Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News articles from November 1990

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News archives from November 1990

Contractors: plan your 1990s survival.
November 5, 1990... Contractors: Plan your 1990s survival To build a survival plan for the 1990s, contractors need to use the accumulated knowledge and experience of those who have survived past economic downturns, says American Subcontractors Association (ASA)...

SnyderGeneral to consolidate production of Arcoaire, Comfortmaker in Red Bud, Ill.
November 5, 1990... SnyderGeneral to consolidate production of Arcoaire, Comfortmaker in Red Bud, Ill. DALLAS - SnyderGeneral Corporation announced it will consolidate the manufacture of its "Arcoaire" and "Comfortmaker" residential hvac products in its plant...

Service contractors renew their commitment to success.
November 5, 1990... Service contractors renew their commitment to success PHOENIX - "Our strength is in numbers, and that's what makes our organization work," D.S. O'Brien told the 280 people who attended the 5th annual convention of the Mechanical Service...

Modine's new industrial heating-cooling products set for market. (Modine Manufacturing Co.)
November 5, 1990... Modine's new industrial heating-cooling products set for market CHICAGO - Modine Manufacturing Company has been making news recently with its acquisitions, and at a press conference here last month, introduced several new products in the...

Contractor sells customers 'heat under their feet.' (Falk Bros.)
November 5, 1990... Contractor sells customers `heat under their feet' HANKINSON, N.D. - After 10 years of installing ground-source heat pumps, Pat Falk estimated that he had saved his country 360 tanker-loads of fuel. Now, two years later, with 700...

Computerizing? First form an info management plan. (mechanical contractors)
November 5, 1990... Computerizing? First form an info management plan ATLANTA - Information is the blood of your business. Without a plan to manage it, the fanciest computer and software won't help. Good information management can even be "paper-driven,"...

Computer control manufacturer grows as applications multiply. (Computer Process Controls Inc.)
November 5, 1990... Computer control manufacturer grows as applications multiply MARIETTA, Ga. - As supermarkets and other retailers expand their use of automated control and monitoring equipment to run refrigeration and hvac systems, a seven-year-old firm here...

Contractors rely on computers for variety of business reasons.
November 5, 1990... Contractors rely on computers for variety of business reasons A large majority (71%) of hvacr contractors are computerized, according to the survey of News contractor-subscribers. And the computer has paid off. Eighty-two percent said the...

Contractors comment on computerizing their businesses: pros outweigh the cons.
November 5, 1990... Contractors comment on computerizing their businesses: Pros outweigh the cons Pros "We can schedule service weeks in advance and never forget a call or promise to call back. We use for our service agreement `Cool Club' scheduling and...

Applying new technology in heat exchanger testing.
November 5, 1990... Applying new technology in heat exchanger testing Constant expansion, contraction, and corrosion within a normal furnace heat exchanger can create holes and cracks over time, through which dangerous gases produced by the heating process can...

Technicians: learn refrigerant recovery or hit the bricks, RSES members warned. (Refrigeration Service Engineers Service conference)
November 12, 1990... Technicians: Learn refrigerant recovery or hit the bricks, RSES members warned HONOLULU - Someday soon, an hvacr technician unskilled in CFC refrigerant recovery-recycling might not be able to remain a technician at all. That was one of...

Get something for everything, and other rules for negotiating. (Mechanical Service Contractors of America's convention)
November 12, 1990... Get something for everything, and other rules for negotiating PHOENIX - "Assume that everything is negotiable." That advice comes from authority Robert Laser, who conducted a seminar at the Mechanical Service Contractors of America's...

Weak contracting may drop another 2% next year. (construction industry)
November 12, 1990... Weak contracting may drop another 2% next year NEW YORK - Nonresidential construction rebounded 8% in September, while housing held steady at its recently depressed level, according to the F.W. Dodge Division of McGraw-Hill. At the end...

Only polyolefin insulation doesn't cause stress corrosion. (refrigeration piping)
November 12, 1990... Only polyolefin insulation doesn't cause stress corrosion TROY, Mich. - Should the manufacturers of rubber insulation change their formulations to reduce the risk of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in refrigeration piping? No, says Walter...

New gas-fired heat pump claims efficiencies greater than 92%.
November 12, 1990... New gas-fired heat pump claims efficiencies greater than 92% SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Contractors may find more home-owners concerned with energy efficiency and the environment. They all should welcome the gas-fired regenerative absorption heat...

Oil-burner research produces high yields.
November 12, 1990... Oil-burner research produces high yields ABSECON, N.J. - High-tech research is paying off in the oil-burning industry, engineer Richard F. Krajewski told members of the Hydronics Institute. Krajewski, a project engineer in the Energy...

