Articles by Robert Beverly

It is difficult to imagine a city running out of water, but it’s no longer impossible. Water conservation is getting more important in the U.S., and HVAC systems on a large scale represent a chance to make an impact (or not).

That landmark in geothermal history was eventually followed by the Commonwealth Building in Portland, Oregon, which became the first commercial building in the U.S. to employ a geothermal system for heating and cooling.

Mechanical contractors in California should keep an eye on the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) as it continues work on a standard with a working title of Heat Illness Prevention in Indoor Places of Employment.

The bill, which lawmakers and stakeholders often refer to as Perkins V, was an update of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006. Perkins V represents the authorization (but not actual appropriation) of funds to support a range of career education opportunities, including HVAC-related training, for six years, beginning in July 2019.

As common as the duct leakage problem is, it’s also very easy to go in with less-than-adequate knowledge for solving the problem in customers’ homes due to all the possible variables in play.

On average, homeowners are coming to their HVAC decisions as better-informed consumers. That seems to be the consensus on the manufacturer side. That said, they are seeing not only more widespread interest in giving environmental concerns more priority in purchasing decisions, but also that this interest is more impervious to other circumstances than it might have been in past decades.

Different areas have particular needs and also embrace new technology at different speeds.

Developments in zoning capabilites have brought mini splits into the multiroom realm. And it goes without mention that the march of engineering progress has taken ductless systems on the road, into parts of the country where no mini split has ever gone before.

Some beliefs, like Greek mythology, last for generations because they contain a valuable lesson. Others, like these, are just ready to become ancient history.