Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News articles from March 2009

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News archives from March 2009

Venture Tape Corp. (St. Paul, Minn.) acquired Compac Corp.'s (Paradise, Calif.) pressure sensitive adhesive tape assets from Lamtec Corp.(Manufacturers)
March 2, 2009... Venture Tape Corp. (St. Paul, Minn.) acquired Compac Corp.'s (Paradise, Calif.) pressure sensitive adhesive tape assets from Lamtec Corp. (Flanders, N.J.).

Orion Fans (Dallas) appointed Sumer Inc. (Rolling Meadows, Ill.) as sales representative.(Manufacturers)
March 2, 2009... Orion Fans (Dallas) appointed Sumer Inc. (Rolling Meadows, Ill.) as sales representative for the Northern and Central Illinois and Eastern Wisconsin regions.

Air Systems Components Inc.(Manufacturers)
March 2, 2009... Air Systems Components Inc. (Richardson, Texas) named Jenny Abney as vice president of PennBarry, sales and marketing division. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Thermo King Corp.(Manufacturers)
March 2, 2009... Thermo King Corp. (Minneapolis) named Doug Lenz as director of product management.

Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Inc. (Baltimore) expanded its line of oil-free centrifugal compressors specifically designed for the HVACR industry.(Manufacturers)
March 2, 2009... Danfoss Turbocor Compressors Inc. (Baltimore) expanded its line of oil-free centrifugal compressors specifically designed for the HVACR industry, including larger-capacity equipment and increased range of applications.

APR Supply Inc. (Lebanon, Pa.) acquired the assets of H&S Supply Co. in New Oxford and Gettysburg, Pa.(Distributors)
March 2, 2009... APR Supply Inc. (Lebanon, Pa.) acquired the assets of H&S Supply Co. in New Oxford and Gettysburg, Pa., and has since opened two branches at these locations.

Grainger (Orlando, Fla.) partnered with Mike Rowe, creator, executive producer, and host of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs".(Distributors)
March 2, 2009... Grainger (Orlando, Fla.) partnered with Mike Rowe, creator, executive producer, and host of Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" to be the company's spokesperson.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) published its Load Calculation Application Manual.(Organizations)
March 2, 2009... The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) published its Load Calculation Application Manual, focusing on the heat balance method and the radiant time series method of calculating cooling loads in...

Opportunities in restoration abound.(NEWS)
March 2, 2009... Tough economies are a lot like naturally occurring brush fires. The devastation clears a lot of dead wood, making room for new growth. That's not much consolation for the dead wood--but you might want to keep your eyes peeled for signs of new...

New trade association created.(NEWS)(Building Performance Institute created Efficiency First)
March 2, 2009... The Building Performance Institute (BPI) recently announced the creation of Efficiency First; a new trade association representing the home performance contracting industry and BPI has joined the association as a supporting sponsor. Efficiency...

Items have no place in an economic stimulus package.(Letter to the editor)
March 2, 2009... I am deeply disappointed in the lack of fiscal responsibility exhibited by members of the House and Senate. The American people deserve better. When we elected them, we expected that they would demand better of their colleagues and hold...

Personal opinions don't count in Science.
March 2, 2009... Mr. Wilson's letter stated that the global warming debate is not over because 30,000 scientists were willing to sign a petition saying that they do not believe there is evidence to support global warming. The Global Warming Petition Project has...

Tabb receives ANSI accreditation.(newsline)(Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau)(American National Standards Institute)(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) received official accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). TABB runs the testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) certification program,...

Field controls offers tips.(newsline)(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... KINSTON, N.C. -- Field Controls published a new report on issues related to safe oil-to-gas burner conversion. According to the company, the recent volatility of oil prices has increased the number of homeowners electing to switch to natural...

Lennox briefs congress.(newsline)
March 2, 2009... DALLAS -- Lennox Industries, selected by Wal-Mart, participated in a Congressional green jobs briefing held in Washington, on Feb. 3, to discuss policies and initiatives beneficial to creating more green jobs. "We were pleased and honored...

Manufacturing consolidated.(newsline)
March 2, 2009... UTICA, N.Y. -- ECR International reaffirmed its commitment to Upstate New York after announcing plans to consolidate production at factories in Utica and Dunkirk. "ECR International is reinventing itself," said CEO Mike Paparone. "To begin...

