Snips articles from March 2009

Snips archives from March 2009

A star is born enjoy a change of pace with this barn decoration: how many of you practice sheet metal craft just to enjoy time away from the daily routine?
March 1, 2009... It's a perfect time to take a break from the typical sheet metal work that you do daily and do something different. Can you imagine making something that you don't have to sell or fabricating some sheet metal piece you won't need to install?...

Sock it to'em meter helps workers locate, fix foul odor emanating from ducts: the problem isn't just confined to high school locker rooms. Perhaps you've entered a building and smelled it yourself: An odor something like dirty socks greets you as you walk in.
March 1, 2009... People complain. Maybe even you complain. And then, hopefully, Warren Lowe, an HVAC maintenance mechanic for a major Midwest electric utility, arrives with his Fluke 975 AirMeter tester. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lowe keeps the heating...

Lean and mean instilling efficiency procedures requires hard work: cigar-loving author Mark Twain is reported to have said, "Anyone can quit smoking. I've done it a thousand times." Similarly, many people go on diets and lose some pounds but few are able to maintain the lower weight.(Toyota Motor Corp.)(Report)
March 1, 2009... Lean construction is one of the hot ideas in the industry. Many sheet metal and HVAC contractors are starting to adapt some lean tools. If applied correctly, they will prove useful in reducing waste and improving productivity. ...

Driving forward: duct cleaners reflect on past, future for 20th annual event.(National Air Duct Cleaners Association )(Calendar)
March 1, 2009... In 1989, duct cleaning was not very common and little understood by the public and many HVAC industry professionals. Even those who practiced the new industry in the mid- and late 1980s seldom talked about anything more complex than "dirt" or...

University of Minnesota saves on chiller upgrade.(applications in the field)
March 1, 2009... The McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis was designed as a campus showplace. While the building boasts a granite-covered exterior and 85-foot atrium, the 231,000-square-foot structure did not have the most...

RSES of San Antonio hosts safety training.(association news)
March 1, 2009... Bob Dwyer of the Carbon Monoxide Safety Association conducted a seminar Dec. 6, 2008, to prepare RSES members for a carbon monoxide safety exam. Thirty members of the San Antonio chapter of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society...

AHRI elects chairman.(association news)
March 1, 2009... Keith Coursin, president of Desert Aire Corp. in Germantown, Wis., was elected chairman of the board of directors for the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute. The announcement was made at the organization's board of...

PHCC members offered discounts.(association news)(Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Members of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association can now get a special discount on Isuzu N series and GMC/Chevy W series trucks. This program allows members to take advantage of fleet discounts normally associated...

Hypertherm acquires maker of nesting Software.(supplier news)
March 1, 2009... Hypertherm has purchased the core assets of MTC Software, a developer of computer-aided manufacturing software used by the sheet and plate processing industry. Terms were not disclosed. MTC's software product helps companies in the...

RPS opens facility in Alabama.(supplier news)
March 1, 2009... Roof Products & Systems has added manufacturing capabilities in Huntsville, Ala. The new facility joins existing facilities in Bensenville, Ill., and Sanger, Calif. Sean Steimle, vice president of Hart & Cooley Inc.'s Commercial Products...

Rotobrush wins Patriotic Employer Award.(supplier news)
March 1, 2009... Rotobrush International LLC was presented with an award that recognizes the company's support of employees in the National Guard and Reserve. The Patriotic Employer Award by the National Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and...

Emerson offers Spanish language NATE guide.(supplier news)
March 1, 2009... Emerson Climate Technologies says it has introduced the first HVACR North American Technician Excellence certification courses in Spanish through Emerson's Educational Services. Company officials said that this Spanish language course is...

Tate, Air Zone to market under-floor air handlers.(supplier news)(Air Zone International )
March 1, 2009... Tate has teamed up with Air Zone International to offer designers energy-efficient supply air products for under-floor service-distribution systems. Air Zone currently offers three different air-handling units for under-floor air...