Oil-fired market is not dead. (oil-burning equipment manufacturers)
November 12, 1990... Oil-fired market is not dead ABSECON, N.J. - Oil is still a contender in today's housing market, despite the pinch oil-burning equipment manufacturers may feel from recession and Middle East troubles, says Chris Hood, forecasting manager for...

Pressure testing specs: owner's friend or foe? (air ducts)
November 12, 1990... Pressure testing specs: owner's friend or foe? MENANDS, N.Y. - Pressure testing is specified by an engineer to guarantee that a duct system has been installed properly and is not leaking. Although it ideally serves as a check to ensure the...

Better inside air is new supermarket worry.
November 12, 1990... Better inside air is new supermarket worry ATLANTA - Supermarket ventilation requirements have tripled in less than a decade. * Customers and workers alike are more wary than ever of indoor air contaminants. * Energy conservation...

Federal government must tighten up its own buildings, say representatives. (US House of Representatives)
November 12, 1990... Federal government must tighten up its own buildings, say representatives WASHINGTON - Sixty-five members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including eight committee and 25 subcommittee chairmen, have joined in asking the federal...

Guidelines should help designers evaluate cost-efficient a/c systems. (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers)
November 12, 1990... Guidelines should help designers evaluate cost-efficient a/c systems ATLANTA - Designers will have an easier time determining cost-efficient ways to conserve air conditioning energy, using systems that recycle heat or use outdoor air, thanks...

Government, appliance industry must look to the future together. (energy consumption standards for household appliances)
November 12, 1990... Government, appliance industry must look to the future together Futurists tell us that the most accurate way to forecast the future is to see the present as it really is. And the most effective way to begin to do that is to glance at the...

Communicating needn't be complex. (sales personnel-customer relations)
November 12, 1990... Communicating needn't be complex How often do we hear about a problem that occurred because someone didn't listen carefully, or did not understand what was said? It has been said that most of the problems in business today are caused by the...

Problem employee: the drug addict. (includes related information on some effects of illicit drugs)
November 12, 1990... Problem employee: The drug addict Drug abuse has become a national epidemic. Although an accurate measure of the number of addicts remains elusive, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that, for example, 30 million people have...

Electronic catalog software. (mechanical contractors)
November 12, 1990... Electronic catalog software Hvac manufacturers and suppliers soon will offer computer disks as a convenient way to look up parts and product data. Hard copy catalogs and microfiche will not be dropped entirely, but their use will decline as...

Kansas City goes underground. (industrial development)
November 12, 1990... Kansas City goes underground KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Beneath this bustling city is a second city, also prosperous and energetic, housing scores of industries, businesses, and storage facilities. With the subterranean sector well-developed, it's...

Learning to prosper in a changing economy. (Air Conditioning Contractors of America conference)
November 12, 1990... Learning to prosper in a changing economy LANCASTER, Pa. - Leading hvac contractors from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania attended the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Region II conference. Speakers at this in-depth,...

Armstrong Air credits high efficiency for profit hikes. (Armstrong Air Conditioning)
November 12, 1990... Armstrong Air credits high efficiency for profit hikes HILTON HEAD, S.C. - Labeling 1990 "a survival test for all of us," Armstrong Air Conditioning president Bob Johnson told distributors attending the company's second annual meeting that...

How Houston contractors buck the downward trends. (includes related information on mechanical contractors' services in new residential buildings)
November 12, 1990... How Houston contractors buck the downward trends HOUSTON - Residential new construction here may never match the 1982 level of 67,000 starts, but one projection has Houston starts increasing 22.3% this year to 16,620. Now ranked 21st...

Technician injured on Fla. rooftop when refrigerant container explodes. (David Howell, Tropic Air, Melbourne, Florida)
November 19, 1990... Technician injured on Fla. rooftop when refrigerant container explodes SEBASTIAN, Fla. - An hvacr service technician is in serious condition following an explosion Nov. 7. David Howell, of Tropic Air, Melbourne, Fla., was installing a...

Hiring the best takes planning, clear vision of your job needs. (Mechanical Service Contractors of America's convention)
November 19, 1990... Hiring the best takes planning, clear vision of your job needs PHOENIX - How do you hire the best employees? Randolph Bobbitt Jr., Ph.D., gave attendees some ideas during a seminar at the Mechanical Service Contractors of America's (formerly...

ARI close to completing refrigerant recycler standard. (Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute)
November 19, 1990... ARI close to completing refrigerant recycler standard PALM BEACH, Fla. - Service specialists are closer to getting a performance standard on refrigerant recovery-recycling-reclaim equipment. Also on the horizon is a possible...

Solar-powered home requires no utility electricity. (PowerHouse II)
November 19, 1990... Solar-powered home requires no utility electricity LAKE PLACID, Fla. - Interest in free-standing solar-powered homes is being spurred by the Persian Gulf crisis. "We're getting more calls right now than we can handle, especially from...