Recognizing achievements.(newsline)
March 2, 2009... CHICAGO -- The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recognized 46 people for their contributions to ASHRAE and the HVACR industry at the society's 2009 Winter Conference. The ASHRAE...

New from the show floor.
March 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Post Show coverage on ductless products should have included the following information on Daikin. Daikin AC Americas (www.daikinac.com) introduced the Quaternity[TM] system, said to be North America's first...

Heat pump, A/C unit.(what's new)
March 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Heritage[R] 20 heat pump is the newest member of the family of Heritage Hybrid[TM] comfort systems with AccuLink[TM] communicating technology. The technology digitally enables the heat pump to be automatically...

Hygrothermometer.(what's new)
March 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Model RH490 hygro-thermometer with direct digital display of grains per pound features 2 percent rh accuracy and an rh response time of less than 30 seconds. The dual backlit display enables the simultaneous...

Air dispersion system.(what's new)
March 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The UnderFloorSox[TM] (UFSox[TM]) is an air dispersion system designed to reduce thermal decay and improve temperature consistency within the plenum for retrofit and new construction commercial building underfloor...

Fleet management software.(what's new)
March 2, 2009... Field Service Management ES is a service management software solution that rolls work orders, dispatching, GPS mapping, invoicing, and payroll all into one system. When a service call comes in, it gives dispatchers a dashboardful of...

Infrared test instruments.(what's new)
March 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new family of tools designed for HVAC system performance testing offers infrared (IR) capabilities. The instruments enable technicians to target noncontact surfaces and quickly take accurate differential...

Data center rack duct kit.(what's new)
March 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The HP 10000 (10K) G2 rack air duct kit minimizes hot and cold air mixing together. The air duct channels the hot exhaust air from the rear of the rack directly into the top plenum (air return) to eliminate hot spots...

Flushing solvent kit.(what's new)
March 2, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Compatible with CFC and HFC refrigerants and compressor oils, the Pro-Flush[TM] HVAC flushing solvent is formulated for R-410a retrofits, refrigerant conversions, and compressor burnouts. One container of Pro-Flush...

PathGuide reports record revenue.(industry news)(Financial report)
March 2, 2009... SEATTLE -- PathGuide Technologies, a provider of warehouse management systems (WMS) for wholesale and industrial distributors, is reporting record annual revenue for 2008 and record monthly revenue for January 2009. The sales figures exceed all...

LEED AP changes coming this year.(FOCUS: BECOMING A SUSTAINABLE CONTRACTOR)
March 2, 2009... The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has made some sweeping changes to its accreditation program (AP) for individuals working in the green building industry. The biggest change is that there will be several levels of accreditation for people...

Radiant heating, cooling critical component.(FOCUS: BECOMING A SUSTAINABLE CONTRACTOR)
March 2, 2009... The newly rebuilt California Academy of Sciences is a paragon of efficient, sustainable design. Nestled within San Francisco's lush Golden Gate Park and featuring a 2.5-acre "living roof" planted with vegetation native to the region, the...

Guaranteeing jobs for the future.(industry news)
March 2, 2009... Everyone is concerned and has been impacted by the down-turning economy. Budgets have been cut, spending is scrutinized, and great care has to go into every decision to ensure the health of the organization. However, let's face it: existing...

Contractor donates to penguin exhibit.(hvac charity work)
March 2, 2009... LUTZ, Fla. -- Ierna's Heating & Cooling made a generous donation to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo and its African Penguin exhibit for the second year in a row. The Bryant dealer contributed $10,000 to help fund the exhibit. "I grew up going to...

SMACNA assists cancer foundation.(hvac charity work)
March 2, 2009... CHANTILLY, Va. -- The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) President Ron Palmerick, presented a $5,000 check to the Pacific Cancer Foundation during SMACNA's annual convention. Each year SMACNA makes a...

Oil heat cares contributes boiler.(hvac charity work)
March 2, 2009... EAST PETERSBURG, Pa. -- The National Association of Oil Heating Service Managers' (NAOHSM's) Oil Heat Cares program continues to operate across the nation. Bob Murphy, a retired homeowner in Greenfield, Mass., was the recent recipient of a new...

