Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News articles from December 2005

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News archives from December 2005

IKK debates Greenhouse gas issue.(International Trade Fair for Refrigeration, Mr Conditioning, and Ventilation)
December 5, 2005... HANNOVER, Germany -- Greenhouse gases are of such a concern in Europe that the German government wants such emissions reduced 21 percent by 2012 compared with 1990. Other countries are also seeking similar curbs. One way the HVACR industry...

Breathing right with DCV.(demand controlled ventilation)
December 5, 2005... Demand controlled ventilation (DCV) systems are designed to save energy by using building occupancy indicators that usually measure C[O.sub.2] levels to regulate the amount of outside air that is drawn in for ventilation. If there was any doubt...

Ladder safety.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... Ladders are such common everyday tools that many workers take them for granted. The principal causes of ladder-related injuries are using the wrong ladder for the job and misusing/abusing climbing equipment. For details on ladder safety, read...

Aaon Inc.(Price Increase)
December 5, 2005... Aaon Inc. (Tulsa, Okla.) increased prices up to 7 percent on certain rooftops, chillers, air handlers, condensing units, and coil products effective immediately.

Danfoss.(Manufacturers)
December 5, 2005... Danfoss (Baltimore) hired Dr. Mogens Rasmussen as application development engineer for the Global Air-Conditioning Division.

Material Supply Inc.(Manufacturers)
December 5, 2005... Material Supply Inc. HVAC (Mira Loma, Calif.) appointed Ed King as president and COO.

A.O. Smith Corp.(Manufacturers)
December 5, 2005... A.O. Smith Corp. (Tipp City, Ohio) hired Troy Rybicki as heating and air conditioning global marketing manager, and appointed Daniel Drexler vice president of global accounts.

The National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB).(Associations)
December 5, 2005... The National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) elected Eric Jenison president.

The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI).(Associations)
December 5, 2005... The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) elected Deborah Hawkins chairman of the board of directors. ARI also presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Tom Mikulina. Jean Luc Caillat, Dan Ellis, Dick Lord, and Roger Pasch each...

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).(Associations)
December 5, 2005... The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) will host its winter meeting in Chicago, Jan. 21-25.

The Sheet Metal Contractors National Association (SMACNA).(Associations)
December 5, 2005... The Sheet Metal Contractors National Association (SMACNA) presented John Lueken with the Peterson-Dunn Award.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI).(Associations)
December 5, 2005... The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) appointed Joe Bhatia as president and CEO.

Emerson Climate Technologies announces 2006 training schedule.(industry NEWS)(Calendar)
December 5, 2005... ST. LOUIS -- Emerson Climate Technologies announced the 2006 schedule for its E2 Facility Management System training seminars. Provided by Emerson's Educational Services, the two-day seminars for installers and technicians focus on the...

New central cooling plant completed.(Select Energy Services Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... SUITLAND, Md. -- As part of Executive Order 13123, Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy Management, which charges the federal government to promote energy efficiency in building design, construction, and operation, Select Energy...

Energy Star's residential product ratings.(Environmental Protection Agency )(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its latest Energy Star[R] specification for residential central A/C and heat pumps, including ductless mini-splits. This new specification establishes two tiers of efficiency levels...

RenewAire ERV used in award winning home.(industry NEWS)
December 5, 2005... WASHINGTON -- The University of Colorado successfully defended its championship and took first place in Solar Decathlon 2005. The Solar Decathlon is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory....

Distributor tradeshow includes NASCAR.(industry NEWS)
December 5, 2005... PHOENIX -- Air Cold Supply and Webb Distributors held the first annual combined tradeshow at its new downtown Phoenix location. Over 40 vendors were onsite offering deep discounts to customers. Customers enjoyed a free barbecue lunch with...

Standex acquires Kool Star.(Standex International Corp., Kool Star Division of Three-Star Refrigeration Engineering Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... SALEM, N.H. -- Standex International Corp. announced that it has acquired the Kool Star Division of Three-Star Refrigeration Engineering Inc. Kool Star, a walk-in cold storage manufacturer, services primarily the West Coast and Southwest...

