Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News articles from February 2004

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News archives from February 2004

EMCOR Group Inc.(Contractors)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... EMCOR Group Inc. (Norwalk, Conn.) named William A. Rodgers Jr. president and CEO of EMCOR Facilities Services (Arlington, Va.).

Excellence Alliance Inc.(Contractors)(welcomed new members)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Excellence Alliance Inc. (EAI) (Cincinnati) has welcomed new members. They are Cool Solutions Ltd. (Fairborn, Ohio), Howell's Heating & Air Conditioning (Ashland, Va.), RCS Refrigeration & Air Conditioning (Cibolo, Texas), Service of Cincinnati...

Carrier Corp.(Manufacturers)(Texas Interlocal Purchasing System)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Carrier Corp. (Farmington, Conn.) was chosen by the Texas Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) to be its sole HVAC supplier, TIPS offers school districts and government entities across Texas with opportunities for greater efficiency and economy...

Hydro-Air Components.(Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Hydro-Air Components (Hamburg, N.Y.) will expand its operations to a new logistics and assembly facility. The company predicts the addition of approximately 50 new team members.

Hot topic: manufacturers look at refrigerants' present and future.(Questions & Answers)
February 2, 2004... When you want an answer, go to the source. That's what The News did a few weeks ago. In response to questions being asked regarding a variety of refrigerant issues, we went to the leading providers of refrigerants and asked them to submit...

United we sell.(reader Mail)(Letter to the Editor)
February 2, 2004... I was running through the TV channels this weekend, and my eyes and ears tuned into the paid commercial by Sharper Image, selling their electronic air cleaner. Being in the HVAC business and selling electronic air cleaners for the last 20-plus...

Nuts to that.(Letter to the Editor)
February 2, 2004... In the Dec. 22, 2003, article ["Profits Are There For The Taking"] by Barb Checket-Hanks, research analyst Jerry Davis stated that in foreign manufacturing, quality control can be an issue. The article reads as follows: "'Mexican quality...

Desiccant dehumidifier.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... The UDT-14 desiccant dehumidifier is for controlling humidity in large comfort conditioning and commercial building applications with airflow requirements of 3,000 to 100,000 cfm. Designed to operate jointly with packaged make-up air or...

Compressor lubricant.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... Zerol[TM] Ice, a compressor lubricant, is injected into an air conditioning or refrigeration system to enhance the lubricity of the oil, which reduces friction drag in the compressor, the company states. According to the manufacturer, it is...

Hydronic boilers.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... Modular 900 Series steel hydronic boilers can be fired up to 1 MBtu. The burners can use gas, oil, or gas/oil dual fuel. The 125-psi (8.6-bar) fire-tube boilers can be configured for space heating, domestic hot water, or a combination of both...

Product catalog.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... A 2004 product line catalog titled "Contractor Friendly HVAC Control Products" is available. This approximately 150-page catalog provides sales and technical information on products such as Comfort System[TM] Residential Zone Control (Z-300),...

Water heaters.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... The eF Series[TM] water heater line has added a 100-gallon unit and three 60-gallon units. The 100-gallon sizes in the series now include 150,000, 199,000, 250,000- and 300,000-Btu capacities. The series is available in 60-gallon capacities of...

Hand-held UVC device.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... The hand-held SterilWand[TM] uses the company's UVC technology for decontamination of surfaces infested with mold, bacteria, or viruses, the company says. The user slowly passes the device closely over the contaminated surface area, allowing...

Refrigerant leak detector.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... The D-Tek Select refrigerant leak detector has extended sensor life and consistent high sensitivity to new refrigerant blends, states the company. The detector's infrared-absorption sensor technology has a life expectancy 10 times better than...

Pressure transducer.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... The P255 pressure transducer with 316 stainless steel housing is an upgraded version of the P155 ceramic capacitive sensor. Specifically designed for pressure measurements of 0-15 to 0-1,000 psi, this sensor has a ceramic diaphragm that can...

Steam trap selection software.(what's New)
February 2, 2004... Steam-A-Ware[TM] allows the user to size steam traps as well as size and select pressure/temperature controls and water heaters, the company states. The user is led through an easy-to-use interface to the right product for the right application...