MovinCool donates to animal shelter.(hvac charity work)(Dawson County Humane Society)(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... LONG BEACH, Calif. -- When the Dawson County Humane Society in Dawsonville, Ga., opened the area's first animal shelter in April 2008, they ran out of money before air conditioning could be installed in the dog kennels. "Our budget was...

Murphy's law: I'm about all sold out.(opinions: VIEWS AND INSIGHTS FROM THE EDITORIAL STAFF AND GUEST COLUMNISTS)(Viewpoint essay)
March 2, 2009... This never works when I try it at home, but I was taught to always assume consent and move forward toward the close. In other words, if the customer is nodding her head, assume that moving the sales call to the next step is the right move. The...

Powell's ponderings: snow woes.(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)(Editorial)(Brief article)
March 2, 2009... I think I know something about mechanical ice making. But I apparently don't know much about mechanical snow making. Did you know it can get too cold to make snow artificially? At least that appears to be the case with a snow sculpture...

Gargaro's world: the news joins Facebook.(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)
March 2, 2009... The ACHR NEWS has made its arrival on Facebook. For those of you who don't know, Facebook is an online social network that allows you to connect with people all over the world. You can meet everyone from that old high school flame to likeminded...

Pro-Tech Air Conditioning and Heating Service Inc.(Contractors)
March 9, 2009... Pro-Tech Air Conditioning and Heating Service Inc. (Orlando, Fla.) was named authorized members of the Daikin Network Alliance (DNA) and are now known as DNA Dealers.

Multistack.(Manufacturers)
March 9, 2009... Multistack (Sparta, Wis.) is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Trane's.(Manufacturers)
March 9, 2009... Trane's (Piscataway, N.J.) new commercial office building in San Antonio received LEED[TM] Silver certification. It is only the fourth LEED-certified building in the city.

Ruskin.(Manufacturers)
March 9, 2009... Ruskin (Kansas City, Mo.) promoted Dan Rellihan to director of marketing.

Danfoss.(Manufacturers)
March 9, 2009... Danfoss (Baltimore) was ranked as one of the top ten fast-growth companies in China by the Chinese magazine Business Watch.

Emerson Climate Tehcnologies' (St. Louis) area sales manager, David Dauberman, received the 2008 Walter B. Stopera Speaker of the Year Award.(Manufacturers)
March 9, 2009... Emerson Climate Tehcnologies' (St. Louis) area sales manager, David Dauberman, received the 2008 Walter B. Stopera, CM, Speaker of the Year Award from the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES).

TruTech Tools Ltd.(Suppliers)
March 9, 2009... TruTech Tools Ltd. (Akron, Ohio) hired Bill Spohn as general manager and co-owner. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Refrigeration Sales Corp..(Distributors)
March 9, 2009... Refrigeration Sales Corp. (Toledo, Ohio) is opening a new 12,000-square-foot facility at 6539 Weatherfield Court, Maumee, Ohio.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) released Residential Service Agreements.(Organizations)
March 9, 2009... The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) released Residential Service Agreements: A Benchmarking Guide for the HVAC Contractor--a comprehensive analysis of residential service agreement programs in the industry.

Refrigerant talk urges reclaim.
March 9, 2009... The HVACR industry is facing a shortfall of HCFC-22 as early as 2010 rather than 2015 as had long been expected. So talk is now on alternative HFC refrigerants that can be retrofitted into R-22 systems and the need for a major step up in...

Contractors market with social media: community technology yields fresh audiences.
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The changing landscape of the HVACR industry continues to introduce new business and marketing tools challenging contractors to move beyond the traditional. Social media, the Web 2.0 buzzword of the millennium, is...

AHRI CEO Jack Klimp retires, association restructures.(newsline)
March 9, 2009... ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced the retirement of Jack Klimp, CEO, AHRI, effective June 1, 2009. Previously president of the former Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association...

Truck winner.(newsline)(Dave Dinkel)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TRUCK WINNER: Winner of Weather Guard[R] "Tough Truck Giveaway" contest, Dave Dinkel (left), from Plantation, Fla., received the keys to a Toyota Tundra pick-up truck outfitted with Weather Guard equipment at the...

Westinghouse introduced.(newsline)
March 9, 2009... MIAMI -- Nordyne International is introducing Westinghouse heating and cooling equipment worldwide. Previously, Westinghouse heating and cooling products have been sold predominately in North America and Puerto Rico. According to Hector...

