Give Until it Hertz - The Battle Over Frequency - Short #271

HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs · Dec 23, 2025 · 13m

In this short podcast episode, we go back into the history of the trades, namely the battle over frequency (and how each side had to give until it hertz).

The low hum of motors is alternating current: electricity moving back and forth through copper 60x per second (in the USA and Canada, at least). In another version of history, that pulse could be 50x per second instead (as in much of the remainder of the world). The forgotten frequency war is the lesser-known sequel to the war of the currents.

Tesla's AC power prevailed over Edison's DC, but different motor and generator companies chose…