Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News articles from February 2009

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News archives from February 2009

Allied Air Enterprises.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... Allied Air Enterprises (Columbia, S.C.) appointed Jon Berger as national sales director.

Rinnai Corp.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... Rinnai Corp.'s (Peachtree City, Ga.) R94LS, R75LS, and four other models from its tankless water heater line have earned an Energy [Star.sup.R] rating.

Carrier.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... Carrier (Farmington, Conn.) appointed Mike Dziok as marketing manager for Carrier Northeast, including Carrier, Bryant Northeast, and Bryant Pittsburgh.

Desert Spring Products Limited.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... Desert Spring Products Limited (Mississauga, Ontario) named Jeff Collett as Canadian sales representative for its DS-PRO Series.

Emerson Climate Technologies.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... Emerson Climate Technologies (St. Louis) launched a new blower motor site at www.emersonclimate.com/rescueecotech.

CES Group Inc. (Chaska, Minn.) merged Webco Inc. and Mammoth Inc.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... CES Group Inc. (Chaska, Minn.) merged Webco Inc. and Mammoth Inc., renaming the new entity Mammoth-Webco Inc.

Viking Plastics Viking Plastics, a VPI Acquisition Corp., (Corry, Pa.) acquired.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... Viking Plastics, a VPI Acquisition Corp., (Corry, Pa.) acquired CP Plastics Group (Falconer, N.Y.).

ECR International.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... ECR International (Utica, N.Y.) changed its logo. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Trane.(Manufacturers)
February 2, 2009... Trane was showcased on the Science Channel's "How It's Made" program. The segment featured the many stages of the manufacturing process for a Trane air conditioner, including the production of Trane's Spine [Fin.sup.TM] aluminum coils and a...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).(Organizations)
February 2, 2009... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the finalized Version 2.1 Energy [Star.sup.R] Residential Ventilating Fans specification.

EPA proposed rules muddle R-22 equipment timeline.(FOCUS: 2010 REFRIGERATION MANDATES)(Environmental Protection Agency)
February 2, 2009... The industry's long-held belief that any R-22 equipment manufactured before 2010 could legally be sold, installed, and serviced for years thereafter has run into a bit of confusion with the publication in the Federal Register of two...

To repair or replace: that is the key question.(service & maintenance)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The news regarding shipments of air conditioners and heat pumps is a little bleak these days. AHRI's report from November showed that combined U.S. factory shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat...

Survey says ... repair.
February 2, 2009... The NEWS thought it would be interesting to ask readers about the oldest air conditioning and heat pump systems they're currently maintaining. The answers were surprising, but not entirely unexpected, given that almost everyone who responded...

Contractors, governmental global warming rules.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 2, 2009... In some ways I am disgusted with our industry. Yes, we have to follow the rules and regs that are heaped upon us, but we don't have to repeat the junk science that spawns some of them. To be exact, "The global warming debate is over." I think...

Not getting rid of employees in the tough times.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 2, 2009... I read Butch Welsch's column about the rumor mill ["My Two Cents: Keeping the Rumor Mill at Bay," Jan. 12] and thought I would pass on a similar experience that happened at our company. I own a small HVACR company, and we have been in business...

Climate change.
February 2, 2009... I'm all for continuing education and training but I am NOT going to buy him another desk! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Numbers reflect national slowdown.(newsline)
February 2, 2009... ARLINGTON, Va. -- Even though an air conditioning shipment slowdown is expected in the winter months, there has been a continued and steady drop in equipment and distribution numbers over the second half of 2008. According to the...

Marketing giant joins NEWS.(newsline)(Adams Hudson )
February 2, 2009... TROY, Mich. -- The NEWS is always changing. Maybe you noticed. Part of this is because that's what news does. As soon as we get stale, it's as if we're endorsing atrophy for you, too. A brief look around and you see a swirling mix of politics,...

LG Electronics opens academy.
February 2, 2009... ROSWELL, Ga. -- LG Electronics USA opened the LG Training Academy in Roswell, Ga., to support the company's fast-growing commercial air conditioner business. At 16,000 square feet, this facility has the capability to train hundreds of...