Wholesaler William Oberheide.(Obituary)
December 5, 2005... William Oberheide, co-owner of G&O Thermal Supply, Chicago, died on Sunday, Nov. 20, from pancreatic cancer, according to a story in the Nov. 26 Chicago Tribune. He was born in Chicago in 1937. Oberheide left the family coil and oil...

Understanding the value of air filtration.(Indoor Air Quality)
December 5, 2005... Over the last several years, the HVAC industry has made great strides in technological innovation and performance, especially related to air filtration. Even so, businesses continue to focus almost solely on initial purchase price when...

Condensing units.
December 5, 2005... Optyma[TM] high-efficiency condensing units offer capacities from 1/5 to 13 1/2 hp. The units' design is so efficient that for each given capacity, a smaller compressor can be used than in conventional units, claims the manufacturer. The design...

Reverse cycle chiller.(what's New)
December 5, 2005... When paired with a 12-SEER York[R] Affinity[TM], Luxaire[R] Acclimate[TM], or Coleman[R] AC3B heat pump, the reverse cycle chiller from Aqua Products Co. Inc. improves the efficiency of the heat pump by 15 percent. The combined heat pump and...

VFD software.(what's New)
December 5, 2005... HiSave VFD Energy Savings Estimator software package is designed to help users estimate what electric energy cost savings would be realized if an inverter was installed to replace older mechanical means of regulating air/fluid flow. The...

Furnaces.(what's New)
December 5, 2005... The new line of 90 percent AFUE Comfortmaker[R]-brand gas furnaces includes five product groups. The SoftSound[TM] VS 90 offers variable-speed two-stage heating; the SoftSound IIS 90 offers two-stage heating using a PSC blower motor; the...

GPS-based mgmt system.(what's New)
December 5, 2005... The Xora Mobile Service for AppExchange Service and Support 1.0 is a customer relationship management system that allows Salesforce Service & Support customers to locate mobile workers that are closest to a worksite and send case information to...

Leakage current clamp meter.
December 5, 2005... The AC50 leakage current clamp meter measures low AC currents to measure ground conductors for leakage current down to 10 microamps. It measures AC current to 60 amps AC and AC voltage to 400 V. The clamp meter also offers resistance...

Water shutoff system.(what's New)
December 5, 2005... FloLogic System[TM] 3.0 is an automatic water shutoff system designed to minimize or prevent damage caused by leaks in a residential water supply line or failures in plumbing system components. The shutoff system couples a custom-engineered...

Temp, humidity controller.
December 5, 2005... The AHC-80 plus, a temperature and humidity controller, can be used to measure relative humidity. Its first step can be configured to control temperature (for refrigerating or heating systems) or humidity (for humidification or dehumidification...

Registers, grilles, vents.
December 5, 2005... A new line of custom registers, grilles, and vents are available in 16 standard designs, 16 tough powder-coated finishes, and 8 plated finishes. According to the manufacturer, a unique, one-piece design incorporates an air volume damper behind...

Counting the cost of supply and demand.(refrigeration zone)
December 5, 2005... Since the summer, I've received several calls from contractors and technicians wondering about the rising cost of some refrigerants, especially R-22. They were not exactly outraged; actually, somewhat accepting, figuring it was just part of the...

Soldering refrigeration lines.
December 5, 2005... A reader of The NEWS wrote a letter a while ago that raised some questions about soldering. In part the writer said: I have read many articles and most say that copper lines must be soldered with silver-based compounds or low temperature...

Distributor technology.(the HOTLINE)
December 5, 2005... I want to make readers aware of a technology developed in the late 1960s and early 70s that I believe is still viable today. In those years, Rigidbilt Inc. developed a "box" type distributor for use primarily with ammonia coils using...

Electrical troubleshooting using a voltmeter.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... It is of utmost importance for service technicians to understand voltage troubleshooting when servicing HVACR equipment. The majority of service problems are electrical problems, which usually cause mechanical problems. This article will...

Europe fine-tunes its refrigerant sector.
December 5, 2005... HANNOVER, Germany -- Refrigerant-related issues have surfaced on a variety of fronts in Europe in recent weeks. Such happenings could have implications in North America. Developments announced at the 26th annual International Trade Fair...

