable.

One of my employees broke his neck over the weekend. I don’t have a ton of details on this subject,
but he had surgery to fuse some discs back together and should eventually be ok, however it will be
a long recovery time.

A few weeks ago, I commited one of the deadly sins of running a blower door test without checking /
asking about the fireplaces, which caused lord knows how much damage from the soot that was spread
throughout the living room(s).

An online friend lost her mother.

All of these things have just got me emotional.

My secrets

I am an emotional person, sometimes to my detriment. I’m prone to fits of anger and depression. I
spent many years masking things through alcohol abuse and many other idiotic tendencies. I still
drink on occasion, but not as I once did.

I often put my faith in folks, even if I haven’t met them in person, this can often lead to being
let down. I guess I struggle sometimes with the reality of online relationships. I think that people
are genuine, because I’m that way (how I act online is the same as I act in person for the most
part). I will happily show / share the good and the bad, in hopes that someone may learn. This is
not at all something to be ashamed of, or anything that I’d like to change, however it does on
occasion lead me into turmoil when I find out some true identity / personality of someone.

I hold grudges, like forever grudges. It is very hard for me to get over somethings, even if I want
to. I can sometimes put things out of my mind, but when I’m spinning, they will resurface. I want to
forgive people, but it is just not the way it works for me often times. It takes a lot to get me
beyond my breaking point, but once someone has gotten me there, there is likely no turning back for
that person. Luckily, I can count on one hand the number of folks that I’ve had to cut out of my
life for these reasons. I’d love to say that I’m a bigger / better person, that I forgive them, but
truthfully I do not.

My emotions sometimes make me say things publicly that I should keep to myself. I don’t have a lot
of regret around these things, because I generally mean what I say, and also feel we are entitled to
opinions as well as entitled to change those opinions as often as we see fit. Although I don’t
regret them per-se, it does make me wonder what type of impression it leaves (something for future
pondering, perhaps).

I’m one of those that says “I don’t care what they think about me”, when I really do care what
people think about me. This often leads to fear and anxiety, especially in social settings. I’m not
the greatest at conversation, I’m better at writing or some interaction that gives me a bit of time
to think before responding. Therefore, I’m quick to make a joke or something rather than having
thoughtful / genuine responses.

Community

All of these things have just got me thinking about community. Community is an aspect that seems
distant nowadays, even though we have more opportunity than ever. We call ourselves part of
communities, especially online, but I’m not convinced that it is really community (or at least not
most of the time, not saying it can’t be / in absolute terms).

I have met a lot of folks online that I consider true friends. Friends that I would do anything for
and feel they would do anything for me, just like my real life friends who have stuck with me for
many years. These are people that challenge me and how I think on a regular basis. They do their
best to lift me up when I’m down.

It’s easy to hide when so much of our interactions are not really in person, to feel like the
relationships we do have are not genuine, but that’s awfully cynical. I prefer to give people the
benefit / trust they deserve until, at least until they don’t then see my part about holding grudges
;)

Do you ever feel the same? Instead of being cynical and down, today, I’m trying to be positive. I’m
trying to share a little bit of what I feel community should be. Although, I’ve never met HVAChicks
Jennifer in real life, I read today about her mom and decided to take an hour or so to put together
a website for the HVAChicks Community, hoping it would bring a moment of
happiness to her day. While I’ve deployed several websites in the past, this one for some reason was
a total PITA, but I got through it. I could feel how grateful she was when I shared it with her (and
it’s basic AF), but that truly made me feel useful / great after being down in the dumps for a bit.

Conclusion

I’ve probably rambled enough and am losing direction here, so I will end with a few things.

Build the community around you that you want / deserve.
Don’t be so quick to pass judgment.
Spend time with your loved ones, while you can.
Tell someone you love them.

Finally, I’d like to shout out some people that I’m grateful for. This is non-exhaustive list, if I
left you off, I’m sorry and please do not take it personally.

