HVAC and Insulation From a Working Tech
Dana Sorensen · July 2, 2026
Search “furnace short cycling” online and you’ll run into two clashing pieces of advice. One thread tells you to replace the thermostat first, since it’s the flashiest part to point a finger at. Another insists you call a tech out immediately, treating every short cycle as proof of a cracked heat exchanger. The first is … Read more
Dana Sorensen · June 24, 2026
55°F on the supply air probe — that reading is what settled a very expensive standoff last August, inside a house that had already burned through two other contractor visits that same heat wave. The homeowner had one company tell her the system needed a fresh refrigerant charge. Another walked through, shrugged, and told her … Read more
Dana Sorensen · June 21, 2026
Search “why is one room in my house always hotter” and you’ll land on two competing pieces of advice: seal your ducts and pile on more insulation, or get your system a bigger return path. The first suggestion sometimes helps. The second is the one that actually solves the problem most of the time, and … Read more
Dana Sorensen · June 20, 2026
0.94 inches of water column — that’s what my manometer read on a three-year-old system in a newer subdivision last Tuesday, nearly double what that equipment was ever built to handle. The homeowner had phoned about two bedrooms that turned into ovens in summer and iceboxes in winter, no matter where she set the thermostat. … Read more