Students selected for MCAA Competition.(industry News)(The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) announced which student chapters have qualified as finalists in the MCAA Student Competition)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) announced which student chapters have qualified as finalists in the MCAA Student Competition. The chapters are: the MCAA Student Chapter at California State Polytechnic...

RPA schedules two RadFests.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... LOVELAND, Colo. -- The Radiant Panel Association (RPA) has set dates and locations for its two RadFests. The two-day regional events are designed to he "affordable and effective gatherings of radiant enthusiasts," according to RPA. The...

SMACNA to host UFAD seminar.(industry News)(Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association)(Underfloor Air Distribution)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... PHOENIX -- The Arizona Chapter of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association (SMACNA Arizona) will host a seminar, "Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) Systems: Design Issues, Principles, and Practices." The event will...

ACCA readies Internet marketing competition.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has announced a call for entries in its second annual "Best Contractors on the Web" Internet Marketing Awards. The awards program will recognize contractors who have...

NEBB prepares for Annual Conference.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- The 2004 National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) Annual Meeting and Educational Conference will be held Nov. 5-7 at the Hilton San Diego Resort in San Diego. According to NEBB, the program will feature technical...

ABB motors help children with cancer walk.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... NEW BERLIN, Wis. -- A research team at University College London (UCL) is benefiting from motor stators supplied for free by ABB. In turn, the donation is helping children who have lost part of their leg bones after suffering from bone cancer...

'New American Home' debuts at builders' show.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Builder Magazine, the National Council for the Housing Industry, Merlin Contracting, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Building Technologies, the National Renewable...

Housing starts highest in 25 years.(industry News)
February 2, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Total housing starts for 2003 increased to 1,848,000 units, the highest in 25 years, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported. This was 8.4 percent above the number of starts for 2002. For December, home builders ramped up the...

AmeriVent, J&J Register form distribution program.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... HOLLAND, Mich. -- Hart & Cooley Inc., parent company of American Metal Products (AMP) and J&J Register, announced the consolidation of the AmeriVent gas vent and chimney systems and the J&J Register brands. According to Hart & Cooley, the...

Globalcon 2004 comes to Boston.(Energy matters: a compendium of energy facts and information)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... Globalcon 2004, presented by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), is scheduled to take place March 24-25 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. According to AEF, the event is designed to help attendees share the latest...

Obituary.(Obituary)
February 2, 2004... ARLINGTON, Va. -- Jeff Forker, longtime HVACR industry champion and publisher of Contracting Business magazine, died Jan. 22, 2004, after a long battle with cancer. The son of a sheet metal contractor as well as an employee in the company,...

Two decades of refrigerant confusion.(refrigeration zone)
February 2, 2004... Beginning on page one of this issue of The News, we present feedback from a series of questions we sent out to some of the major refrigerant manufacturers. We did so because refrigerants continue to be a major topic in the industry I even...

Tips on servicing head pressure controls.(refrigeration zone)
February 2, 2004... Properly installing and adjusting the head pressure controls, which are used on larger refrigeration systems with outdoor air-cooled condensers, is important to overall operation. The liquid drain valve and condenser bypass regulators can...

More refrigerant flow problems; compressor inefficiencies and entering air temps can be at fault.(refrigeration zone)
February 2, 2004... My last column focused on refrigerant flow problems. (See "Analyzing Refrigerant Flow Problems," Jan. 12.) In it, we discussed how cooling coil sizes, refrigerant subcooling, liquid and suction line restrictions, under charging, and...

Putting propane into the refrigerant loop; a look at R-290's technical considerations.(Focus: refrigerants & oils)
February 2, 2004... AS the industry takes a look at refrigerants beyond HFCs, a lot of attention has been focused on C[O.sub.2] (carbon dioxide). Another refrigerant that has been looked at over the years is R-290--propane. Its flammability has kept it pretty much...

The effect of moisture on POEs.(focus: refrigerants & oils)
February 2, 2004... Good refrigeration practice dictates that the moisture level in a refrigeration system must be carefully controlled. Effective measures for moisture control using POE lubricants have been developed and are in wide commercial use. ...

Examining the political horizon.(our Insights)
February 2, 2004... Had enough of the political rhetoric already? Hang in there. There are more than nine full months before we can all go to the polls to elect the next president of the United States. In truth, what happens between now and then is just as...

