HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs Podcast Por Bryan Orr arte de portada

HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

De: Bryan Orr
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HVAC School is the ever growing online source for real training topics for technicians in the Air-conditioning, Heating and Ventilation Fields. In the podcast, we will share recorded training, tech ride alongs, share challenging diagnostic scenarios. All to help make the industry, your company, and your truck a better place to be. Desarrollo Personal Economía Exito Profesional Éxito Personal
Episodios
  • Succession in Family Business w/ TruTech & Kalos

    Succession in Family Business w/ TruTech & Kalos
    Apr 16 2026
    In this special collaborative episode between the Building HVAC Science Podcast and HVAC School, host Bryan Orr sits down with his father and co-founder Robert Orr (Kalos) and Bill and Billy Spohn, the father-son duo behind TruTech Tools, for an in-depth conversation about the realities of running, transitioning, and ultimately passing the torch in a family-owned business. What makes this episode particularly compelling is that both pairs are actively living through their own succession journeys in real time, offering listeners an unusually candid and personal look at the emotional, structural, and cultural dimensions of handing off a business you helped build from the ground up. The conversation begins with each participant sharing where they stand today. Bill Spohn Sr. is transitioning into semi-retirement as CEO and co-owner of TruTech Tools, which has tripled in revenue since his son Billy joined the company in 2018. Billy Spohn has stepped into the role of President and co-owner, focusing on working on the business rather than in it. Robert Orr, co-founder of Kalos alongside Bryan, has similarly stepped back after a formalized three-year succession plan, with Bryan now holding majority ownership and day-to-day control. Together, these four men represent two different approaches to the same deeply human challenge: what does it really mean to let go of something you built, and how do you do it in a way that honors both the past and the future? A major theme throughout the episode is the emotional weight of identity and transition that founders and long-time leaders rarely talk about openly. Both Bill Spohn Sr. and Robert Orr reflect candidly on how much of their personal identity has been wrapped up in their respective companies, and how surprising it has been to grapple with the shift from decision-maker to advisor. Robert speaks movingly about health challenges, including having suffered strokes, that accelerated his thinking about succession and mortality. The group explores how no amount of business planning fully prepares you for the emotional reality of stepping back, and yet both men express genuine peace and gratitude for how their transitions have unfolded. The honesty in these reflections is rare and refreshing, especially in business media that often skips the messy human middle. The discussion also digs deeply into the operational and cultural infrastructure that makes a successful handoff possible. TruTech Tools implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) starting in 2022, a framework that Billy says was one of the greatest gifts his father could have given him before assuming leadership. EOS brought role clarity, accountability structures, and regular team rhythms that transformed how the company functions. Bryan and Robert took a more organic approach at Kalos, leaning on trust, a shared value system, and clearly defined responsibilities that evolved over years of working side by side. Both companies emphasize that clarity and accountability are non-negotiable, regardless of company size, and that culture is not a poster on the wall but a reflection of how leaders actually behave when things get hard. The episode closes with practical advice for other family business owners navigating similar journeys. Key takeaways include starting the conversation early, building an advisory board outside the company, making public commitments to accountability, investing in business reading and peer groups, holding regular family meetings so that everyone understands the plan, and above all, prioritizing emotional health and the ability to have hard conversations before they become festering resentments. Bryan offers a memorable point: intelligence gets beaten by emotional regulation and patience every day. The group is unanimous that succession planning is not a single event but a thousand small handoffs, and the best time to start preparing is well before you feel ready. Topics Covered Introductions: Bryan Orr (Kalos), Robert Orr (Kalos co-founder), Bill Spohn Sr. (TruTech Tools CEO), and Billy Spohn (TruTech Tools President)TruTech Tools 3x revenue growth since Billy joined in 2018The emotional side of letting go: identity shifts, loss of relevance, and the unexpected grief of stepping back from a business you builtMoving from decision-maker to advisor: how both Bill Sr. and Robert are navigating this transitionLegacy vs. transactional business: building to keep versus building to sell, and the stewardship mindsetThe baton handoff metaphor: why succession is a thousand small transitions, not one dramatic momentRobert Orr on health challenges (strokes) that accelerated his thinking about succession planningEOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) at TruTech Tools: what it is, how it was implemented over two years starting in 2022, and why Billy credits it as the single biggest gift for his leadership journeyRole clarity and accountability charts versus traditional org chartsQuarterly ...
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    1 h
  • Adding Plumbing To Your HVAC Business - Short #282

    Adding Plumbing To Your HVAC Business - Short #282
    Apr 14 2026

    Looking to Add Plumbing To Your HVAC Business? Learn the critical pitfalls to avoid before you make the leap! In this livestream from the 7th Annual HVAC/R Training Symposium, service plumber and third-generation tradesman Nate Agentis breaks down why adding plumbing to your HVAC business isn't as simple as hiring a plumber and stocking PVC on your trucks.

