Components & AccessoriesTesting | Monitoring | ToolsSplit Systems

RectorSeal’s Mighty Bracket Flexes its Golden Muscles

Mini-split installations become a one-person job with this miscellaneous category gold-winning product

The Mighty Bracket™ mini-split support tool from RectorSeal Corp. is designed to make installation and maintenance of mini-splits an easy, one-person job. The Mighty Bracket clips to the mounting bracket of most mini-split brands and holds the unit securely in place during installation without damaging walls. It can be used with most brands of mini-spilt systems.

The Mighty Bracket hooks onto a mini-split unit’s mounting plate to hold the unit securely in place while a technician installs refrigerant lines, a condensate line, and an electrical hookup.

RectorSeal put two years of research into the design of the Mighty Bracket, including focus groups, surveys, and field tests.

“We are continuously improving the mini-split installation process for contractors, and we saw a lot of two-man installations and installers setting indoor units on top of ladders while they wired the equipment,” said Sean Holloway, national HVACR sales manager, RectorSeal. “The actual idea for the product came from the bits and pieces of information contractors gave us during feedback when we asked them what would make their mini-split installations easier, faster, or safer.

“Once we started working on it, we knew the eventual product would be a big hit if we made it durable and versatile,” Holloway added. “We field tested it with almost all of the new models from major equipment manufacturers to make sure we didn’t miss anything and to allow time to make any necessary adjustments or improvements to help optimize the design.”

Holloway noted that, al-though the Might Bracket was just introduced in January (in what he called “one of the most successful product launches we’ve ever been a part of in the HVACR market”), early feedback from the field is that contractors and technicians are not only appreciating the convenience of the product, but also its toughness.

“As lightweight as it is, it holds up to rough handling in the service truck and it doesn’t break or get damaged easily if dropped,” he said.

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Chris Campbell, general manager, Custom Design Heating and Cooling, Fredericksburg, Virginia, said his company installs more than 30 mini-split units each year. “Those who designed the Mighty Bracket knew what they were doing,” he said. “It’s really slick.”

According to Campbell, not only is the Mighty Bracket a labor-saver, it has well-thought-out and practical features such as padded surfaces that protect both the unit and customers’ walls from scratches.

“The Mighty Bracket is worth every penny,” Campbell said. “I‘d highly recommend it.”

A Dealer Design Awards judge praised the Mighty Bracket as “Ingenious — a great product that’s been needed for years.”

SILVER

Lightweight ABS plastic round access panels from Wallo Brands LLC are designed to provide permanent access points to service areas behind drywall ceilings or walls, such as ductwork air damper controls, electrical junction boxes, plumbing, and sprinkler systems. They feature snap-in installation, pop-out design, and spring-loaded clips to make installation and removal of the panels easy.

The self-contained panels require no framing, screws, latches, or fasteners. They are available in 4 ¾-, 7-, and 9-inch diameters; all work in walls or ceilings up to ¾-inch thick; and the units satisfy current (2012) building code requirements.

According to Wallo brands reps, the circular design offers an alternative to cumbersome and hard-to-install square access panels, and even the smallest size is wide enough to allow access for an adult male hand. Designed to complement a home’s décor, the panels can be painted, textured, or wallpapered to match a wide variety of decorating styles.

BRONZE

Veto Pro Pac LLC’s Tech Pac LT laptop backpack tool bag is designed to enable the safe and comfortable transport of a variety of tools and a laptop and/or tablet by professional tradesmen who need to climb ladders, frequently go up and down stairs, or walk long distances on a daily basis. It features a center panel, heavy-duty construction,
and a stabilizing injection-molded waterproof base that keeps the bag vertical when it’s set down. Its design allows technicians to protect, organize, and quickly access their tools and electronic devices.

With 27 pockets inside and out, the Tech Pac LT has ample room for hand tools, cable wires, a laptop, tablet, business accessories, and more. The center panel design offers dual bays with two storage platforms in each bay. The center panel design with the main tool storage options on each side centers and stabilizes the backpack.

The Tech Pac LT is also made for comfort with a thermo-formed EVA padded back panel that helps cushion the load (and also provides structural stability), a padded load-displacing shoulder strap system with multiple adjustment strap points, and an ergonomic rubber grip.