ASHRAE, GBI to collaborate.(newsline)
March 9, 2009... ATLANTA -- Through a new memorandum of understanding, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)and the Green Building Initiative (GBI) will be working together to accelerate the adoption of...

Ferris state hosts career day.(newsline)
March 9, 2009... BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- Ferris State University recently hosted its first ever Career Day at the Granger Center for Construction & HVACR on campus. Five companies joined The NEWS for the event, including: Automatic Mechanical Services,...

Dealer prize awarded.(John Brindley of Tyler Weathermakers won a trip to the super bowl)(Brief article)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DEALER PRIZE AWARDED: As the grand prizewinner of American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning's annual Stars & Stripes dealer incentive program, John Brindley (left) of Tyler Weathermakers won a trip to the Super...

Industrial fan.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Powerfoil X[TM] is an industrial fan with components that have been upgraded and re-engineered solely for it. It features the NitroSeal Drive[TM], a long-lasting, heavy-duty gearbox. Low-backlash gears are cut...

AC drive Ethernet Adapter.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The SREA-01 Ethernet Adapter is designed for the company's low-voltage ac drive line. Via the adapter, users can also receive event messages, alarms, and access the drive remotely. If a process alarm or fault occurs,...

Uninterruptible power supply.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Symmetra[R] PX 250/500kW three-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system is designed for the data center market. Offering nearly silent operation, and N+1 redundancy, it is the world's first truly modular...

Modulating furnace.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rated at 97 percent and higher, the iQ Drive[R] modulating furnace delivers the industry's widest range of modulation and, when paired with the 23 SEER iQ Drive air conditioner, the most efficient split system,...

Tool management software.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Basic Tool Manager is a low-cost tool manager based on bar code technology. This Windows-based software tracks who took the tool, where it is now, and when it is due back. Each tool tracked has a durable barcode...

LP tank monitor.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... The line-of-sight LP tank monitor flashes twice rapidly, every 15 seconds, when an LP tank runs low (below a level of 20 percent). Coupled with a remote-ready LP tank dial, the monitor alerts the user that the tank is low on fuel and allows...

Ceiling-recessed a/c, heat pumps.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The XS/XHS1271 and 1872 ceiling-recessed air conditioners and heat pumps offer a new four-way airflow design that sends cool air in all directions within the room and returns the air through the center of the grille,...

Worker, material schedule software.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Resource Scheduling module for the Spectrum [R] Construction Software enables construction companies to ensure that employees and equipment are available when and where they're needed. This helps to avoid the...

Air conditioner and heat pump.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Trane XL 20i air conditioner and heat pump feature the ComfortLink [TM] II Communicating System with Charge Assist [TM]. The units achieve up to 20 SEER efficiency and the self-charging technology takes the...

Adjustable-speed drive.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Q9 HVAC adjustable-speed drive is designed for commercial variable-torque applications such as fans and pumps for variable air volume systems, cooling towers, and pump systems. It is offered in 460 V, 1 to 100...

Media air cleaner.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... A new media air cleaner product line offers high-efficiency whole-house filtration. Available in two sizes, both use MERV 11 media to trap particles as small as 1 micron in size. Replacement filters are designed to fit standard media air...

Ductwork insulation.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GR-8 insulation is designed to achieve a thermal resistance of R-8 around HVAC ducts. With its highly reflective facings, the insulation can reflect up to 96 percent of radiant heat transfer, reducing heat loss from...

Women's uniform pants.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Women's Comfort Pant are uniform pants specially designed for women. Wearing the pants save women from having to wear modified men's uniform pants, which, according to the company, many women in the workplace are...

Vacuum pumps.(what's new)
March 9, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Humm*Vac [TM] vacuum pumps are available in three models. The HVP 6CFM (yellow), HVP 8CFM (red), and HVP 12CFM (black) units are innovative in design, said the manufacturer. The pumps feature a wide, sure-footed...

Facing difficult, but necessary, decisions.(my two cents)
March 9, 2009... The temperature outside as I write this is 72[degrees]F. And today is Feb. 10 in St. Louis. Huh? While this may sound like a report from the Weather Channel, this is just a heating contractor in St. Louis who just had two "no air...

