Reviewer
Jen Whitaker
Master electrician, NATE-certified, HVAC electrical
Jen is a master electrician focused on HVAC branch circuits, motor starting circuits, and equipment control wiring on light-commercial jobs. The master credential is the top tier of state electrician licensing, requiring seven to ten years of documented field experience as a journeyman (the exact threshold varies by state, with Delaware requiring six years or 8,000 hours, New York City requiring 10,500 hours, and most other states landing in between) plus passing the master examination on NEC code, electrical theory, complex system design, and load calculations. The license is what lets her pull electrical permits, supervise other electricians on a project, and sign off on inspector-grade work.
Jen also holds NATE certification in the HVAC electrical track. Her specific work is the intersection where electrical code meets HVAC equipment: condenser branch circuits sized per NEC Article 440 with MCA and MOCP from the equipment nameplate, motor starting capacitor selection on PSC and ECM systems, and the disconnect-plus-whip install that every condenser pad needs. She has wired condensers from 1 ton single-phase residential through 25-ton three-phase rooftop units.
Jen reviews the electrical tools on this site (wire size, breaker size, capacitor sizing, voltage drop) plus the generator sizing calculator because backup-power sizing depends on the same MCA/LRA equipment data she pulls from condenser nameplates. Every electrical recommendation gets checked against NEC 2023 Tables 310.16 and 240.6, NEC 110.14(C) terminal temperature limitation, and NEC 210.19 informational note 4 voltage-drop guidance.
Tools reviewed by Jen
Every tool listed below was reviewed by Jen Whitaker against the published code, standard, or manufacturer data it implements. Jen signs off on the math, the inputs that drive it, and the edge cases the result panel flags.
Comparison guides reviewed by Jen
Side-by-side comparisons fact-checked by Jen against field experience, install quotes, and manufacturer specs. Each guide covers a real homeowner decision, with the install cost ranges, climate fit, and edge cases verified before publication.
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Nest vs ecobee
The two-way: ecobee for Apple Home and room sensors that follow you, Nest for Google and a thermostat that programs itself. Plus the no-C-wire trap.
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40 vs 50 gallon water heater
Real first hour ratings, the fit trap with modern fatter tanks, and why the upgrade usually costs only $100 to $300 more installed.
Troubleshooting guides reviewed by Jen
Diagnostic walkthroughs Jen signed off on against the service calls they actually run. Each page lists the real fix order and what every repair costs.
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AC not turning on
A dead AC is usually a free fix. The thermostat, breaker, power switches, and drain safety switch checks that solve most no-cool calls, then what each repair costs.
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AC smells bad
What a musty, rotten egg, burning, chemical, dirty sock, or vinegar smell from the AC means, which two are safety emergencies to act on now, which you can fix yourself, and which need a tech.
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AC tripping the breaker
Two free checks before paying a service call, the eight real causes ranked by how often techs find them, and the one cause almost every online guide misses: the breaker itself.
Guides reviewed by Jen
HVAC explainers covering the questions homeowners ask most, fact-checked by Jen against field experience and published code.
How BTU Size uses reviewers
Every tool on BTU Size credits a named technician with field experience in the relevant trade. Reviewers check the math against published code (ACCA, ASHRAE, NEC, NFPA, IECC), against manufacturer engineering data (Carrier, Trane, Mitsubishi, Owens Corning, Slant/Fin), and against the edge cases that show up on real service calls. See the full reviewer roster and methodology.