As
issues related to food safety continue to take a high priority in the minds of
consumers, those involved in the design of refrigeration equipment continue to
look at ways to keep foods in need of cooling or freezing at proper
temperature.
In 2003, the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Orlando, opened a new $63 million facility. The design for the center called for the latest technology in cancer diagnostics and care. But it also required creating a comfortable environment for patients and staff while being energy smart.
The service call that just won’t die is every technician’s worst nightmare. It is yo-yo syndrome: a job that keeps on breaking as soon as you get back to the shop, making you go back and forth. In this case, the contractor's commitment to training and equipping techs with the right tools for the job solved the mystery.
Last year The NEWS ran a series of articles on the “Young Guns of HVAC.” It was about young business owners who were making an impact on the trade. This time we are talking with the “old guns” - service techs that have made an impact on the trade long before any of the young guns were born.
Contractors in the United States have a few complaints about submitting refrigerant for reclamation. Among them are the costs and the complexity of reclamation options. Their counterparts in Canada point to a system in that country that seems to be a lot less costly and confusing. Canadian contractors simply take recovered refrigerant back to their local supply houses, drop it off - and forget about it.
It
is of utmost importance for service technicians to understand voltage
troubleshooting when servicing HVAC and refrigeration equipment. The majority
of service problems are electrical problems, which usually cause mechanical
problems. This article illustrates how to voltage troubleshoot using a
voltmeter.
The
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating
System is
most often identified with projects in which the primary climate control is
HVAC, such as in office buildings. But it is also gathering more and more
attention on the refrigeration side, especially in supermarkets.
To prevent miswiring, any
time you need to replace an electrical component, draw a picture of the
wiring connected to the component. Draw the picture so each of the individual
wires are identified and shown exactly how they are landed on the component.
The
Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) released a new training package
aimed at making it simpler for contractors and others to certify new employees
in the required Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on
refrigerant handling.
Joe Marchese provides his practical knowledge to mechanics at a steel plant five days a week, to students at a local community college a couple nights a week, to a growing audience of subscribers to his technical Website, and to readers of The NEWS with his monthly column.
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