Sales prize awarded.(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: SALES PRIZE AWARDED: Weather Guard[R] dealer incentive promotion winner, Chris Fujino (second from left), from Carl Black Chevrolet, Nashville, Tenn., was awarded $5,000 from Weather Guard representatives,...

AMCA Standard approved.(Air Movement and Control Association)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- According to the Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. (AMCA International) the board of standards review of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved ANSI/AMCA Standard 540-08, "Test...

Carbon dioxide leak detector.(what's new)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Accu-Tools[TM] eL-720 has a long-life sensor, which will quickly detect concentrations of C[O.sub.2] gas as low as 400 ppm over ambient. False alarms are eliminated due to its high selectivity. Features include...

Free-standing dehumidifier.(what's new)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Santa Fe[TM] Max Dry Dual XT high-efficiency, free-standing dehumidifier is specifically designed for larger moisture loads found in bigger basements and crawl spaces. It requires 6.9 A of current and has an...

Germicidal UV light systems.(what's new)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The GL136 and the GL236 are stainless-steel light system models. The germicidal UV light systems help control airborne germs, viruses, bacteria, mold, odors, gases, and allergens commonly distributed by residential...

Apartment building boiler mgmt. system.(what's new)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The USE Controller[TM] Energy Management System (EMS) controls and monitors energy and fuel use. In multifamily buildings - condos, co-ops, and rentals - the system adds a number of temperature sensors strategically...

General-purpose power supplies.(what's new)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The PSG Series is a general-purpose family of power supplies designed to cover the majority of 24-vdc control applications. The power supplies have an expansive operating temperature range (from -20 to 75[degrees]C),...

Steam flow meter.(what's new)
February 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Diva[TM] compact steam flow meter is designed for general metering applications, as well as fiscal metering, product costing, and efficiency monitoring. This cost-effective, direct in-line variable flow meter...

Mandates among concerns at forum.(FOCUS: 2010 REFRIGERATION MANDATES)
February 2, 2009... Pending federal legislation formed one component of a meeting attended by more than 40 leaders in industry, finance, research, and policy. The event in Carlsbad, Calif., another in a series of Danfoss EnVisioneering[SM] symposiums, also...

The electric suction line regulator.(REFRIGERATION zone)
February 2, 2009... In the electric suction line regulator (Figure 1), the step motor assembly is connected to the main modulating piston through a gear reduction drive. As the motor rotates in one direction or the other, it will drive the main piston either open...

Compressor amperage curves.(REFRIGERATION ZONE: the professor)
February 2, 2009... Compressor performance curves can provide the service technician with the Btu pumping rate (capacity), mass flow rates, operating amperage, and operating wattage, when the suction pressure and head pressure are known for the system. Compressor...

How automatic expansion valves work.(REFRIGERATION ZONE: ice breaker)
February 2, 2009... The automatic expansion valve (AXV) is similar in construction and appearance to the commonly used thermostatic expansion valve (TXV). However, the metering devices operate much differently. The AXV is a constant pressure regulator. It is...

Enter hydrocarbons?(POWELL'S PONDERINGS)
February 2, 2009... In smaller refrigeration applications in Europe, the refrigerant isobutane is commonly used. That is not the case in the United States because the refrigerant has an A3 safety rating due to flammability issues. Instead, the United States relied...

Gargaro's world: what's your excuse?(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)
February 2, 2009... Everyone has called in "sick" to work even though they were perfectly able to attend. Well, everyone but me. I love my job more than life itself and would never want to miss a day (had to throw that in there in case the bosses are reading). ...

Murphy's law: stimulus packages.(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)(Brief article)
February 2, 2009... Rumors are floating around that President Obama's administration is going to spend our way out of the worst economic times since the Great Depression. Maybe that will happen, maybe it won't. A proposal is drifting through Washington,...

DiversiTech Corp.(Manufacturers)
February 9, 2009... DiversiTech Corp. (Atlanta) partnered with General Tools & Instruments Co. LLC. (New York) to provide HVAC technicians with specialty tools.

