Nationwide Market Is Running at 86 Percent of Normal
December 9, 2013
Housing markets in 54 out of the approximately 350 metro areas nationwide returned to or exceeded their last normal levels of economic and housing activity, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI).
The season was getting colder and heating calls were beginning to come in. Bob and Tim were riding to a large residence that had three heat pumps to provide heating and cooling for the structure and Tim asked a question, “Why are heat pumps so popular?”
For engineers, designers, and contractors, determining the right HVAC system for their commercial and industrial building projects is critically important. An air curtain may be a small part of a building’s HVAC package, but it can help turn a good building design into a great building design.
If companies with federal contracts or subcontracts are found to be non-compliant in regard to equal employment and affirmative action, they can face mandatory changes in their employment policies as well as bad publicity.
Unpredictable Fluctuations in Renewable Energy Create Challenges for Utilities
November 18, 2013
One of the challenges of relying on renewable energy, such as solar and wind, is that changes in weather conditions can lead to sudden drops in the amount of power provided. One way utilities can handle this is by “shedding,” or reducing, some of their electrical load.
Our troubleshooting problem involves a split system heat pump in which the outdoor unit is operating in an 85°F ambient, and when you arrive in response to the customer’s no cooling complaint, you find the indoor fan operating normally, and you also note that 240 volts is read at L1 and L2 of the outdoor unit.
Contractor Tabs Aquatherm Blue Pipe for Boiler System Retrofit
November 4, 2013
For the retrofit of a boiler system installed in the 1960s, the contractor selected Aquatherm Blue Pipe® polypropylene-random (PP-R) piping for the job because of its flexibility and material and labor cost savings.
How can you not like a book that begins, “The future is not what it used to be,” quoting Laura Riding and Robert Graves from 1937? The book Millennial City: How a New Generation Can Save the Future, by Dennis Walsh and Glen Hiemstra, addresses the millennial generation and the near future.
The 32-Story, 1.2 Million-Square-Foot Tower Is Located in Lower Manhattan
November 4, 2013
Automated Logic Corp. (ALC), a leading provider of building automation systems, is providing critical building monitoring and control for Intergate.Manhattan, believed to be the world’s tallest high-rise data center.
Bob and Tim were doing a routine service contract call. They had fastened gauges to the compressor at the condensing unit and had a temperature lead fastened to the suction line at the evaporator coil. They were observing the pressures and temperatures and Tim said, “The suction pressure is not stable. Isn’t it supposed to be stable during a long running cycle?”