Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News articles from November 2006

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News archives from November 2006

The big boom of assisted living housing: comfort and IAQ help residents feel healthy and at home.(FOCUS: HOSPITALITY & HOSPITALS)
November 6, 2006... Aging Baby Boomers are driving the senior housing market. This may open up multifamily installation opportunities for the HVAC industry--opportunities to address specific needs of residents and management--and some unique design challenges. ...

The industry's great Propane debate.(industry news)
November 6, 2006... Last year's rise of hurricane activity brought attention to the necessity of having backup power to maintain lighting and appliances. Backup generators powered by liquefied petroleum (LP) gas have become a necessity for people living in...

Burnham Holdings Inc.(Manufacturers)
November 6, 2006... Burnham Holdings Inc. (Lancaster, Pa.) appointed Dan Kelbaugh as vice president of sales and marketing for Burnham Hydronics.

CPS Products.(Manufacturers)
November 6, 2006... CPS Products (Hialeah, Fla.) appointed Joe Shukys as president.

A.O. Smith Corp.(Manufacturers)
November 6, 2006... A.O. Smith Corp. (Milwaukee) named Ronald Massa as executive vice president of corporate technology and global supply chain, effective Jan. 1.

Victaulic Co. (Easton, Pa.) acquired full ownership of NVent LLC.(Manufacturers)
November 6, 2006... Victaulic Co. (Easton, Pa.) acquired full ownership of NVent LLC (Allentown, Pa.).

Sanyo Fisher Service Co.(Manufacturers)
November 6, 2006... Sanyo Fisher Service Co. (Chatsworth, Calif.) named Gary Nettinger as vice president of the HVAC Service and Training Group (Kennesaw, Ga.).

Fedders Corp.(Manufacturers)
November 6, 2006... Fedders Corp. (Liberty Corner, N.J.) announced its incentive trip to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. For more information, contact a Fedders representative.

Daikin AC.(Manufacturers)
November 6, 2006... Daikin AC (Americas) Inc. (Carrollton, Texas) named Mike Bregenzer as vice president and general manager of sales and marketing.

WinWholesale.(Distributor)
November 6, 2006... WinWholesale (Dayton, Ohio) named Monte Salsman as its chief operating officer.

W.W. Grainger Inc.'s.(Financial Reports)
November 6, 2006... W.W. Grainger Inc.'s (Chicago) third-quarter net earnings increased 19 percent, totaling $104.5 million.

Climate Energy.(Technology)
November 6, 2006... * Climate Energy (Medfield, Mass.) was awarded a 2006 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award for its Freewatt System.

Water conservation standard becomes a must in HVAC.(newsline)
November 6, 2006... ATLANTA -- Requirements regarding the amount of water used to operate HVAC, plumbing, and irrigation systems would be established under a proposed standard from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers...

HVAC association scholarships available.(newsline)
November 6, 2006... EAST PETERSBURG, Pa. -- The National Association of Oil Heating Service Managers (NAOHSM) is offering $14,000 in scholarship funds in 2007 to the oil heat industry. These scholarships are available to anyone, provided that they would like to...

Home Performance with Energy Star helps New Yorkers save.(EXTRA EDITION)
November 6, 2006... Home Performance With Energy Star Helps New Yorkers Save: New Yorkers who want to keep energy costs down without sacrificing comfort this winter can take advantage of Home Performance with Energy Star[R].

Fall Webinars focus on IAQ.(REGIONAL REPORTS--CANADA)
November 6, 2006... Fall Webinars Focus on IAQ: Indoor environment issues are the topic of multiple upcoming webinars. The Healthy Indoor Partnership's (HIP's) webinar series continues.

Sweet Success.(newsline)
November 6, 2006... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CAPTION: SWEET SUCCESS: The Milton Roy Co. celebrated its 70-year anniversary as a manufacturer of controlled metering pumps and chemical injection equipment to the water treatment and process industries. (From left...

White-Rodgers product offering.(newsline)
November 6, 2006... ST. LOUIS -- Emerson Climate Technologies announced that White-Rodgers now serves as a complete source for universal replacement ignition modules. White-Rodgers has two nonintegrated spark ignition modules--the Direct Spark 50D50-842 and the...

Wrightsoft is 20 years old.(newsline)
November 6, 2006... LEXINGTON, Mass. -- Wrightsoft, a software company, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Among many accomplishments, the company has continued to contribute to the HVAC industry with multiple software programs. Not only does Wrightsoft...

New officers installed.(newsline)
November 6, 2006... ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- The Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. (AMCA) announced the new board members for 2006-07 at its 51st annual meeting, where Jo Reinhardt, Industrial Louvers Inc., was inaugurated as AMCA...