The Dwyer Group.(Online)
February 9, 2009... The Dwyer Group (Waco, Texas) launched a new franchise development Website at www.leadingtheserviceindustry.com.

Onset Computer Corp.(Online)
February 9, 2009... Onset Computer Corp. (Bourne, Mass.) made available a 30-day trial version of HOBOware[R] Pro 2.7.1, its graphing and analysis software package, at www. onsetcomp.com.

Robinair, an SPX[R] brand.(Online)
February 9, 2009... Robinair, an SPX[R] brand, (Owatonna, Minn.) launched its newly redesigned Website at www.robinair.com.

Cisco.(Technology)
February 9, 2009... Cisco (San Jose, Calif.) completed its purchase of Richards-Zeta Building Intelligence Inc. (Santa Barbara, Calif.).

American Filtration and Separations Society.(Organizations)
February 9, 2009... The American Filtration and Separations Society (Minneapolis) will hold its 22nd Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, May 4-7, at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington, Minn.

Air Movement and Control Association International's (AMCA's).(Organizations)
February 9, 2009... The Air Movement and Control Association International's (AMCA's) 2009 technical seminar will be held March 1-3 at Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla.

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE's).(Organizations)
February 9, 2009... The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE's) 2009 satellite broadcast "Clean, Lean, and Green--IAQ for Sustainable Buildings," will be April 22 from 1-4 p.m. EDT.

Air Conditioning Contractors of America's (ACCA's).(Organizations)
February 9, 2009... The Air Conditioning Contractors of America's (ACCA's) first "National HVACR Residential Sales Managers Forum" will be held March 26-27 in St. Louis.

Market for sustainable strategies gets stronger.
February 9, 2009... It didn't take long for the word "green" to make New Year's lists of stale words and phrases. However, the market for truly green and sustainable strategies is strong and getting stronger. Leaders among mechanical contractors can help their...

NATE launches consumer website with referrals.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... ARLINGTON, Va.--North American Technician Excellence (NATE) launched its new consumer Website, www.hvacr advice.com. According to the association, the launch reaffirms the organization's commitment to both consumers and contractors that employ...

Trane parts prize kick off contest.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... PISCATAWAY, N.J.--Four of the industry's service technicians have been named winners of Trane's HVAC Parts & Supplies 2008 Outdoor Adventure Program's grand prize year-end trip giveaway. The winners are: Ryan Asselin of Industrial Building...

Newt Gingrich to address MCAA.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... ROCKVILLE, Md.--The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) will be hosting Newt Gingrich at the opening session of MCAA 2009 in Scottsdale, Ariz., March 1-5. Former house speaker, historian, author, and conservationist, Gingrich...

HI publishes new standard.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... PARSIPPANY, N.J.--The Hydraulic Institute (HI) published a new American National Standard for Rotodynamic (Vertical) Pumps for Nomenclature and Definitions (ANSI/ HI 2.1-2.2-2008). This standard applies to vertically suspended pumps, including...

Acca selects finalists.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... ARLINGTON, Va.--The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has announced the finalists for the association's 2009 Awards for Excellence in Contracting. "We received an unusually large number of nominations this year from some...

Movincool starts promo.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... LONG BEACH, Calif.--MovinCool[R] announced that now through May 31, the first 500 customers who make a "double play," by purchasing a MovinCool industrial spot air conditioner along with a genuine MovinCool accessory, will receive a $100...

Emerson reaches milestone.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... ST. LOUIS--Shipments of Emerson Climate Technologies' Copeland Scroll Digital[TM] compressors worldwide have surpassed 500,000. The modulated compressor technology is now available in a complete line of 3-15 horsepower models for commercial air...

Partnership offers free preview.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... TROY, Mich.--The NEWS' Career Center, a partnership with HVAC Agent, now offers a new, free preview for employers that need to hire experienced HVACR technicians, installers, salespeople, etc. HVAC Agent is the online employment site...

AHRI membership fees change.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... ARLINGTON, Va.--As of January 2009, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) began a new procedure for billing 2009 membership dues and certification fees. Dues will continue to be based on sales volume, using a...

