The UltraTech™ communicating system, which will be available later this year, is designed to share information system-wide, improving the installation and reducing callbacks.
According to the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), April’s combined air conditioning and air-source heat pump shipments were up 7 percent over last year, totaling 559,774. The year-to-date shipment totals, down 24 percent from 2006, are approximately 2 million units.
The UltraTech™ communicating system, which will be available later this year, is designed to share information system-wide, improving the installation and reducing callbacks.
Contractors rode much the same roller coaster that manufacturers and distributors did in 2006. The ever-changing HVAC industry and the multiple factors that affect it brought instability to the arena as contractors adapted to the challenges. The HVAC contractor market primarily mirrored 2006’s construction market. Residential HVAC experienced an expected cooling-off period, but commercial HVAC continued its three-year climb.
Johnson Controls Inc. sold Bristol Compressors Inc. to KPS Capital Partners LP, a private equity firm. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The bulge in the supply chain eased in 2006 as distributors adeptly addressed the inventory bottleneck that resulted from the mandatory changes in SEER minimums. Overall, 2006 shipments were down 7.5 percent as compared to 2005.
The gauntlet was thrown down and the challenge was met as HVAC manufacturers took on their biggest test of 2006: Mandated 13 SEER implementation. Although prepared for an intense journey, situations arose throughout 2006 that left this facet of the HVAC industry digging deep to find the solutions.
Staying safe requires vigilance and the proper tools. Carelessness can be overridden with appropriate training and proper management; however, it also takes the correct tools to reduce the risk of worker injury. The Mack Rack and Kart System is a rack and a cart combined, designed to ease the lifting and transporting of large, heavy objects.
Labor demands, diminishing labor pools, graying technicians, and technological advances are creating a gap in the current HVAC workforce. Unions, associations, and educators across the nation, however, are providing new research and programs to bridge the workforce gap.
Clear Seas Research, a newly developed business-to-business market research company, offers a ready audience, industry knowledge, and relevant insight as it begins to service the specific information needs of the HVAC industry.