Fixed-bar and filters grilles.(what's new: PRODUCT AVAILABLE TO HELP CONTRACTORS IN THEIR BUSINESS)
November 6, 2006... The FBG Series of fixed-bar grilles and FBFG Series fixed-bar filter grilles, are constructed of steel and come with a white finish. The face bars of the FBG Series are available in either 40- or 60-degree positions; the FBFG Series' face bars...

Pipe fitting brochure.(what's new: PRODUCT AVAILABLE TO HELP CONTRACTORS IN THEIR BUSINESS)
November 6, 2006... An updated version of the Twin Tee pipe fitting brochure is available. The Twin Tee is designed for use in the company's single-pipe LoadMatch[R] system, but also can be used in conventional primary-secondary two-pipe hydronic systems, the...

Constant-pressure pump control valve.(what's new: PRODUCT AVAILABLE TO HELP CONTRACTORS IN THEIR BUSINESS)
November 6, 2006... The Cycle Gard[R] CI Series CIN101 is a single-chamber, pilot-operated, constant-pressure pump control valve. This valve automatically adjusts to provide constant pressure at different flows and works with any pump. The field-adjustable...

Ceiling register.(what's new: PRODUCT AVAILABLE TO HELP CONTRACTORS IN THEIR BUSINESS)(Quick& Easy)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The Quick& Easy[TM] ceiling register can be installed in residential and light commercial buildings to control the volume and distribution of supply side air to the interior sections of the structure. It consists of an 8-inch round metal collar...

Reverse-cycle defrost process gains patent.(REFRIGERATION ZONE)
November 6, 2006... Master-Bilt has announced patent approval for its reverse-cycle process. The proprietary technology involves a reverse-cycle valve that is added to the condensing unit which reverses the direction of refrigerant flow during defrosts. The...

Global warming data added.(REFRIGERATION ZONE)
November 6, 2006... MINNEAPOLIS -- Verisae Inc. enhanced its Enterprise Refrigerant Manager (ERM) to capture the Global Warming Potential (GWP) values for an extensive list of refrigerants. Adding GWP values and reporting on total refrigerant status helps...

Systems group holds meeting.(REFRIGERATION ZONE)
November 6, 2006... PONTE VEDRA, Fla. -- The Chiller Systems Group held its fall meeting Oct. 6-7. It was hosted by ThermaServe Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., and attended by 65 members representing independent contractors from all over the United States. The group...

Water, electricity, refrigeration together.(REFRIGERATION ZONE)
November 6, 2006... In a project funded by the U.S. Army, two University of Florida (UF) engineers have designed, built, and tested a combined power-refrigeration system that was designed to provide water, electricity, and refrigeration in emergency situations....

Contractors can make compressor model numbers work for them.(REFRIGERATION ZONE: ice breaker)
November 6, 2006... Understanding manufacturers' nomenclatures to identify their compressors can be a very useful tool for a service technician. There is much information about a compressor that can be obtained from decoding its model number. This can be a...

Electric expansion valve control.(REFRIGERATION ZONE: service & maintenance)
November 6, 2006... Electronically controlled electric valves have been accepted for years in larger applications, just as chillers have been, and have proven to add efficiency to the systems. The key to the increase in efficiency is due to their ability to...

Today's most serious field problem.(REFRIGERATION ZONE: the professor)(Compressor overheating )(Column)
November 6, 2006... Compressor overheating is still today's most serious field problem. It is caused by high compression ratios that are a combination of high condensing (head) pressures and low evaporating (suction) pressure. Compression ratio is the...

Market snapshot.(FOCUS: HOSPITALITY & HOSPITALS)(NIC (National Investment Center) MAP ( Market Area Profiles))(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... NIC (National Investment Center) MAP[TM] is a quarterly data and analysis service that tracks revenue, occupancy, property, and demographic information on over 7,400 senior housing properties, representing over 1 million units/beds located...

What the doctor ordered: contractors can help hospital air with a holistic approach.(FOCUS: HOSPITALITY & HOSPITALS)
November 6, 2006... Hospital air sometimes gets a very bad rap. Amid patient and staff complaints of it being too warm or too cold, too dry or too humid, are the realities of maintenance and budget--particularly budget--and an increased awareness of the need for...

HVAC work in infectious spaces: HIV and AIDS sites require special care for patients.(FOCUS: HOSPITALITY & HOSPITALS)
November 6, 2006... How does an HVAC contracting company protect its employees when working in an area with infectious diseases? How best to protect the patients in these facilities? These questions have been on the minds of many commercial contractors, but...

