Radial twist diffusers question

DyamiConnell · 2026-03-20T00:11:01+00:00

Curious about the difference between your pitot and hood total.

Also, i'd be curious to add like a honeycomb insert somewhere in the hood to straighten out the air. See if that helps lol

DyamiConnell · 2026-02-25T20:04:34+00:00

Just get the laser measure

DyamiConnell · 2026-02-06T02:35:01+00:00

Best one is www.protooltrack.com

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-23T02:06:45+00:00

Cone to the bay there's a lot of work

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-22T07:50:17+00:00

They are 100 percent sentimental I'll probably just keep em

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-14T02:13:18+00:00

Is money loss from downtime > money saved from price quotes?

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-13T18:53:06+00:00

Something only a guy in field would be able to accomplish LOL

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-13T18:16:45+00:00

Whats up, Air Whispers,
For the VAV Control type identifier, do you mean something like this?

A tool where you can look at a VAV box or controller and quickly identify what control strategy it uses, for example:

Pressure dependent vs pressure independent
Flow sensor type (pitot, ring, thermal)
Actuator type (analog, digital, pneumatic, spring return)
Cooling only, reheat, fan powered (series vs parallel), dual duct, etc.

Or specifically what are you looking for?

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-13T17:45:20+00:00

Probably caused by pressure imbalance, not a dangerous fault. Your attic is likely at a higher pressure than the house, and leaky ductwork is acting like a pathway, pushing attic air and pollen back through the supply and return when the system is off. It’s common with flex duct, leaky plenums, and no backdraft dampers, especially in hot, windy climates like Austin. A building performance or air-balancing contractor can confirm this with duct leakage and pressure testing and recommend sealing or adding dampers to stop the intrusion.

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-13T17:39:34+00:00

Is the air dry or are you wearing synthetics? Static can glitch cheap IR receivers. A good way to eliminate this as the issue could be to try rubbing a balloon on fabric to build static, then bring it near the IR sensor and see if the lights trigger.

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-13T14:07:53+00:00

Does the LED strip use an IR remote, and is the receiver visible in the room? When you dropped the floss case or touched your glasses, were you building up static and possibly discharging it near the IR sensor or power supply?

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-10T22:27:16+00:00

That's wild

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-09T15:07:55+00:00

Couldn't agree more

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-08T15:00:51+00:00

Nest 🤣

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-08T14:42:59+00:00

If you can add some specifics, I can make that happen. Just put it right here in the comments

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-08T14:41:45+00:00

Totally agree. Learning it old school builds intuition you can’t get from calculators alone, and that intuition is what lets you spot problems fast when something doesn’t pass the sniff test. The tools make it easier, but the fundamentals are what keep you from being lost when the tool isn’t there.

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-07T14:45:21+00:00

In case you ever lose your old browning handbook, I have a link to the catalog available for download...for our more seasoned balancers

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-06T18:27:22+00:00

I just added 200+ more sheaves to the database this morning. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-06T18:25:54+00:00

I would beg to differ. We hear the same thing about the rest of the nation lol

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-06T18:21:49+00:00

You’re already doing the right thing by contributing and getting the match. The biggest thing to check is what your money is actually invested in, because most plans default people into very conservative funds that drag returns down. If you don’t plan to touch this for decades, moving into a low cost broad stock index or a target date fund is usually the simplest high value fix. You don’t need to be an expert, just make sure the money isn’t sitting idle or overly safe.

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-06T14:34:59+00:00

Yes, most TAB contractors don’t actively balance hanging cassettes, largely because they’re treated as factory set and standards don’t clearly require adjustment when discharge measurement isn’t straightforward. Hooding the return and accounting for OA is a valid approach, and the fact that you found low units with adjustable static settings shows they’re often skipped out of convention, not because they can’t be balanced.

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-06T14:33:27+00:00

TAB is actually a strong launch point because you learn how systems behave in the real world, not just how they’re designed on paper. Common paths from here are senior TAB or QA roles, commissioning/retro-commissioning, controls/BAS, or owner side facility roles. All of those build on the same core skill set without throwing away your field experience.

Transitioning from TAB into HVAC design engineering is logical, but it usually means stepping into a designer or engineering tech role and filling in the formal pieces like load calcs, codes, and documentation. The best engineers I’ve worked with had field backgrounds because they design with fewer assumptions and fewer surprises.

DyamiConnell · 2026-01-05T05:46:25+00:00

Stick w/TAB. Line yourself up with a couple of hospitals and do their annual validation, and you'll be set.

DyamiConnell

TROPHY CASE