Giving blood is good for business, too.(our Insights)
February 2, 2004... The news hasn't been good recently here in southeast Michigan. There is a severe shortage of available blood. The blood supply has reached lows that haven't been seen in several years. The publicity about the need for blood brought on by the...

Helping customers feel at home: key products can help contractors pamper customers.(Ultimate comfort has been used to describe a wide variety of products, from slippers and other garments to furniture, automobiles, spa services)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... "Ultimate comfort" has been used to describe a wide variety of products, from slippers and other garments to furniture, automobiles, spa services, and first-class air travel. When the term is used in reference to residential HVAC systems, the...

Variable speed is the key to ultimate comfort.(Furnaces / Zoning / Humidification)
February 2, 2004... Randy Scholnick works with Sentry Mechanical Inc. in Placentia, Calif. If you visit the company's Web site (www.smiair.com), the colors, images, and sounds exemplify ultimate comfort in the home. Products the company installs include heating...

Taking variable speed to a new level.(Furnaces / Zoning / Humidification)(Brief Article)
February 2, 2004... One product, the Rheem and Ruud 90 Plus modulating furnace with Contour Comfort Control, offers what the company calls "North America's first truly modulating gas furnace." According to Adam Schuster, the company's product manager for...

You have to consider the quality of the air.(Air Purifiers / ERVs / UV Lights)
February 2, 2004... Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an issue that is increasingly important to homeowners. As more and more studies are reported in the mainstream media linking IAQ problems to allergies and other respiratory ailments, more people are coming to realize...

Gas furnace.(Product Showcase)
February 2, 2004... The Ultra V/G2D93 AU gas furnace provides up to 114,000 Btuh and an AFUE rating of up to 93.5, according to the manufacturer. It features an insulated cabinet and blower compartment designed to reduce sound levels. Armstrong Air 421...

Ventilation, filtration system.(Product Showcase)
February 2, 2004... GuardianPlus[TM] Air Systems are designed to clean indoor air and fight allergens, mold spores, and dust, says the company. Quiet and lightweight, the product is designed to provide whole-house HEPA filtration, fresh-air ventilation, heat...

Ventilation Control System.(Product Showcase)
February 2, 2004... The Aprilaire Ventilation Control System eliminates uncontrolled ventilation and ensures the correct amount of ventilation for the needs of the home, states the manufacturer. The system consists of a 6-inch damper, controller, and transformer....

Whole-house humidifiers.(Product Showcase)
February 2, 2004... The 1042-DM whole house humidifier includes a plastic water tubing kit, humidistat wire kit, flexible bypass tube, and a mounting adapter plate for small metal ducts or for use with fiber glass ducts. The SL-16DM includes a flexible bypass tube...

Variable-speed motor tester.(Product Showcase)
February 2, 2004... The TECMate XL[TM] is a troubleshooting device for field test log the GE ECM variable-speed motor. The device plugs into the ECM's 16-pin connector and operates the motor independent of the system, the company says. GE Tecmate ECM...

Ruskin Co. (Kansas City, Mo.) has announced a price increase of 1 percent to 2.5 percent on all products for 2004, and Ruskin Sound Control announced a price increase of 1.5 percent on all acoustical products.(Price Increases)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Ruskin Co. (Kansas City, Mo.) has announced a price increase of 1 percent to 2.5 percent on all products for 2004, and Ruskin Sound Control announced a price increase of 1.5 percent on all acoustical products. The increases are effective...

Swartwout.(Price Increases)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Swartwout (Kansas City, Mo.) has announced a price increase of 1 percent to 2.5 percent on all products, effective immediately.

Cavagna North America Inc.(Price Increases)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Cavagna North America Inc. (Somerset, N.J.) has implemented a price increase for high-pressure industrial, acetylene, refrigerant, medical, and specialty gas cylinder valves and regulators. The increase, which averages 7 percent on specific...

Westpac Air Conditioning.(Contractors)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Westpac Air Conditioning (Corona, Calif.) has moved to a new facility and will hold an open house on March 9. NASCAR racer Rusty Wallace will be present to help Westpac celebrate the event.

TDIndustries Inc.(Contractors)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... TDIndustries Inc. (Dallas) was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of "The 100 Best Companies to Work For." This is the company's seventh consecutive year on the list.

