At www.achrnews.com, The NEWS’ Extra Edition page is home to hundreds of online-exclusive service and maintenance, technical, and business-management articles. Here are some of the best.

Twelve Solutions for Fixing Common TEV Problems

When responding to a refrigeration service call at a supermarket, the refrigeration technician immediately plays “problem percentages” upon entering the store. Most refrigeration equipment breakdowns are repeat problems to some degree. Playing the percentages when responding to a service call enables the technician to get to the root source of a problem as quickly as possible to prevent perishable product loss. This article covers the higher-percentage problems and repair procedures of thermostatic expansion valves (TEVs).

The Critical Importance of Customer Relations

Everyone knows that you have to take care of your customers. However, many business owners forget that they have two kinds of customers: internal and external customers. Internal customers are all of the employees who work with you (and realize that I said “with” rather than “for”). External customers are those who physically write checks to you for the products and services you provide to them. This article discusses the similarities and differences between internal and external customer relations.

Brushing Up on Fiberglass Duct Insulation

HVAC fiberglass insulation meets four requirements of a duct system: 1) Temperature control — Delivering heated or cooled air at the temperature level best suited to building needs; 2) Acoustical control — Absorbing noise generated by air-handling equipment and by air moving through ducts; 3) Condensation control — Preventing condensation that could damage insulation and other HVAC system components or possibly lead to microbial growth; and 4) Energy conservation — Reducing HVAC system operating costs and energy use by lowering heat loss or gain through the air duct wall.

A Primer on Energy Recovery Ventilators

This article provides the basics on energy recovery ventilators (ERVs): what they are, what they do, how they are installed, and service recommendations. An ERV moves fresh outdoor air into a home while moving stale indoor air out of the home, to improve IAQ. Like a heat recovery ventilator (HRV), the ERV recovers the sensible energy (temperature) of the outgoing air stream. Unlike an HRV, the ERV also transfers latent energy (moisture).

Publication date: 11/18/2013

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