Higher energy costs are part of the legacy of this year's hurricanes. Now that many heating systems have been firing up, those costs are coming home to roost. Where can HVAC installers have the most impact on this problem? In a word, ductwork.
Eugene Silberstein earned Honorable Mention honors in the Best Instructor competition sponsored by The NEWS and ARI. His current position at Suffolk County Community College, Brentwood, N.Y., is fairly recent; the program itself started up in 2003 with Silberstein at the head.
Vancouver General Hospital anticipated elevated mold counts from upcoming demolition projects. The primary concern was the surgical center's outdoor air supply. As often happens, however, when the professionals started looking to provide protection from the demolition, they found unexpected problems with the mechanical system.
Indoor pool rooms, or natatoriums, can offer commercial HVAC contractors opportunities for more profitable work if they are willing to open their minds to the entire room, not just their system.
If HVAC systems had been around during what probably was the best-known pandemic, the Bubonic Plague, how would the system operators have responded? It's a question worth pondering due to the growing concern over the spread of the avian influenza.
"Sound and vibration control is becoming more important in HVAC," says Tim Kuski of Greenheck. "Sound and vibration are very closely related. The relationship between the two has to do with the frequency at which a vibration or pulsation occurs."
Sam's Town Resort & Casino upgraded its HVAC system because the previous filtration system wasn't meeting expectations - the ventilation system couldn't control the humidity and maintain a set point. Also, the owners wanted to be proactive in addressing second-hand smoke exposure.
It's almost impossible to talk about acceptable IAQ in spaces where smoking is allowed, said Larry Schoen, P.E. Schoen only talks about comfort, not health, in relation to facilities where smoking is allowed. Here he lists his top criteria for improving the comfort of a smoking space.
The HVACR communities are starting to assess the damage done to the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, both to the systems they work on and the HVACR businesses themselves. Some companies have been deeply involved in the grueling restoration work.