Airtime 500.(Contractors)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... AirTime 500 (St. Louis) announced the addition of Bryson Hartranft as the company's newest business development executive.

Phoenix Air Systems Inc.(Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Phoenix Air Systems Inc. (Owatonna, Minn.) has made plans for a new 46,000-square-foot facility. The groundbreaking is scheduled for March.

Finding the answer to poor IAQ in schools.
February 9, 2004... An environmental crisis continues to threaten the health of schoolchildren, teachers, and staff members who spend much of their time in school buildings. Unfortunately, many school buildings are afflicted with poor indoor air quality (IAQ)--a...

Training track.(Calendar)
February 9, 2004... March 2-4 Mechanical Drives Training National Technology Transfer Dallas / 800-922-2820 www.nttinc.com March 3 Mobile A/C Update 2004 Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Scottsdale, Ariz. | 215-631-7020 www.macsw.org March...

I=B=R schools set training dates.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... ARLINGTON, Va. -- Locations and dates for the spring 2004 I=B=R school have been scheduled. The two-day classes, developed by the Hydronics Institute Division of the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and administered by BNP Media's...

ASHRAE examines displacement ventilation.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... ATLANTA -- While displacement ventilation has not been widely used in the United States, it has the potential to improve indoor air quality and save energy, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning...

NAW, Deloitte & Touche develop partnership.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The National Association of Wholesaler Distributors (NAW) is launching a new strategic relationship with Deloitte & Touche LLP and Deloitte Consulting LLP (Deloitte US) to develop strategies, tools, and techniques to assist...

Engenuity Systems expands business.(industry News)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... CHANDLER, Ariz. -- Engenuity Systems Inc. has expanded its business, including agreements adding new manufacturers, a product line expansion, and an expanded territory with Echelon Corp., the creator of LonWorks[R] technology. The new...

Carrier's first-ever convention draws 4,000 dealers.(industry News)
February 9, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Carrier Corporation welcomed nearly 4,000 dealers recently to the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino for the company's 2004 National Dealer Convention. The event, which took place Jan. 21 23, was the first of its kind for Carrier and was...

School energy program receives endorsement.(Energy matters: a compendium of energy facts and information.)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The board of directors of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) has unanimously endorsed the EnergySmart Schools (ESS) program developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). ESS focuses on saving money for the country's schools...

Emerson Climate Technologies.(Manufacturers)(Global Engineering Associates Consulting )(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Emerson Climate Technologies (St. Louis) announced a strategic partnership between its Design Services Network and Global Engineering Associates Consulting (GEA). The partnership is designed to enhance and extend the engineering, testing, and...

BRR Technologies LLC.(Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... BRR Technologies LLC (Morehead City, N.C.) has purchased the remaining assets of Octagon Air Systems LLC (Conley, Ga.).

NewAge Industries Inc.(Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... NewAge Industries Inc. (Southhampton, Pa.) will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. A new full-line product catalog will be released to help mark the occasion.

Rolled Alloys.(Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Rolled Alloys (Temperance, Mich.) announced that Paul K. Whitcraft, the company's director of quality assurance and engineering, has been elected to the board of directors for ASTM International. Steril-Aire Inc. (Cerritos, Calif.) has...

Trane Orlando.(Manufacturers)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Robert Hyttel and Jay Faltin have joined Trane Orlando (Orlando, Fla.) as account managers.

International Comfort Products.(Distributions)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... ACH Supply (Irwindale, Calif.) has been named by International Comfort Products as a new distributor for Hell products. The company will supply Hell products through its California locations.

DryKor.(Distributors)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... Mingledorff's inc. (Norcross, Ga.) was named the top-selling distributor of 2003 by DryKor (Fayetteville, Ga.) during the 2004 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition in Anaheim, Calif.

The MCA of Cleveland Inc. is sponsoring a student chapter at Cuyahoga Community College near Cleveland.(Associations)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The MCA of Cleveland Inc. is sponsoring a student chapter at Cuyahoga Community College near Cleveland. It will be the 27th MCAA student chapter.

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI).(Associations)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) (Mississauga, Ontario) appointed Wendy Joslin as a member services representative, receptionist.