Service manager honored.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NORMAN, Okla.--Norm Leifried, a retired technical service manager with Virginia Air Distributors Inc., recently received the Distinguished Technical Service Lifetime Achievement Award from Johnson Controls. David...

TDindustries honored as top company to work for.(newsline)
February 9, 2009... DALLAS--For the 12th consecutive year, TDIndustries has been named to Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list with a ranking of 37. TDIndustries is also a Fortune "All Star," a distinction that only 13 companies hold because...

Johnson controls Inc. prepares for market shift.(manufacturer update)(Company overview)
February 9, 2009... Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI) is aligning its organization to focus on offering the full range of building efficiency capabilities to its customers. With that, Allen Martin, Tom Huntington, and Rod Rushing are assuming new roles within Johnson...

Line voltage thermostat.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The T180 programmable line voltage thermostat is Title 24 and Energy Star compliant. Various configurations can supply staged fan, cycled fan, continuous fan, controlled off, as well as fan coil operation. According...

Programmable thermostat.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Solo universal electric floor-heating programmable thermostat is applicable for tile, stone, and laminate/ engineered floors and is fully qualified as an Energy Star product. It has a full-menu screen. The...

Monitor, control.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ICM492 digital line voltage monitor protects single-phase equipment against low- and high-voltage conditions and rapid short cycling. It monitors and displays real-time voltage and has the ability to field-adjust...

Water heater.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Templifier[TM] water heaters with hermetic scroll compressors reduce energy costs by recovering waste heat and making it available for space heating and domestic hot water. They range from 5003,000 MBtuh and can...

Leak detection flashlight.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Spectroline[R] OptiMax[TM] 365 is a cordless, rechargeable, true UV LED flashlight that can be used for refrigerant leak detection in all types of air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The ultra-high...

Estimating, takeoff software.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... Estimation Logistics[TM] 8.0, a takeoff and estimating software for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC contractors, includes significant enhancements to the entire Logistics suite of Estimating modules, as well as Estimation Digital...

UVC germicidal light.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... The York[R] Affinity[TM] UVC germicidal light is installed inside HVAC systems and irradiates areas inhabited by microbial organisms (mold and fungus), making it impossible for them to survive, thereby eliminating foul odors. It is designed to...

Air conditioned enclosures.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The air conditioned DVR Cooler is designed to house and protect a digital video recorder, as well as other 19-inch rack-mount electronics such as servers, routers, modems, switches, amplifiers, network gear, and...

Durable foam shoe covers.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tidy Trax shoe covers can be worn to prevent tracking dirt and mud into customers' businesses and homes. Sold as a pair, the shoe covers are available in a variety of sizes. They are lightweight and won't leave marks...

Indoor reset control.(what's new)
February 9, 2009... The MZ300 indoor reset control provides comfort control and end use efficiency for boiler and HVAC equipment temperature modulation. The temperature control technology analyzes thermostat activity, over time (5-90 minutes), to reset steam...

No falling sky fears this time yet, a lot of work to be done.(HCFC Phaseout: COUNTDOWN TO 2010)
February 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The sky is falling? Maybe that was the fear in the past. But, not this time when it comes to the transition from HCFC-22 to HFC-410A. In the past, about the only source that cried "The sky is falling" more oft en...

Why does R-22 have to go away?(HCFC Phaseout: COUNTDOWN TO 2010)
February 9, 2009... So why does R-22 have to go? It's a great refrigerant. Been around for decades. Easy to work with. Cheap (at least for most of its life). Or, more precisely, who or what is to blame for it going away? If you believe global warming is for...

Why R-410A as the refrigerant of choice?(HCFC Phaseout: COUNTDOWN TO 2010)
February 9, 2009... HFC-410A has been around for more than a dozen years, even though the HVACR industry is just now ready to really embrace it. In the more than a decade of its existence, hundreds upon hundreds of stories, flyers, info sheets, PowerPoint...

Software for safety inspections: first application, for boiler inspection, used in NYC.(FOCUS: BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
February 9, 2009... GLENDALE, N.Y.--You know how it goes when you write down system performance numbers when you're out in the mechanical room. Things get smudged. Paper gets torn. If someone else has to key the information into the computer, handwriting can be...

