The evolution of an industry and its impact on society often make an interesting study. Take portable air conditioning: Introduced to America in 1983 by Denso, a Japanese manufacturer of automotive products, portable air conditioning was first designed to cool workers on the assembly line.
With all the late-spring heat scorching the country, air conditioning systems are being asked to perform up to their full capacity in many areas. When they can’t keep up, for whatever reason - breakdown, replacement, or simple undersizing - portable cooling systems can literally get clients out of a tight spot.
Does it make a lot of sense for a commercial HVAC contractor, who specializes in rooftop unit service and replacement, to market his wares on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter? If you had suggested this to Jon Lazarus a few years ago, he might have wanted to find a straitjacket for you. But not now.
This is a product round-up for new high-efficiency systems for light commercial and commercial applications. It highlights a variety of rooftop units and air handlers.
Safety is a priority when working on any mechanical equipment, but it is especially heightened when the equipment weighs several thousand pounds and is located on a roof. Some contractors schedule days and weeks on the installation and service for one client alone.
HVACR contractors who do work in the hotel-motel sector probably know it already - there is what has been described as “fundamental contradictions of sustainability in the hospitality industry.” For example, there may be a lot of talk of going green, but that may not mean action.
The moisture content in a school’s building envelope can provide the medium that mold needs for incubation and growth. Whether a school is under construction or unoccupied during the summer break, it likely is without an HVAC system to help control moisture. Without humidity control, school buildings can become a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
If you believe industry statistics, the future is bright for people interested in careers as techs and installers. If you believe in the current state of the economy, then optimism is tempered. Or you might be somewhere in the middle. These different viewpoints form the basis of what HVAC contractors are looking at as the summer 2011 hiring season heats up.
The NEWS’ annual Cooling Showcase has traditionally introduced the latest air conditioning units available for the upcoming summer season. The intent is to help contractors prepare for this busy period by doing the research that will help them to distinguish between brands. In this issue, we focus on the commercial side of the air conditioning industry.
The poor economy has been hard on commercial businesses. In some cases, HVAC contractors still have service agreements with local malls and office buildings, but often, that work is being outsourced to national maintenance organizations. HVAC contractors have partnered with these organizations. Some sing their praises while others now turn and run.
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