You might not think that a picture framing business could teach mechanical service contractors very much. You might want to re-think that. Jay Goltz of The Goltz Group, an Artists’ Frame Service, spoke at the Mechanical Service Contractors Association (MSCA) Educational Conference about customer service.
An interesting trend has been developing in the unitary HVAC market. Heat pump growth is outpacing that of central air conditioners and is expected to continue to do so according to reports from the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute. Where are they going?
Replacing both the indoor and outdoor unitary system coils is "the only way to offer a customer an ARI-certified matching system," said Drew Cameron, HVAC Sellutions. "We are using certificates from the ARI Website to differentiate ourselves and eliminate competition."
There has been a lot of information to pass along to customers regarding higher-efficiency (13 SEER and up) air conditioning systems. Sometimes too much information can be almost as bad as not enough. Sometimes the best option is not to offer too many options.
With the higher-efficiency unitary systems mandated this year, many contractors have had to find ways to install larger indoor coils in tight spaces for system replacements. Another concern was making sure that the system delivered the efficiency its customers were paying for.
Sure, celebrity homes can develop poor IAQ. A couple of years ago, the stachybotrys in Ed McMahon's home was blamed for the death of his pet dog. So it wasn't a total surprise when The NEWS' found out that Dom DeLuise's home had a mold problem.
Ray Peters' activity in recruiting students and donations, and constantly striving to make his department's program the best it can be, is why he is one of the third-place winners in the Best Instructor contest.
Aging Baby Boomers are driving the senior housing market. This may open up multifamily installation opportunities for the HVAC industry - opportunities to address specific needs of residents and management - and some unique design challenges.
How does an HVAC contracting company protect its employees when working in an area with infectious diseases? How best to protect the patients in these facilities? These questions have been on the minds of many commercial contractors, but particularly those who work on systems for the health care industry.
Amid patient and staff complaints about temperature and humidity are the realities of maintenance and budget and an increased awareness of the need for infectious disease containment. HVAC contractors need to be aware of these needs, plus others, in order to work effectively in the health care market.