Conquer the Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Contractor Exam in Under 90 Minutes: Study Guide for HVAC System Design, Gas and Electric Units, Ducts, Airflow, and Furnace Installation

By: Philip Martin McCaulay

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

HVAC systems shape how people experience comfort, air quality, and temperature stability inside homes and light commercial buildings. This focused guide explains how heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems actually work, from the movement of heat and moisture to the behavior of air under pressure. Instead of treating HVAC as a collection of parts, it presents these systems as coordinated environments that must function as unified whole.

You’ll explore the physical principles that govern heat transfer, humidity behavior, and airflow patterns, then see how those principles translate into real-world system design. The guide covers gas heating, electric heating, heat pumps, split systems, packaged units, and hybrid configurations, showing how each approach affects performance, comfort, and durability. Equipment selection, zoning strategies, and system matching are explained in practical, conceptual terms rather than abstract formulas.

Duct design, air distribution, pressure relationships, and installation principles receive special attention, since these elements often determine whether a system performs smoothly or struggles for years. You’ll learn how airflow paths shape comfort, how control systems coordinate operation, and why startup, balancing, and early verification are critical to long-term stability. The emphasis throughout is on how systems behave in real buildings, not just how they look on paper.

The final sections address troubleshooting patterns, maintenance logic, and safety principles that protect both people and equipment. Rather than offering quick fixes, the book explains how to recognize system drift, isolate root causes, and preserve performance over time. The result is a clear, structured understanding of HVAC systems that supports smarter decisions, quieter operation, and more consistent indoor comfort.