How important is loyalty to your HVACR supplier?(opinions: VIEW AND INSIGHTS FROM THE EDITORIAL STAFF AND GUEST COLUMNIST)(Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration )(Editorial)
November 6, 2006... I admit that I am a creature of habit. I suspect most folks are. I have used the same cell phone and the same satellite dish companies for years. I look for brand names because I've usually had good experiences with them. I know I can probably...

Looking beyond the acronyms.(opinions: VIEW AND INSIGHTS FROM THE EDITORIAL STAFF AND GUEST COLUMNIST)
November 6, 2006... What's in an acronym? That question came to mind a few weeks ago, when I was at the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society's (RSES) annual conference in Atlanta, coverage of which will appear in an upcoming issue of The NEWS. Officials were...

Teaching's not a lost art: instructors return to be recognized by news, ARI.
November 13, 2006... French-American historian and educator Jacques Barzun may have said it best: "Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition." At The NEWS, we are trying to change that, with help from the Air-Conditioning and...

Equipment evolution ignites HVACR diagnostic trend.
November 13, 2006... "Doctor, if I move my arm like this it hurts," complained the patient. "Then don't move your arm like that," the doctor replied. Most doctors don't respond this way. After multiple years in medical school, countless internships, and...

Smoke control might be a thing of the past.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 13, 2006... It was good to read the case study ["Smoke Does Not Get in Your Eyes Here"] on controlling secondhand smoke in the Sunset Station Casino in The NEWS, Oct. 23. Unfortunately, the market for this type of system is growing smaller by the day....

What a clean and check rip-off.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 13, 2006... I read with interest John R. Hall's column "What Does It Cost to Get a Foot in the Door?" [Oct. 9]. Nothing gets me madder than to have a phone call asking how much we charge and to hear, "Well, someone else can do it for $29.95." (We charge...

All features great and small.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 13, 2006... When you take even small details (features) like that when talking about the quality of your product and then convert it into a understandable benefit to the customer, e.g., "Mr. and Mrs. Jones, have you ever seen outside units attached to the...

HVAC service tips for new technicians.(EXTRA EDITION)
November 13, 2006... HVAC Service Tips for New Technicians: This article provides some general HVAC service techniques picked up over the years. It's designed to help technicians who are just starting out in the trade.

Math for the technician: using shapes and angles.(EXTRA EDITION)
November 13, 2006... Math for the Technician: Using Shapes and Angles: A technician often has to sketch or design ductwork and other parts of an HVAC system. This article shows you how to draw and work with these different figures.

Majority of 10 SEER inventory installed.(newsline)
November 13, 2006... ST. LOUIS -- In its fifth installment of the GetSEERious[TM] series of 13 SEER market surveys, Emerson Climate Technologies reports that a vast majority of the leftover 10 SEER inventory has been depleted. According to survey participants, 77...

Operations expanded.(newsline)
November 13, 2006... KENNESAW, Ga. -- Automated Logic Corp. (ALC), a unit of United Technologies Corp., acquired the business of Automated Control Technologies Inc. (ACT), an ALC dealer serving the greater Chicago marketplace. This is ALC's second dealership...

Training classes are successful.(newsline)(ABB Low Voltage Products & Systems)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... WITCHITA FALLS, Texas -More than 43 students, including distributors and manufacturer's representatives, gathered for comprehensive training. The classroom and practicum sessions included a full introduction, orientation, and capability...

Nordyne awards distributor of the year.(newsline)
November 13, 2006... LOS CABOS, Mexico -- What better place to honor a distributor for extraordinary brand loyalty than "Brandville," the location of Nordyne's 2006 residential distributor meeting. Four Century A/C Supply representatives were presented with the...

New IAQ guide underway.(newsline)(indoor air quality )
November 13, 2006... ATLANTA -- The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) received a $510,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide guidance for designing and building healthier buildings...

Honeywell.(Manufacturers)
November 13, 2006... Honeywell (Phoenix) completed a photovoltaic solar installation at Luke Air Force Base (Glendale, Ariz.).

Daikin AC (Americas) Inc.(Manufacturers)
November 13, 2006... Daikin AC (Americas) Inc. (Carrollton, Texas) named Russell Tavolacci as director of product marketing.

Selkirk Americas LP (Richardson, Texas) purchased Heat-fab Inc. (Turner Falls, Mass.).(Manufacturers)
November 13, 2006... Selkirk Americas LP (Richardson, Texas) purchased Heat-fab Inc. (Turner Falls, Mass.)

