Do you ever feel like you don’t have the time to attend all the training and product introduction meetings that you would like to? Emerson Climate Technologies is bringing its resources closer to HVAC contractors across the country through its distribution network.
In order for a forced-air HVAC system to be truly efficient, attention needs to be given to the air distribution system as well as the efficiency of individual components, such as the condensing unit or furnace. All too often, however, ductwork doesn’t get the respect or attention it deserves.
Like other energy-saving measures, duct repair methods are finding more market acceptance among consumers, and for good reasons. The benefits include lower energy bills, decreased ecological impact, and improved comfort.
It’s well known that the number of Hispanic workers in the construction trades has been increasing and will continue to do so. It would seem that increasing language barriers could create problems on jobsites, especially regarding safety. However, signs point to the eventual decreasing of communication gaps as more immigrant populations become acculturated within the U.S.
Dean is a refrigeration contractor, and I always enjoy listening to his observations on business and life in general. It usually boils down to this: “It’s a goat rodeo.” I love trying to imagine what one of those would look like.
Consumer comfort with high-tech toys, combined with rising energy prices, have created a good market for manufacturers of thermostats and controls. It’s a far cry from a few years ago, when too many homeowners were too willing to override the energy-saving settings on their programmable t-stats.
White Castle restaurants claims many firsts (including being the first fast-food hamburger chain ever; first to sell a million hamburgers; and the first to offer frozen fast food). Now, the fast food chain is ordering top-quality expertise for its HVAC and kitchen exhaust systems for its restaurant.
“There’s a 500-pound gorilla in the attic and
he’s eating everybody’s lunch.” That gorilla, said Pat Chesney, is HVAC
leakage. Chesney is field and inspection manager for Tradewinds Appropriate
Technologies LLC, an independent, third-party inspection and consulting firm
for HVAC and residential energy analysis.
Pitfalls of installation, service, and
troubleshooting can be prevented or addressed with the use of smart
products, said Jim Kitchen, senior product manager for controls at Heatcraft
Refrigeration Products LLC. It’s true in the unitary market, and it’s true in
the commercial refrigeration market too. In the latter, problems such as too
many defrosts is an issue “that’s been going on for years.”
A commercial-industrial contractor like Hurst Mechanical
needs to stay on top of trends. In Michigan, for example, manufacturing is not the best place to focus attention. That market isn’t completely stagnant, but health care and related
industries are more likely to bear fruit. Smart systems and diagnostics are necessary in order
for the contractor to keep up with trends in any industry.