Customer appointments help Madison contractor succeed. (B&T Mechanical Inc.) (includes related information on company's business practices to save money)
November 19, 1990... Customer appointments help Madison contractor succeed MADISON, Wis. - Rose Albrecht either pencils labels on file folders, or turns the folders inside out so they can be used over and over. But recently, she spent $87,000 for a 250-ton press...

Alliance for Fair Competition, utility testify before Oklahoma legislature. (Rural Electric Cooperatives' unfair competition with mechanical contractors)
November 19, 1990... Alliance for Fair Competition, utility testify before Oklahoma legislature OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma Representative Larry Rice (D-Pryor), chairman of the powerful Business, Industry, and Labor Relations Committee, thought October 4 would be...

To lease, or not to lease. (equipment) (column)
November 19, 1990... To lease, or not to lease Managers confront a choice between leasing and buying each time a business acquires new equipment. In some instances leasing makes more business sense, in others buying. Although the correct option varies with...

Problem employee: the compulsive gambler.
November 19, 1990... Problem employee: The compulsive gambler Occasional gambling - a trip to Las Vegas, Atlantic City, horse races, or neighborhood poker games - is an enjoyable diversion for many people. Unfortunately, for some people, gambling grows into...

Contractors: secrets to selling residential replacements. (includes related information on customer service) (part 1) (column)
November 19, 1990... Contractors: Secrets to selling residential replacements Selling residential replacement equipment in today's competitive environment is quite different from selling installations in new construction. The following are 10 musts for...

Plan ahead for maximum comfort. (heating and cooling control systems in new homes)
November 19, 1990... Plan ahead for maximum comfort MINNEAPOLIS - Incorporating zone control in a new home requires additional planning and more hardware, but the expense is minimal when compared with the total cost of a new home. According to Honeywell...

Showroom, utility/mfr cooperation increase sales for S.C. contractor. (Tri-City Fuel & Heating Company Inc.)
November 19, 1990... Showroom, utility/mfr cooperation increase sales for S.C. contractor WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. - Originally a coal and fuel oil dealer, Tri-City Fuel & Heating Co., Inc., has been expanding vigorously in the heating and air conditioning market. ...

Survey shows only 20% of News contractors have showrooms. (includes related information on contractor comments)
November 19, 1990... Survey shows only 20% of News contractors have showrooms ONLY one in five News contractor-subscribers has a product showroom, according to a survey. But those who have a showroom, swear by it. "I wouldn't be without it," said one...

Purge unit check list. (to minimize refrigerant losses)
November 26, 1990... Purge unit check list The following check list can help minimize refrigerant losses from the purge unit. * Limit purging One of the most effective ways to reduce refrigerant emissions is to run the purge unit only when necessary....

The Americans with Disabilities Act: what does it mean for businesses? (includes related information for employers)
November 26, 1990... The Americans with Disabilities Act: What does it mean for businesses? WASHINGTON -- The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 is one of the most sweeping civil rights measures in decades, says The Fails Management Institute (FMI). ...

To survive: manage, manage, manage. (includes survival techniques for mechanical contractors)
November 26, 1990... To survive: Manage, manage, manage Traditionally, people who start their own hvac business have technical skills, but quickly find out that the technical side is only half the business. Tom Templeton, a dealer who sells Tempstar products...

Odor problem raises big stink in La. medical school building.
November 26, 1990... Odor problem raises big stink in La. medical school building Eliminating odors from a single, well-identified source is relatively simple for contractors performing service and maintenance. When sources are numerous, the challenge is greater....

Zone control solves contractor's window dilemmas in 'dream house.' (Tudi Mechanical Systems)
November 26, 1990... Pain in the glass dept Zone control solves contractor's window dilemmas in `dream house' UPPER ST. CLAIR, Pa. -- How do you control temperatures in a 9,000-sq-ft house with lots of glass and open spaces, and satisfy the comfort needs...

What servicemen can do to prevent vehicle accidents. (includes related information on what to watch for)
November 26, 1990... What servicemen can do to prevent vehicle accidents Many vehicle accidents happen in spite of the fact that they could have been prevented if the driver or drivers involved had responded quickly and properly to a hazardous situation. If...

Electronic air cleaners are different from air purifiers and ion generators.
November 26, 1990... Honeywell tells consumers Electronic air cleaners are different from air purifiers and ion generators What is ozone? Ozone ([O.sub.3]), a three-atom form of oxygen, is a normal trace element in the earth's atmosphere. Ozone is a...

Contracting brothers specialize in design/build projects. (Brian S. and Michael D. Atlas)
November 26, 1990... Operates in 25 states Contracting brothers specialize in design/build projects HOUSTON -- Atlas Air Condiotioning Co. is a highly specialized design and build operation whose forte is garden apartments, mid- and high-rise units,...