Tour & Andersson (TA) has announced the 2012 schedule for its TA Hydronic College seminars “The Three Hydronic Conditions” and “Investment and Energy Savings in Variable Flow Systems.” The company said the 2012 schedule brings the seminars into a number of new cities.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has announced a newly published guideline, ASHRAE Guideline 32-2012, Sustainable, High Performance Operation and Maintenance, that the organization says provides guidance on optimizing the operation and maintenance of buildings.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced the extension of its HVAC Business Partners Program, which provides training and support to HVAC contractors to use advanced diagnostic tools as part of national standards for quality maintenance of rooftop units.

Some people say that the compressor is the key component, or heart, of an air conditioning system. And like the human heart, the compressor must be kept in tip-top condition to run the system efficiently.

Some of the most common problems and solutions for smooth compressor operation can be found in training materials and on-the-job experience. There is also another method for educating HVAC contractors and service technicians — getting answers straight from the manufacturers.

Although overall standards of refrigeration maintenance remain high, at many facilities there is still room for improvement. Upgrading your company’s rotating-equipment maintenance procedures and eliminating unsound practices will help reduce the risk of failures that can lead to process shutdowns or spoilage of refrigerated product.

Bob and Tim have been sent on a routine service contract call to a new customer. The system is a gas furnace with central air conditioning. After changing the filter and oiling the fan motor, Tim went to the thermostat and caused the furnace to come on and they were looking at the burner when Tim said, “That gas flame doesn’t look right.”

It takes a trained tech to keep a building at its best.

Ideal for professional preventive maintenance and troubleshooting applications, the 160x120 thermal imager is an addition to the Test and Measurement line and M12™ Lithium-Ion system, the company says.

Bob and Tim are continuing a service call on a heat pump that has two failed auxiliary heaters. When they went to the supply house to get new heaters, they left wondering if the heat pump itself was operating up to capacity. After replacing the defective heaters, Bob suggested a visual inspection of the heat pump.