Smarter people take action.(Column)
March 9, 2009... If you are a sales or business professional, goal setting has hopefully already become a part of your life. I've personally always felt a bit uncomfortable with the goal setting process. I think what bothers me most is the way most goal-setting...

Missed opportunities: when some callbacks are welcomed.(business management)
March 9, 2009... The following story is a hypothetical situation based on real-life, everyday occurrences to HVACR technicians and contractors. Mr. Worldly, a professional engineer, was at work at the time of the service call, which was scheduled by his...

Successful trade show exhibiting.
March 9, 2009... "If I have a booth, they will come." Throughout my years of work in the HVAC industry, I have come across many business owners who honestly believe that merely setting up a booth is enough to attract customers at a home and garden show. They...

Push performance contracting in sales.(business management)
March 9, 2009... Lately the big news in residential equipment sales is that times are tough and homeowners are not spending money. If they do spend money, they are only looking to spend the least they can. At the same time, prices from other contractors...

Finding faith in solar, geothermal.(field solutions)
March 9, 2009... ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Faith-based refers to initiatives that are religious in nature and created without government assistance. Sustainable refers to initiatives that are green in nature designed for energy conservation. In recent years, those two...

Cooling meat the natural way.(REFRIGERATION zone)
March 9, 2009... Be it beef, pork or poultry --meat is one of the most popular items on the menu in Europe. For instance, each citizen of the European Union, on average, eats about 90 kilograms of meat a year--and the number is rising. In meat processing,...

Current and voltage imbalance: Marchese discusses overheating.(ice breaker)
March 9, 2009... One possible cause of a motor failure is overheating. Overheating can be the result of several different system problems. Two possible system problems that can cause a three-phase motor to overheat are either current and/or voltage...

Honeywell wins patent infringement case.(patent case: INDUSTRY NEWS)
March 9, 2009... The issue of patent-infringement regarding R-410A has again surfaced and was reported on during the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) recently. Honeywell announced that a Chinese firm has agreed to...

Using an ohmmeter to troubleshoot: getting to the root of an electrical problem.(the professor)
March 9, 2009... This month's article will cover troubleshooting the power-consuming device or electrical load. There will be many times when a technician must use an ohmmeter and shut the electrical power off in order to get to the root of an electrical...

Attracting and keeping loyal customers.(business management)
March 9, 2009... You work hard to make sure your customers are satisfied, right? Despite your hard work, do you sometimes feel like your customers have forgotten all about you the minute you pull out of their driveway? Would you like to create a memorable sales...

How one contractor deals with recovery.(FOCUS: RECOVERY & RECLAMATION TECHNOLOGY)
March 9, 2009... Recovery and on-site recycling of refrigerants has been around for more than two decades and used by contractors almost since day one. But while the recovery of refrigerant and then sending it to an off-site reclamation site has been in the...

C[O.sub.2]/cascade goes commercial.
March 9, 2009... Price Chopper Supermarkets has teamed up with Hill Phoenix, to utilize R-744 (C[O.sub.2]) in a cascade system, bringing that approach first introduced in industrial refrigeration to commercial refrigeration. In fact, it has been reported...

Powell's ponderings: not so silent on refrigerant front.(opinion: VIEWS AND INSIGHTS FROM THE EDITORIAL STAFF AND GUEST COLUMNISTS)
March 9, 2009... Silent night? The eve of this past Christmas Eve was hardly silent and calm in the HVACR industry. For on that day--Dec. 23--the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register two proposed rules that launched a...

Gargaro's world: memo to employees.(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)
March 9, 2009... This joke e-mail made its way into my inbox recently. While I don't suggest contractors use this as a template, it does provide a laugh. TO: ALL EMPLOYEES SUBJECT: SICK LEAVE POLICY SICKNESS: No excuse... We will no longer accept...

Murphy's law: HVAC stimulus--get it while it's hot.(editors' blogs: MORE ONLINE AT ACHRNEWS.COM)
March 9, 2009... The much talked about American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes an energy tax credit for qualified energy-efficiency improvements in a taxpayer's principal residence, including heating, air conditioning, and water heating...

Pro-Tech Air Conditioning and Heating Service Inc.(Contractors)
March 16, 2009... Pro-Tech Air Conditioning and Heating Service Inc. (Orlando, Fla.) appointed Nancy Thomas as its business development manager. Manufacturers