Articles by Angela D. Harris

Coming from a comprehensive history of HVAC experience, Eric Knaak, vice president and general manager of Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning, has been elected incoming ACCA chairman. The Rochester, New York-based company has been his home since June 5, 1989, when he walked through the door and began a job that would turn into his career.

Visitors at the Titus booth did more than just look at the products on display; they experienced them. Highlighting its advanced technology applications, the manufacturer took attendees on a trip through its new augmented reality (AR) platform. Built to interact with its virtual reality (VR) platform that was launched a few years ago, the new AR program allows users to experience Titus products by actually putting them in a finished application.

The company kicked off the AHR Expo with a press conference, where Chris Peel, president and CEO of Rheem, announced the company’s commitment to a sustainability platform — A Greater Degree of Good — as well as its 2025 sustainability commitments tied to ‘Designing for Zero Waste’ and its upcoming 100-year anniversary. Manufacturing products that demonstrate sustainability, decreased waste, and increased efficiency will become a stronger focus for Rheem.

It was a celebration for Yellow Jacket as the company kicked off its 70th anniversary. In a square booth with a large, lit banner, attendees were invited to explore what the company had produced from 1949 to 2019.

One of Trane’s missions is to reduce the energy intensity of the world, and the company believes that the way to do this is through education. Trane’s theme at this year’s AHR Expo was “Knowledge Becomes Power.” Scattered across the displays were attendees with headsets piped directly in to what the professionals had to teach.

From spin-offs to new refrigerants, Honeywell has made several changes to its business — some that were reflected at this year’s expo. One of the changes began in August of 2018, as the company announced the spinoff of Honeywell’s Homes and ADI Global Distribution business into Resideo Technologies Inc.

Fujitsu General America Inc. has gone from 300 to over 3,000 SKUs in its offerings on the unitary product ducted line in approximately one year.

Contractors and technicians asked for equipment improvements and they found it at Bosch Thermotechnology Corp. The company listened to the feedback from its customers and did some tweaking to make its products save time, energy, and money. These are three important areas for Bosch when it comes to both commercial and residential, especially in product sectors that are more mature than others.

In one of its sections on TXVs, the book points out that “this component is widely used for nearly all types of air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The advantage of the TXV is its ability to automatically adjust to match the load, as it is designed to sense changes in the refrigeration load and respond to them.”