The secret to gaining customers.(Marketing Tips)(Brief Article)
February 9, 2004... The secret to expanding your customer base is actually no secret at all. It comes from tried-and-true methods that never get old and never grow stale. Follow this path to success to get new customers, keep the customers you have, and get your...

AC drives.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... S-series variable-frequency AC drives feature Space Vector PWM technology (SVPWM) for improved efficiency and extended motor life. The drives have high base carrier frequencies (15kHz) for quiet operation with derating, the company states....

Digital temperature switch.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... Series DTS digital temperature switch is designed for numerous heating and cooling applications. There are four models of this switch. Temperatures are displayed in either [degrees]F or [degrees]C, depending on the model. The temperature switch...

Natatorium dehumidification.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... The AWH Horizontal PoolComPack Series is intended for natatoriums with pool surfaces ranging from 200 to 1,750 square feet. The dehumidification system recycles recovered heat from the dehumidification process in the pool enclosure and/or...

Oil spill cleaner.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... Liquid Safe! is a ready-to-use, fastacting, environmentally safe petroleum oil spill cleaner, says the company. It is a bacteria and enzymatic blend specifically formulated to degrade and decompose hydrocarbon petroleum spills. According to the...

Radial fans.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... These high efficiency radial fans feature forward-curved impellers in diameters ranging from 5.24 to 15.75 inches. The impellers are constructed from galvanized sheet metal and are mounted directly to the rotor of the external rotor motor....

Duct liner spec sheet.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... The ToughGard[TM] R with Enhanced Surface is described in a spec sheet in CSI format. The two-page spec sheet provides details on the duct liner's airstream surface. Along with a photo, the spec sheet contains technical data, installation...

Fabric duct airflow regulator.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... The Adjustable Flow Device[TM] (AFD) is an induct system for regulating fabric duct airflow and static pressure. The AFD is a polyester mesh cone with a factory set or field-adjustable hemmed drawstring aperture for air balancing all of the...

Radiant floor heating system.(what's New)
February 9, 2004... EasyFloor[TM] is an easy-to-assemble system whose pieces fit together like toy building blocks, says the company. According to the manufacturer, this heating system is especially effective for two-story homes because the second floor can be...

Portable units thrive under harsh conditions.(Focus: portable A/C & heating units)
February 9, 2004... It's not easy being a portable cooling unit. Since these units are often moved from place to place, they can be jostled and bumped around on the back of a truck before being unloaded at an unknown destination. At any given location, power...

Portable equipment moves the crowd.(Focus: portable A/C & heating units)
February 9, 2004... New HVAC Products Are Showcased At AHR Expo. ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The 2004 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) offered a plethora of new portable heating and cooling equipment. From equipment used to...

Contingency plans should include HVAC.(Focus: portable A/C & heating units)
February 9, 2004... It seems as if there aren't a lot of building owners out there who went through the Boy Scout program. If they were Scouts and they read the manual, they would know the motto: "Be prepared." As a building owner, being prepared means having...

It's not just for emergencies.(Focus: portable A/C & heating units)
February 9, 2004... Portable cooling is most often thought of in terms of an emergency. For example, a building's chiller breaks down, and portable cooling is required immediately to keep tenants happy and/or critical applications up and running. But portable...

Continuing the New Year's resolutions.(our Insights)(for business planning)
February 9, 2004... Last month, we talked about how New Year's resolutions can be a benefit if we really make an effort to do what we say we're going to do. As I did in my last column, I'm going to give you several suggestions for resolutions. I hope you will...

What's wrong with a little self-interest?(our Insights; Heating/Air Conditioning industry)
February 9, 2004... Could it be that HVACR techs are discourging people from joining the industry? They may not be chasing people away from the industry deliberately, but may techs are doing it by default--and you just may be their unwitting accompliance. ...

AHR Expo, California style: wine cellar cooling shares spotlight with residential, commercial innovations.
February 16, 2004... ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The 2004 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition definitely had that California feel. Here are a few telltale signs. * Where else but in California would there have been exhibitors promoting...

School IAQ gets special attention from exhibitors.(indoor air quality)
February 16, 2004... ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It was a learning experience. At the 2004 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition, The News invited two service technicians from a local California school district, plus two employees of a nearby...