    What You'll Learn:

    • Why most HVAC companies fail when adding plumbing services
    • The hidden costs beyond just hiring plumbers
    • Marketing challenges specific to emergency plumbing
    • How to structure your plumbing division for success
    • The importance of leadership and proper business planning
    • Insurance, branding, and culture considerations
    • Smart entry points like maintenance plans and water heater services

    Nate shares real-world insights on avoiding the cash flow drains, cultural toxicity, and structural mistakes that plague HVAC companies trying to diversify. Whether you're considering adding plumbing or already struggling with your plumbing division, this conversation provides actionable strategies for sustainable growth.

    Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool.

    Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium.

    Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android.

    Subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android.
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    29 m
  • Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks w/ Let's Be Techs

    Troubleshooting Tips and Tricks w/ Let's Be Techs
    Apr 9 2026
    In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan sits down with Johnny, the creator behind the popular social media channel "Let's Be Techs." Johnny brings a wealth of hands-on experience to the table, having spent his first 13 years in residential HVAC before transitioning into commercial refrigeration. He shares his unconventional path into the trade—starting out building houses before being recommended to an HVAC contractor—and how the lack of quality mentorship early in his career motivated him to create educational content for technicians. His videos, which began as a fun hobby and a way to teach his helper remotely, have since grown exponentially across TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, and continue to attract technicians hungry for practical, real-world knowledge. The bulk of the episode is a deep dive into real-world troubleshooting strategies, covering everything from the very first moments you arrive on a job site to diagnosing complex intermittent electrical faults. Bryan and Johnny both emphasize the value of using your senses before reaching for specialty tools—listening for surging liquid lines, feeling condenser airflow with your hand, and visually inspecting service valves for oil before removing caps. They share a mutual philosophy that the best technicians are those who can step back, assess the big picture, and narrow down the problem systematically rather than immediately jumping to assumptions about charge levels or component failures. A significant portion of the conversation centers on low-voltage electrical diagnostics, an area where both techs have noticed major changes over the last several years. Bryan and Johnny discuss the rise of contactor coil failures, transformer overload from aftermarket add-ons like UV lights and zone dampers, and the clever use of a contactor in place of a fuse as a low-cost short-finder tool. They also revisit the concept of "tattletale" fuses and resettable fuses, comparing their reliability and appropriate applications. Throughout these discussions, both hosts bring in personal war stories that make the technical content feel grounded and immediately applicable to everyday service calls. The episode wraps up with discussions on thermal imaging cameras, scroll compressor anomalies, and a memorable consulting story from Barbados involving a VRF system. Johnny and Bryan also touch on the importance of sharing knowledge openly in the trades, pushing back against the gatekeeping mentality that leaves newer technicians struggling to find reliable information. Both agree that the comment sections of field-focused videos have become a valuable community resource—a place where techs teach each other, correct each other, and build a collective knowledge base that benefits the whole industry. Topics Covered Johnny's background: from construction to HVAC apprenticeship to commercial refrigerationHow "Let's Be Techs" started as a fun hobby and grew into a major social media presenceUsing your senses first: listening, looking, and feeling before pulling out specialty toolsChecking service valves for oil and inspecting caps/seals before connecting gaugesWalk-in cooler first-response checklist: fans, thermostat display, suction line frost, liquid line surgingFeeling condenser airflow direction to diagnose dirty or clogged coilsIdentifying capacitor and contactor issues from the moment you approach residential equipmentThe rise of contactor coil failures and how location-based dirty power contributesTransformer overload: understanding the 40 VA / 24V current rating and why a 5-amp fuse doesn't protect windingsAftermarket add-ons (UV lights, dampers, zone systems) overloading low-voltage circuitsFloat switches fusing closed from excess current drawThe contactor-as-short-finder trick: a DIY alternative to the Short Pro toolAdding individual circuit fuses ("tattletale" fuses) for isolating intermittent low-voltage shortsResettable (popper) fuses: reliability issues and why 3-amp versions outperform 5-amp versionsContextual diagnostics: thinking about when and why a fuse blew (weather, season, recent activity)The 225°F discharge line rule for monitoring compressor healthScroll compressor oddities: running backwards, check valve failures, and starting under equalized pressureVRF system quirk: electronic expansion valves staying open when power is cut to one air handlerThermal imaging cameras: practical applications in the field including electrical panels, motors, condenser coils, and compressor racksUsing black tape (gaffer's tape) to improve thermal imaging accuracy on shiny surfacesMegohmmeter use for finding wire shorts that are intermittent but close to failingThe importance of anti-gatekeeping: sharing knowledge freely and learning from community feedback Follow Johnny on social media as "Let's Be Techs" on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://...
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    43 m
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I've listened to a few other hvac podcasts lately and they are painful. This one is actually really really good.

Really good!

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valuable information for techs by techs right on. Perfect title for Podcast. Looking forward to applying for the scholarship. I'm interested in the apprenticeship and learning the trade.

Relevant Topics

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The podcasters are easy to listen to, not hard on the ears. The HVAC & related material are always informative & applicable. I appreciate these audios.

Informative & Enjoyable

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Bryan Orr is a great instructor. He is very knowledgeable. He has experts from various parts of the industry as guests. He goes above and beyond to give back to the HVACR industry. he has helped me to become a better technician. so grateful for the content he provides.

amazing HVACR podcast

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I’m new to the trade and love the way you explain it.
Thank you so much.

Thank you.

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