The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tried a bit of muscle flexing as 2011 started and promptly ran into some roadblocks, while at the same time causing the HVACR industry to keep an even more watchful eye on what the EPA may do next.
Part 1 of this series discussed methods to significantly reduce recovery times and brazing techniques to significantly reduce the time required for evacuation. This article covers system commissioning, including tools and techniques that reduce the time required for pressure testing, evacuation, setting airflow, charging, and performance testing.
Doing it right does not mean adding hours to the job. In fact, with the right tools you can do it right and save a ton of time. In this two-part series, I will discuss several ways to make your technicians faster and more productive during a typical replacement of a split system a/c unit or heat pump.
Criminal behavior and running from the law are likely the furthest things from the mind of the everyday HVACR contractor or technician. It is important, however, that these individuals understand the responsibilities inherent to those who work with what is classed as hazardous materials and greenhouse gases.
Every year there was at least one unexplainable low-refrigerant service call, but when more than 10 occurred in 2009, executives at HVAC contractor Advanced Air and Refrigeration suspected more than phantom leaks. Professional thieves were the initial suspects. But the company soon determined the problem was due to huffing.
The 10 winners of the 2011 AHR Expo Innovation Awards represent some of the most innovative new products in the HVACR industry, according to the judges, members of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), who evaluated submissions based on innovation, application, value to the user, and market impact.
While refrigeration in supermarkets information ran throughout sessions at the Food Marketing Institute Energy & Store Development Conference, it also found itself as a stand-alone topic during several concurrent breakout sessions and as a front and center focus of a general session.
A recurring theme in refrigeration over the years has been efforts to bring equipment running on hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants to the United States market. The first foray in this regard has been to establish a beachhead in domestic refrigerators, as such equipment running on the HC propane is common in Europe.
With each passing day, more laws around the world are prohibiting the venting of refrigerants during service work. This requires contractors and technicians to update and educate themselves about the latest refrigerant recovery machines, especially when planning to purchase one.
With the approach of 2010, the industry will be faced with a shift in both refrigerants and system lubricants. The impending phaseout of chlorine-based refrigerants mandates that the industry move to lubricants that work satisfactorily with the new hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants.
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