Portable cooling is most often thought of in terms of an emergency. But it can be useful for long-term special applications that don't require permanent cooling. It may also be needed when a facility schedules maintenance that requires shutting down cooling systems.
As a building owner, being prepared means having a contingency plan ready to implement in case things go wrong. For critical applications, it could be hazardous to be without part or all of the HVAC system.
The 2004 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) offered a plethora of new portable heating and cooling equipment, from equipment used to cool workers on an assembly line to a new ceiling fan designed to heat otherwise cool rooms.
It's not easy being a portable cooling unit. They can be jostled and bumped on the back of a truck. They may be surrounded by harsh weather and/or extreme heat. It can all be in a day's work for a rugged portable unit.
Creating a great place to work is one of the top priorities for the owners of Pacific Aire Inc. Its empowered employees make the company the West/Pacific Region winner in The News' 2003 "Best Contractor To Work For" contest.
The first Innovation Awards, presented at last year's International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), generated so much interest that it only made sense to have another competition in 2004. As a result, another set of eight Innovation Awards will be presented at this year's AHR Expo, which will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center Jan. 26-28.
Contractors planning to go to the AHR Expo should also think about attending a few of the 100 sessions that will be presented at the Winter Meeting of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
The 2004 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo), which will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center Jan. 26-28, will be larger than any previous West Coast AHR Expo, according to the show's management company.
Residential new construction is not an area in which you would expect to see many high-end furnaces. Builders often choose the least expensive units. Some manufacturers are starting to target this market, though, by introducing base models of higher efficiency furnaces.
Forecasters are warning this winter may be colder than normal. The residential price of natural gas is expected to rise higher. But that's good news for the heating industry, since many homeowners are expressing greater interest in high-end furnaces.
