It’s time again for the annual Cooling Showcase. For those who are unfamiliar withThe News’annual issue, it has traditionally introduced the latest air conditioning units available for the upcoming summer season. The intent is to help contractors prepare for this busy period by doing the research that will help them to distinguish between brands.

Like last year, this year’s Cooling Showcase is split into two parts — commercial and residential. In this issue, we are focusing on the commercial side of the air conditioning industry, and, in two weeks, our April 22 issue will highlight new offerings in the residential cooling market. Included in the coverage is feature-specific information about each individual product as submitted by the manufacturers.

On The News' home page, click on Cooling Showcase Charts at the bottom of the left-hand column to view the product grid, which includes technical facts, such as unit tonnage, refrigerant type, efficiency rating, and cooling capacity, as well as available warranties. The feature story "Chill Out With New Equipment For 2002" in this issue provides more in-depth information on the features of each individual unit and also includes technical support information from the manufacturer. The manufacturers provided all of the data included in the product grid, as well as the descriptions included in the feature story. Therefore, any questions should be directed to them via the contact information provided in the feature section.

Publication date: 04/08/2002