WaterFurnace International.(Manufacturers)
November 13, 2006... WaterFurnace International (Fort Wayne, Ind.) received the Export Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce, recognizing its successful entrance into new and international markets.

Quest Technologies Inc.(Manufacturers)
November 13, 2006... Quest Technologies Inc. (Oconomowoc, Wis.) appointed James Banach as executive vice president.

W.W. Grainger Inc.(Distributors)
November 13, 2006... W.W. Grainger Inc. (Chicago) named Court Carruthers president of its Canadian subsidiary Acklands Grainger Inc. (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

Refrigerant Management Canada.(Associations)
November 13, 2006... Refrigerant Management Canada (RMC) appointed Dennis Larson, Refrigerative Supply Ltd., as chair.

The Ethernet Alliance.(Associations)
November 13, 2006... The Ethernet Alliance (Mountain View, Calif.) elected Dan Dove, ProCurve Networking by HP, to its board of directors.

The New England Fuel Institute's (NEFI's).(Associations)
November 13, 2006... The New England Fuel Institute's (NEFI's) Jack Sullivan, executive vice president and CEO, announced his retirement, effective March 31, 2007.

The Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. (AMCA International).(Associations)
November 13, 2006... The Air Movement and Control Association International Inc. (AMCA International) reviewed and approved AMCA Publication 611-2006, Certified Ratings Program-Product Rating Manual for Airflow Measurement Performance.

The National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB).(Associations)
November 13, 2006... The National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB) appointed Michelle Dupray as its marketing and communications coordinator.

Arzel Zoning Technology (Cleveland) and R.W. Beckett Corp. (North Ridgeville, Ohio) are offering a joint oil burner and zoning system training.(Training)
November 13, 2006... Arzel Zoning Technology (Cleveland) and R.W. Beckett Corp. (North Ridgeville, Ohio) are offering a joint oil burner and zoning system training, Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

Nexstar Inc.'s.(Training)
November 13, 2006... Nexstar Inc.'s (White Bear Lake, Minn.) Money MastersTM training seminar will he held Nov. 17-18 in New Orleans.

WennSoft.(Services)
November 13, 2006... WennSoft (New Berlin, Wis.) promoted Julie West as president and COO, Tim Kennedy as executive vice president, and Kerry Draper as vice president of professional sales.

Fan coil unit.(what's new)
November 13, 2006... Three new lines of DX fan coil products for add-on replacement, design-build, and retrofit applications are available. The DX fan coil units are available in horizontal, furred-in ceiling models, cased, and uncased models. The units offer...

Duct smoke detector display.(what's new)
November 13, 2006... A free FireX[R] house display is available to the manufacturer's distributors to help boost sales of FireX duct smoke detectors and accessories. The display is a 22-square-inch wide and 43-inch tall pallet featuring three shelves, full-color...

Universal nitride kit.(what's new)
November 13, 2006... Made of silicon nitride, the SSN2000 universal igniter kit is four times more efficient at full power than silicon carbide igniters and the nonporous construction offers longer usable life, claims the manufacturer. Its universal design replaces...

Infrared thermometer.(what's new)
November 13, 2006... The Ridgid[R] MicroRay[TM] IR-100 noncontact infrared thermometer has a sensitivity reading from -22[degrees] to 932[degrees]F (-30[degrees] to 500[degrees]C), with an accuracy of within [+ or -] 1.5 percent (2.7[degrees]). It features a large,...

Air conditioning capacity control.(what's new)
November 13, 2006... The new APR-410 control provides full-capacity modulation for all sizes of direct-expansion air conditioning systems that use R-410A, a hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant. It continuously and automatically matches a/c system capacity-output to...

Whole-house dehumidifier.(what's new)
November 13, 2006... The 1300, a 120-V whole-house dehumidifier, is designed to control excess humidity in any home. The coil removes excess moisture of up to 130 pints per day. The integral dehumidistat control automatically maintains the desired set point. The...

Through-the-wall air conditioning units.(what's new)
November 13, 2006... The THDC----P series of through-the-wall air conditioners offers three units: THDC-18-P, THDC-24-P, and THDC-30-P. The manufacturer's units are available in a new, shorter, 19-inch tall cabinet for special installations with limited height...

Nordyne distributors turn Los Cabos into 'Brandville' for meeting.(meeting update)
November 13, 2006... LOS CABOS, MEXICO -- Nordyne invited their Westinghouse, Tappan, and Frigidaire distributors 'south of the border' to focus their attention on the value of brand marketing in the new 13 SEER world. During the three days of meetings, the...