Bryan Orr
- Bryan has cultivated an awesome group / community that I’m proud to be a part of. His time and
  commitment to the HVAC industry is something that I hope he himself is proud of. Without Bryan,
  mostly all the following names would not even be in my vocabulary.
Ty Branaman (forget exactly how to spell his last name).
- Ty has such a great personality during his videos / training and I’m sure it’s a struggle to be
  positive all the time, however it brings me hope and joy everytime!
Dustin (mother f’n) Cole
- Dustin is like a brother that I never had, he’s a true master of his craft and I know that I
  can rely on him anytime I need it!
Genry Garcia
- The cuban crusader who has taught me so much about home performance, and especially ZPD (baby,
  baby)!
Chris Hughes
- It’s hard to put into words here, but I know that Chris is there to talk when I need it and
  he’s a great motivator because of his action items :)
Eric Kaiser
- I think genuine when I think of Eric, I hear his voice in my head when I write reports because
  of guidance he has given in the past. He truly wants to help teach people.
Michael Cianfracco (??)
- Man does he make me laugh and we share a passion for the 4-Roses.
HVAChicks Jennifer (I’ll butcher her last name from memory)
- Jennifer is inspiring with her goals and everything she does to help anyone in the industry. I
  can’t wait to meet her in person one day soon!
HVAC Overtime Crew
- I’m lumping these guys together because I truly enjoy when I’m able to make their live stream
  on Friday’s. And I interact with A-Team a lot and really appreciate him / them!
Alicia Hollon
- Alicia is so awesome to me, I mean she just made my favorite pancakes and sausage for dinner,
  love you babe!

Lastly, I have to shout out to my mom. I know she’s going through a rough time with my aunt
currently. My mother is the kindest gentlest soul that I’ve ever met. I look up to all 5’ of her!

At any rate, thanks for sticking it out to the end through my ramblings. Be kind to someone today
and tomorrow!

Calculate SEER Degradation by Age

2025-02-19T21:55:30Z

This is a quick tech-tip to learn how to calculate the degradation of SEER based
on age.

The degradation of SEER is due to fouling of the evaporator coil with dirt and
refrigerant charge losses. It should be noted that this is not true for all
applications, but is used as an estimation based on research done by the DOE
of the average degradation based on systems tested.

Formula

This is the formula used to calculate the SEER based on age of the evaporator
coil / air handler.

$$ SEER_d = SEER_n \times (1 - M)^{age} $$

| Where | |
| –––– | —————————————— | — |
| $SEER_d$ | Degradated SEER rating |
| $SEER_n$ | Nominal SEER rating when equipment was new | |
| M | Maintenance factor, 0.01-0.03 |
| age | The age of the equipment, in years |

The maintenance factor of 0.01 is for expertly maintained equipment and 0.03 is
for unmaintained. The maintenance factor in essence is based on 1%-3%
degradation per year, however there are some
studies
that show that this can actually be as high as 5% or above depending on climate.
We could use up to 0.05 as the maintenance factor, just to see what the “range”
of degradation would be.

Interestingly, the study linked also shows that the degradation is higher the
higher the tonnage of the equipment. It also shows that the degradation is lower
per year the higher the nominal SEER rating of the system (which is corelated to
using TXV’s and lower airflow rates because of the equipment having multiple
stages).

Example

Let’s consider that we have a 13 SEER piece of equipment that was matched when
installed and the system is 15 years old.

Plugging those numbers into our formula.

Lowest Range (1% degradation / year)

$$ SEER_d = 13 \times (1 - 0.01)^{15} = 11.2 $$

Highest Rage (5% degradation / year)

$$ SEER_d = 13 \times (1 - 0.05)^{15} = 6 $$

An expertly maintained system may not have degraded that much, with an 11.2 SEER
vs. a poorly maintained / dirty system that also suffers from refrigerant charge
losses can be as low as 6 SEER.

Thanks for learning how to estimate SEER degradation based on equipment age!