Have you ever heard this statement: “I wish I could find people to go into our trade?” Maybe this statement sounds familiar, too: “Kids these days do not want to work in the heating and air conditioning field.” The lack of a qualified work force affects not only our HVACR trade, but also many other skilled trades.
Mini-split HVAC systems have been gaining acceptance for residential add-ons, as well as commercial space reconfigurations. Their increasing efficiency and recognized flexibility is also making them more accepted in applications that typically go to central HVAC systems.
The trends in the ductless market are similar to those affecting the rest of the industry, said Aaron Thomas, duct-free split systems product manager for Carrier Corp. In reference to the company’s EEZ™ duct-free system, he said those trends are higher efficiencies and changing refrigerants.
A saying has been gaining a lot of popularity, and it can be applied to many areas of life: It is what it is. It’s a statement of acceptance, and maybe one that expresses feelings of futility at fighting an inevitability, but it does not necessarily apply to HVAC system design, at least not for McGrath Refrigeration, Knox, Ind.
We heat it, cool it, humidify and dehumidify it, clean it, move it, supply it, return it, and monitor it. Somehow, however, we have forgotten, never learned, or perhaps never were taught how to properly measure and set proper airflow.
Last year, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) and United Transportation Union (UTU) announced plans to merge into a new 230,000-member union called the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART). However, to date, not all is going as planned.
In the eyes of Kalen Cartwright, operations manager at Current Mechanical, contractors should not hesitate in offering summer employment for HVACR students. Cartwright is one case in point. He interned for two summers for Ted Current. When all was said and done, Current liked what he saw and made an offer the then 22-year-old could not refuse.
HVACR
contractors who don’t necessarily want to learn all the ins and outs of
room-by-room heat loss-gain calculations - you know who you are - can still
improve their installation and service results by using an energy-rating
company as a subcontractor. This, in turn, can reduce callbacks and unbillable
labor.
To
the rest of us, it would seem that California building owners would probably lead
the country in wanting to do the green thing. It might be a relief to know that
these consumers are just as heavily influenced by energy savings as the rest of
us - and, unfortunately, just as strongly swayed by first costs.
Given
the benefits of a whole-home air cleaner versus a portable air cleaner, why is
there such a disparity in the number sold - especially since virtually all
major brands in the HVAC channel have launched new air cleaner models with
improved technologies and performance? Let’s
examine some possible reasons.
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