The latest word on newest refrigerants.(focus: Refrigerant Update)
December 5, 2005... The refrigeration industry has supported global efforts to protect the environment by phasing out chlorine-containing refrigerants in accordance with the Montreal Protocol. These actions have significantly reduced chlorine in the atmosphere and...

Companies deliver refrigerant recovery.(focus: Refrigerant Update)
December 5, 2005... Talk about a cross-country connection. Rapid Recovery, an Arizona-based refrigerant recovery firm, recently teamed with Refron Inc., a New York-based refrigerant reclaimer and distributor, for a project involving Winn-Dixie supermarket...

Speaker gets blunt about sales.(Jeffery Gitomer)
December 5, 2005... PHOENIX -- "The reason you don't sell more is you suck at sales. How many times have you said let's lower our price to get our foot in the door then come back in six months and really lose some money?" Everyone knew instantly Jeffery...

Soaking up rays, new product offerings.(product meeting at a luxurious resort)
December 5, 2005... TUCSON, Ariz. -- Having a distributor meeting at a luxurious resort could be considered torture. After all, the main focus of such a gathering is for the participants to learn all about a manufacturer's product offerings. That usually means...

Sales advice at Nordyne meeting.(Brief Article)
December 5, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Some of the basic tenets of the Integrity Selling program, as taught by Jim Hinshaw of Sales Improvement Professionals are: approach, interview, demonstrate, validate, negotiate, and close. According to Hinshaw, who...

Title 24, Part 6 gets low marks for clarity.(HVAC equipment)(Editorial)
December 5, 2005... I shouldn't do this to myself. Rednecks/hillbillies should never try to understand what's going on in California. It always gives me a headache. An interesting article about the recent changes in California's Energy Code started with the...

McQuay International.(Price Increase)
December 12, 2005... McQuay International (Minneapolis) increased prices on all products 3 percent, effective immediately.

Selkirk LLC.(Manufacturers)
December 12, 2005... Selkirk LLC (Richardson, Texas) promoted Kevin Redd to engineering manager for U.S. operations.

Sanyo Fisher Co.(Manufacturers)
December 12, 2005... Sanyo Fisher Co. (Oxford, Pa.) appointed Michael McMurrough mid-Atlantic region sales manager for the HVAC Division.

Jackson Systems LLC.(Manufacturers)
December 12, 2005... Jackson Systems LLC (Indianapolis) hired Dave Moor as engineering manager, Commercial Controls Division.

Hansgrohe Inc.(Manufacturers)
December 12, 2005... Hansgrohe Inc. (Alpharetta, Ga.) appointed Craig Helenbrook as senior vice president for the North American subsidiary.

DuPont Refrigerants.(Manufacturers)
December 12, 2005... DuPont Refrigerants (Wilmington, Del.) released the white paper "Improving Mobile Air Conditioning Systems Will Provide Significant Environmental Benefits," available at www.refrigerants.dupont.com.

The Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI).(Associations)
December 12, 2005... The Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) is offering the first edition of a market research resource guide for the HVAC industry, which was prepared by the Industrial Distribution Department, Eastern...

The Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute (ARI).(Associations)
December 12, 2005... The Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute's (ARI) Cool Connection Public Policy Symposium will be held March 8-9, 2006 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington. For more information, visit www.ari.org.

Unitary shipments up 73 percent.
December 12, 2005... The HVAC industry had a banner month in October. The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) reported October's combined unitary shipments were up 73 percent from October 2004. And 2004 was a record year for the industry. Total...

Ductwork leaks are bleeding energy.(Conference Update)
December 12, 2005... SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Higher energy costs around the country are part of the legacy of this year's hurricane season. Now that many heating systems have been firing up, those costs are coming home to roost. Where can HVAC installers have the most...

Furnace check.(EXTRA EDITION)
December 12, 2005... This third and final part of a three-part series on inspecting and servicing gas appliances provides information on furnace operation, combustion analysis, and the limit circuit. For all the details, read the Service & Maintenance article...

Attracting workers to the trades.(Letter to the Editor)
December 12, 2005... I applaud the efforts of the industry groups that John R. Hall mentioned in his column "Do You Believe HVACR Exists in Children?" [Sept. 19] for trying to get kids interested in the construction/service trades, Any exposure they get should...