ACCA schedules first residential sales forum.(meetings & conventions)
March 1, 2009... The Air Conditioning Contractors of America will holds its first National HVACR Residential Sales Managers Forum March 26-27 in St. Louis. This new two-day event was designed by contractors for the people responsible for sales in...

Experts slated for disaster reconstruction convention.(meetings & conventions)
March 1, 2009... A number of disaster recovery and reconstruction experts have been tapped to appear at the first National Disaster Reconstruction Expo, June 17-18 in New Orleans. "Our conference agenda reflects the level of knowledge and expertise that we...

Metal Matters conference to focus on economy.(meetings & conventions)(Fabricators and Manufacturers Association International)(Conference news)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... A keynote address from a leading industry economist and roundtable discussions will highlight the Metal Matters 2009 conference. The three-day conference, sponsored by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International and the Tube &...

Johnson Controls appoints new brand managers.(people in the news)
March 1, 2009... Johnson Controls appointed three new brand managers for the company's Unitary Products division. Jeff Hurt will serve as brand manager for York, Brian Michael will manage the Coleman brand and Walter Jacobe will serve as Luxaire brand...

Obituary.(Obituary)
March 1, 2009... Roland "Buck" St. Cyr died Dec. 10, 2008. He was 79. Mr. St. Cyr served as national chairman for the Air Conditioning Contractors Association, and was a chapter member of the Greater Houston Air Conditioning Hall of Fame. Born Dec....

Company's 'living wall' filters indoor air.(indoor air quality)
March 1, 2009... The Dansko Co. is known for footwear. But its gold-level LEED headquarters in West Grove, Pa., has more to offer than just shoes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Installed in April 2008 by Furbish Co. and designed by Alan Darlington, the...

ASHRAE broadcast focuses on IAQ, sustainability.(indoor air quality)
March 1, 2009... ASHRAE's April 22 satellite broadcast is called "Clean, Lean and Green--IAQ for Sustainable Buildings." The free broadcast, sponsored by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' Chapter Technology...

AMSI Supply partners with S-5.(wholesaler news)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... AMSI Supply has a new distribution partnership with S-5 to distribute the ColorGard snow retention system, as well as S-5 clamps. S-5 clamps can be used to attach anything to standing-seam metal roof panels without penetrating the ribs,...

Emerson honors wholesalers.(wholesaler news)
March 1, 2009... Emerson Climate Technologies awarded its top-performing wholesalers for outstanding sales performance in 2008. The awards were presented during the company's annual national wholesaler conference Oct. 13-15 in Palm Springs, Calif. "We...

Grainger donates to youth science organization.(wholesaler news)
March 1, 2009... Grainger is joining forces with the nonprofit FIRST, which aims to inspire young people to participate in science and technology. "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology" is the acronym behind the organization, which was...

Air conditioner shipments drop in November.(wholesaler news)
March 1, 2009... Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps for November totaled 231,995, down 33 percent compared with the same month last year, according to AHRI. The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration...

Florida.(regional news)
March 1, 2009... Ross Allman of Nations Roof of Florida is the newest president of the Central Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association. The association recently appointed its 2009 board of directors. Michael Leonard of Architectural Sheet...

Indiana.(regional news)(Anco Products Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Elkhart, Ind.-based Anco Products Inc. has not had a single recordable accident since May 5, 2007. Company officials said that Anco Products was once known in Elkhart for plant fires, as well as accidents. However, within the last three...

Missouri.(regional news)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... HVAC Excellence has accredited the HVACR program at Excelsior Springs Career Center in Excelsior Springs, Mo. A team of industry veterans visited the Excelsior Springs program Oct. 2. The HVAC Excellence evaluation team reviewed the...

Oklahoma.(regional news)
March 1, 2009... Johnson Controls held a Special Ops Boot Camp training program for its York territory managers Nov. 9-14. Nine territory managers graduated from the boot camp at the Sooner Legends Hotel near the company's Unitary Products division...

Pennsylvania.(regional news)
March 1, 2009... Meier Supply Co. Inc. has opened its 16th branch location in Hanover, Pa. The new branch makes Meier Supply Co. the only refrigeration wholesaler in the Hanover-Gettysburg, Pa., region, according to the wholesaler. The location...

