It’s time again for the annual Commercial Cooling Showcase. The NEWS’ annual issues have 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.

The light commercial WeatherMaker® Series rooftops unit sizes have been expanded up to 27.5 tons. With an AHRI-certified rating of up to 10.4 EER, the new WeatherMaker® 48/50TC unit offers highly efficient indoor fan motors and handled access doors.

New technology in the HVAC industry stretches past equipment breakthroughs and component enhancements. Ancillary software and communication elements are often keys to making advanced heating and cooling solutions run correctly.

Every year The NEWS introduces the latest heating equipment available for the upcoming winter season. This Heating Showcase issue covers the commercial market.

This Heating Showcase photo feature provides in-depth information on the features of each individual unit.

One thing that contractors can agree on is ease of installation and servicing makes their work life better and simpler. That’s something that the winners of the 2011 Dealer Design Awards in the Light Commercial category have in common.

Does it make a lot of sense for a commercial HVAC contractor, who specializes in rooftop unit service and replacement, to market his wares on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter? If you had suggested this to Jon Lazarus a few years ago, he might have wanted to find a straitjacket for you. But not now.

This is a product round-up for new high-efficiency systems for light commercial and commercial applications. It highlights a variety of rooftop units and air handlers.

Safety is a priority when working on any mechanical equipment, but it is especially heightened when the equipment weighs several thousand pounds and is located on a roof. Some contractors schedule days and weeks on the installation and service for one client alone.

Some years ago it was common for air-cooled condensers to develop leaks, resulting in unpredictable shorter service life. By studying the causes, it’s possible to come up with solutions. It became obvious that vibration was the major culprit, and thermal expansion/contraction creates some specific problems where the hot gas first enters the coil.