Getting children interested.(reader MAIL)(Letter to the Editor)
December 12, 2005... [Editor's note: This letter is in response to John R. Hall's Sept. 19 column "Do You Believe HVACR Exists in Children?"] Our company has its own coloring book for children, and we too used the "Build Up" tool kit from the AGC [Associated...

IAPMO, ICC set date for meeting.(International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, International Code Council)(Brief Article)
December 12, 2005... LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and International Code Council (ICC) board members and staff met in Little Rock, Ark., on Nov. 19 to continue their ongoing discussion of a joint...

Presenting more than awards.(industry NEWS)
December 12, 2005... PALM DESERT, Calif. -- The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractor's National Association (SMACNA) presented many awards during its 62nd annual convention at the T.W. Marriot Resort and Spa. David McKenney, CEO of McKenney's Inc., Atlanta,...

Patent lawsuit settled.(industry NEWS)
December 12, 2005... BOSTON -- Webstone Co. Inc. and Raven Products recently settled a lawsuit between the two companies. The lawsuit, filed on June 30 in U.S. District Court, charged Raven Products with patent infringement of Webstone's patented Isolator[R]...

Distributors pack HARDI conference.(Association Update / HARDI)
December 12, 2005... PHOENIX-- Top distributors of HVACR products met recently in Phoenix for the HARDI 2005 Annual Fall Conference. On the docket were topics covering 13 SEER, EDI and technology, steel industry developments, insurance rates, and the promotion of a...

The envelope, please.(focus: Top Ads Of 2005)
December 12, 2005... When you grace the cover of The NEWS, you leave an impression. Research proves it. When NEWS subscribers were asked if they remembered seeing Honeywell International's advertisement in the April 18 issue, an amazing 96 percent of invited...

Manufacturers gather at ARI.(Meeting Update / ARI)
December 12, 2005... AVENTURA, Fla. -- Nearly 200 HVACR manufacturing companies met at Turnbury Isle Resort and Spa just north of Miami for the 52nd Annual Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) Meeting. The fall meeting is one of two annual ARI...

Feast and famine hitting home.(our INSIGHTS)
December 12, 2005... We're closing in on what is going to be another record year for industry A/C and heat pump shipments. Why is business so good nationally? William "Woody" Sutton, ARI president, said that one of the reasons is new home construction. Even with a...

You've fixed the problem, now fix the fixer.(our INSIGHTS)
December 12, 2005... There are lots of words in the English language that have multiple definitions. One of my favorites is "fix." If you look up fix in the dictionary you will find definitions like the most common: "to set right or repair." But other definitions...

Contractors welcome 13 SEER but concerns still linger.
December 19, 2005... In its third quarterly 13 SEER survey, Emerson Climate Technologies reported that a growing number of contractors (33 percent) view the 13 SEER transition as an upselling opportunity. As Karl Zellmer, vice president of air conditioning...

Johnson Controls, York make it official.(Company Profile)
December 19, 2005... On Dec. 9, York International shareholders voted in favor of Johnson Controls acquiring York, the final step in the $3.2 billion acquisition. Johnson Controls assumes $800 million of York International's debt, while stockholders stand to...

Lennox Industries Inc.(Price Increases)
December 19, 2005... Lennox Industries Inc. (Dallas) increased prices up to 3 percent on selected residential products, effective Jan. 1.

Hansen Technologies Corp.(Price Increases)
December 19, 2005... Hansen Technologies Corp. (Burr Ridge, Ill.) increased prices on all products 3.5 percent, effective Jan. 1.

Carrier Corp.(Price Increases)
December 19, 2005... Carrier Corp. (Farmington, Conn.) increased prices 6 percent on most residential HVAC equipment for the Carrier, Bryant, and Payne brands, effective Jan. 1.

Full Gauge Controls (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) received Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) certification.(Manufacturers)
December 19, 2005... Full Gauge Controls (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) received Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) certification in the United States and Canada for the TC900Ri, TC-900Ri clock, TC-940Ri, and the MT-543Ri.

Honeywell (Minneapolis) acquired Tridium (Richmond, Va.).(Manufacturers)
December 19, 2005... Honeywell (Minneapolis) acquired Tridium (Richmond, Va.), a software-development company.