What a guy! And a heck of a teacher, too! In Letrick's case, fourth--not third--time turns out to be a charm.(2006 Best Instructor: WINNER: GUY LETRICK * MONMOUTH COUNTY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL)
November 13, 2006... FREEHOLD, N.J. -- Guy Letrick, voted No. 1 in the Best Instructor contest sponsored by The NEWS and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), is trying to buzz through the sandwich he brought from home. It is a tuna and mayonnaise...

Calling Professor Silberstein! Runner-up for best Instructor is always on-call for his students.(2006 Best Instructor: RUNNER-UP: EUGENE SILBERSTEIN * SUFFOLK COUNTY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL)
November 13, 2006... "I wasn't a big fan of school when I was a student. I appreciate the fact that these guys are working all day, and I want them to know that what they do is important. I am on their side, and I want them to know that I will be there for them."...

North Dakota Instructor on the move.(2006 Best Instructor: THIRD PLACE: MARK WOOD * NORTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE)
November 13, 2006... Whether recruiting, training, or testing HVACR students, Mark Wood --honored with third place in the Best Instructor contest sponsored by The NEWS and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI)--seems to be on the move. The...

Peters grows the HVAC college program.(2006 Best Instructor: THIRD PLACE: RAY PETERS * LINN STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE)
November 13, 2006... LINN, Mo. -- Instructor Ray Peters, of Linn State Technical College, has been teaching Residential Air Conditioning and Heating, Light Commercial Air Conditioning and Heating, and Commercial Refrigeration for decades. Peters' activity in...

Instructor encourages professionalism.(2006 Best Instructor: HONORABLE MENTION: DENNIS G. SOUKUP * COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA)
November 13, 2006... Dennis G. Soukup took over the reins of the HVAC program at the Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN) in spring 2003. Since then, enrollment at the Henderson, Nev., school has increased 35 percent, and the Industry Competency Exams (ICE)...

Teacher's style continues to evolve.(2006 Best Instructor: HONORABLE MENTION: JAMES ELLER * SINCLAIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE)
November 13, 2006... KETTERING, Ohio -- The The last few years have seen a lot of changes in the HVACR industry, and as can be expected, those changes are reflected in the classroom. James Eller of Sinclair Community College, an honorable mention honoree in the...

Putting students on the Fast Track.(2006 Best Instructor: HONORABLE MENTION: MARK TODD * MID MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE)
November 13, 2006... HARRISON, Mich. -- Persistence brought Mark Todd to HVAC instruction and hard work earned him an honorable mention in the Best Instructor contest sponsored by The NEWS and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI). After spending...

Instructor gives back to industry.(2006 Best Instructor: HONORABLE MENTION: DAN BARDEN * T.H. PICKENS TECHNICAL CENTER)
November 13, 2006... There are many reasons people get into teaching: shaping young minds, making a difference, and having the summers off. T.H. Pickens Technical Center HVAC instructor Dan Barden became a teacher to give back what was so generously given to...

HVAC contributes to oil independence.(FOCUS: NEW & EMERGING TECHNOLOGY)
November 13, 2006... Foreign oil dependency continues to monopolize daily headlines as repeated reports of global warming and ecosystem collapse are filed with local governments. New sources of energy and the technology used to achieve them, however, have been slow...

Chiller gets a retrofit.(FOCUS: NEW & EMERGING TECHNOLOGY)
November 13, 2006... EL CAJON, Calif. -- The county of San Diego's East County Family Resource Center is part of the Health and Human Services Agency and offers self-sufficiency services for a better quality of life for all individuals and families in San Diego...

Geothermal growing with higher efficiency.(FOCUS: NEW & EMERGING TECHNOLOGY)
November 13, 2006... FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- If you tell a consumer that an alternative energy source could lead to annual savings of nearly 8 billion kWh and nearly 40 trillion Btu of fossil fuels, they might not be impressed. Not because the information is...

RSES expands industry training efforts.(association update)
November 13, 2006... ATLANTA -- The Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES) is attempting to shake off what it feels the industry considers a members-only, refrigeration-focused image by promoting itself as "The HVACR Training Authority" and establishing...

Yankee contractors like Burnham event.(manufacturer update)
November 13, 2006... BRONX, N.Y. -- Al Munroe Jr. was in Yankee heaven. Literally. The contractor from Milford, Conn., could not believe he was sitting in the same dugout occupied by the 2006 New York Yankees, as well as former players who wore the Yankee...

Advantages of electric snow-ice melting.(meeting update)
November 13, 2006... There are a lot of high-profile examples of snow-ice melting systems in the United States. The Super Bowl champs played all of their home games in one, Heinz Field. Heinz Field, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2001, is designed with...