Software compares systems.(FOCUS: BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
February 9, 2009... It's tough for homeowners these days. If they want to move, they may not be able to without selling their own home first. That's the tricky part. What homeowners may do instead is invest in their current home's comfort system. This not only...

Murphy's law: world's funniest HVAC video.(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)
February 9, 2009... A few weeks ago, The NEWS hung out at a couple of distributorships to talk with people about the coming transition from HCFC to HFC refrigerants, particularly the change from R-22 to R-410A in new equipment, as of Jan. 1, 2010. We met with some...

Powell's Ponderings: too detached for my own good.(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)(Editorial)(Brief article)
February 9, 2009... I do crossword puzzles in the daily newspaper. The idea is to keep my brain functioning beyond work hours and learn a bit more about matters beyond HVACR. I can sail along for a while, then get bogged down and have to set it aside. When I...

Longmont Winair's.(Contractors)
February 16, 2009... Longmont Winair's (Longmont, Colo.) Gerald Nelson and Gibson Service Co.'s (Terre Haute, Ind.) Michael Beasley won The NEWS' Garmin Giveaway contest at the 2009 AHR Expo.

Kanomax USA Inc.(Manufacturers)
February 16, 2009... Kanomax USA Inc. (Andover, N.J.) completed the upgrading of its service and calibration laboratory in New Jersey. It is now reopened for anemometer, IAQ monitor, and particle counter calibration and NIST certification.

Aquatherm.(Manufacturers)
February 16, 2009... Aquatherm (Orem, Utah) released its updated catalog and made its LEED(tm) Reference Guide White Paper available on its updated Website, www.aquatherm pipe.com, during the AHR Expo.

Danfoss Inc.(Organizations)
February 16, 2009... The Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition's (AHR Expo's) Product of the Year was awarded to Danfoss Inc. (Denmark) for its Apexx VSH Series variable-speed scroll compressors for commercial air conditioning.

Expo packed despite economy.(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)
February 16, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHICAGO--As the largest and most comprehensive HVACR trade show, the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) attracted more than 54,000 people from all facets of the industry,...

Alfa laval discusses recent acquisition.(newsline)(Standard Refrigeration Co.)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... CHICAGO--Alfa Laval held a press conference at the 2009 AHR Expo to discuss its recent acquisition of Standard Refrigeration. According to Alfa Laval management, the merger of Standard Refrigeration "creates the most complete product offering...

LonMark honors controls market.(newsline)(LonMark International)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... CHICAGO--LonMark International announced the winners of its Best of the Year Awards at the 2009 AHR Expo. The awards ceremony took place as part of the LonMark General Meeting and attracted numerous industry professionals both from the LonMark...

More expo in the news.(newsline)(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... TROY--The NEWS will continue the best coverage of the 2009 AHR Expo in subsequent issues. The 60th annual expo in Chicago was so big it could not be covered in just one issue. Special sections from the show to appear in the future include:...

Lenox contest announces finalists.(newsline)
February 16, 2009... CHICAGO--NASCAR driver Jeff Burton was on hand at Lenox's booth at the 2009 AHR Expo to announce the top 10 finalists in Lenox's Extra Mile Hero Contest. In 2008, Lenox officially kicked off its contest with Burton, driver of the No. 31...

Cliplight presents sales awards.(Lobell Sales LLC )(Brief article)
February 16, 2009... CHICAGO--Cliplight Mfg. Co., Toronto, presented manufacturer's representative, Lobell Sales LLC from Noxapater, Miss., its Diamond Sales Agency 2008--Sales Per Capita award at the 2009 AHR Expo. "Lobell Sales had a dramatic increase in...

Feeling radiant at the AHR expo: in winter, few things are as comforting as radiant heat.(FOCUS: AHR EXPO POST-SHOW ISSUE)
February 16, 2009... CHICAGO--On a cold winter's day, few things are as comforting as radiant heat. At the 2009 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), manufacturers highlighted their new products that are guaranteed to keep...