Rheem.(Manufacturers)
December 19, 2005... Rheem (New York) promoted Simon Parfitt to president of its Water Heating Division.

Munters Corp.(Manufacturers)
December 19, 2005... Munters Corp. (Amesbury, Mass.) received the 2005 Frost & Sullivan (San Antonio) product innovation award.

Meier Supply Co.(Distributor)
December 19, 2005... Meier Supply Co. (Johnson City, N.Y.) named Michael Nohle its 2005 employee of the year.

The National Environmental Balancing Bureau.(Associations)
December 19, 2005... The National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) awarded Robert Gawne of Stromberg Sheet Metal Corp. (Beltsville, Md.) the George B. Hightower Distinguished Service Award.

Bryant meeting previews 2006 cooling platform.(Bryant Heating and Cooling)(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- More than 400 of Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems sales managers, territory managers, and distributors gathered to discuss product updates centered on the company's proactive 2006 Cooling Platform, optimized around 13 SEER...

Industry triples nation in job adds.(industry NEWS)
December 19, 2005... WASHINGTON -- "The construction industry again outpaced the overall economy in adding jobs in November," said Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), a national construction trade association...

Dectron ships 400th YMCA dehumidifier.(Young Men's Christian Associations, Dectrone Internationale Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... PLAINFIELD, Ill. -- Dectron International honored the C.W. Avery Family YMCA as the landmark 400th YMCA to receive a Dry-O-Tron[R] heat recovery dehumidifier for an indoor swimming pool. Harry Topikian, Dectron International's vice...

Winner receives $10,000 makeover.(industry NEWS)
December 19, 2005... MILWAUKEE -- Three contractors won top prizes totaling $12,500 in The Coolest Garage Contest sponsored by Johnson Controls/PENN[R]. Grand prizewinner Michael Marconi of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., received a $10,000 garage makeover; second...

Thermo King extends program.(Thermo Gard[TM] Bronze )(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... MINNEAPOLIS -- Thermo King SVC has extended the Thermo Gard[TM] Bronze preventive maintenance and inspection program for all new Thermo King truck and trailer units. The program, which was first offered in 2005, has been extended to include...

Taco splits sales and marketing departments.(industry NEWS)
December 19, 2005... CRANSTON, R.I. -- Taco Inc. announced a restructuring of its sales and marketing department forming two separate divisions, Commercial Sales and Residential Sales. Taco's residential and commercial markets have always had different customer,...

$10 million drilling project begins.(industry NEWS)
December 19, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- Petrol Oil and Gas Inc. initiated a $10 million drilling and development plan for its Coal Creek project located in southeast Kansas. The Coal Creek plan involves drilling and developing approximately 82,000 acres of coal bed...

AMCA adds testing facility.(industry NEWS)(Air Movement and Control Association International Inc.)(Brief Article)
December 19, 2005... ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, III. -- The Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. (AMCA International) recently installed an additional testing facility for ANSI/AMCA Standard 230-99, Laboratory Methods of Testing Air Circulator Fans for...

Duct installation tool.(what's NEW)
December 19, 2005... The Angler Tool is specifically designed for use on the jobsite to construct joints and fittings primarily with fibrous duct board, but can be used to alter machine-produced metal duct if necessary. To use, lay the tool on the duct board. Use...

Heat recovery ventilator.(what's NEW)
December 19, 2005... The HRV90H heat recovery ventilator (HRV), a part of the Fresh Air Systems product line, eliminates excess moisture during the heating season, while recovering heat from outgoing stale air. The HRV is ideal for Northern homes ranging in size...

HVAC enclosure catalog.(what's NEW)
December 19, 2005... A brochure is available on the company's steam and hot-water radiator heating system enclosures. These enclosures are customized to the individual radiator and channel the flow of heat. Also covered are protective pipe covers, fin tube covers...

Modular chiller.(what's NEW)
December 19, 2005... The Flex Series 65 is a 65-ton water-cooled modular chiller. The condenser for each module has a brazed plate heat exchanger consisting of two refrigerant circuits and one waterside circuit. The refrigerant circuits operate using R22 as...