Texas.(regional news)
March 1, 2009... The Associated Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Texas Charitable and Educational Foundation has awarded $22,000 in scholarships to students for 2008. Recipients were: Rachel Chapman, Ryan Crawford, Nathan Dawson, Richard Delavan IV,...

Utah.(regional news)
March 1, 2009... According to the Associated Press, a man robbed the Sheet Metal Workers Credit Union Dec. 8 in West Valley, Utah. The man wore a bandana over his face and pointed a gun at the teller demanding a grocery bag to be filled with money. Local...

Wisconsin.(regional news)
March 1, 2009... Tweet/Garot Mechanical Inc. in Green Bay, Wis., is one of the newest members of the Unified Group. According to group officials, it assesses prospective members based on the number of years in business, commitment to training, awards...

IAQ monitor.(new products)
March 1, 2009... The new WolfPack monitor allows users to plug in up to three GrayWolf DirectSense probes with up to six sensors installed per probe. Technicians can add a particle counter, airspeed probe, differential pressure sensor and more. Up to 21...

Rivets.(new products)
March 1, 2009... The HuckLok structured blind rivet is designed to meet the requirements of HVAC equipment assembly. Company officials report that the rivets offer vibration-resistant strength and compatibility for a variety of applications and hole size...

Air handler.(new products)
March 1, 2009... Reznor officials report that its new Model SHH is the first commercial air-handling unit that features up to 92 percent fuel efficiency. The company claims that other conventional units could consume up to 15 percent more fuel for the same...

Environment Meter.(new products)
March 1, 2009... The new Enviro-Meter includes an anemometer, humidity meter, light meter and two thermometers in one device. The unit features a hold button that captures a reading in order to record a result. Minimum and maximum button displays the highest...

Welding kit.(new products)
March 1, 2009... Weldcraft's new Modular Flex Complete Kit has been designed to allow welding operators the ability to customize specific air-cooled and water-cooled TIG torches for their exact welding application. The AK-150MFC kit converts a standard WP-17...

Combustion tool.(new products)
March 1, 2009... The SOX2, a combustion check standalone tool provides combustion testing. It measures flue gas, temperature, and calculates carbon dioxide and excess air. The SOX2 tests the three most common fuel types for residential and light commercial...

Duct insulation.(new products)
March 1, 2009... The GR-8 duct reflective insulation was specifically developed to address new code requirements that demand a thermal resistance of R-8 around HVAC ducts. The product is Class 1/Class A in accordance with fire test standards. TVM's GR-8 is...

Ductwork device.(new products)
March 1, 2009... The Sure Clamp Spiral is a clamp-together ductwork system that reduces installation costs, according to the manufacturer. The new connection is constructed using a precision-fabricated clamp with a neoprene sponge gasket. The company claims...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2009... MARCH 1-5 The Air Movement and Control Association is holding its spring meeting in Orlando, Fla. The five-day event will include sales and marketing meetings, and a technical conference. For more information, visit www.amca.org. ...

Wholesalers & Mfr. Reps. directory.(Directory)
March 1, 2009... The following is a paid directory of distributors, wholesalers and manufacturers representatives, listed by state. To have your company included in this list, please call Sally Fraser at 248-244-6240. We urge our readers to contact these...

Manufacturers representatives.(Directory)
March 1, 2009... New England (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT) Maine Northern Machinery Sales Serving CT, NH, ME, MA, RI, VT. Distributor & Service Center VICON Plasma Cutting Systems, VICON Rollforming Machinery & Coil Lines. Intelicad and...

Industry quickly gets involved with new administration.(editor's page)
March 1, 2009... As I write this editorial in late January, the administration of President Barack Obama is only a few days old, but the HVAC and sheet metal industry is already following its moves very closely. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] And early reports...

Results of snipsmag.com January poll.
March 1, 2009... The incoming Obama administration is expected to move quickly to implement an economic stimulus package likely to be more than $700 billion. It will probably include money for construction projects and U.S. infrastructure improvements. Do you...