Letters: 05/05/2008

Length of Hair Might Split Hairs

In regard to Mark Skaer’s editorial [“Hairy Today, Gone Tomorrow? Observations From NYC”] in the Feb. 4 NEWS, it seems pretty evident that Florida is not having as much of a shortage of HVAC techs like the Northeast is. No facial hair, no sideburns, an in-house barbershop. Seems over the top to me, but if it works for them, then good for them. I can tell you it would not fly in the New York metro area.

As long as our techs look neat, have on a clean uniform, and know how to treat customers, their facial hair and the hair on top of their head does not matter.

Lou Torsello
Vice President
O’Neill Contracting Inc.
Bergenfield, N.J.  

Taking Photographs Is Forbidden

Mike Murphy wrote an editorial in the Feb. 25 issue about photos at the [AHR] expo. I feel we should enforce the rules already in effect.

I am a distributor of building automation controls and get great value in photographing exhibits and cutaways of the brands we already handle. I do ask permission. These shots are valuable later when we hold training meetings to illustrate the products we are discussing. I consider it an important part of my show attendance.

I strongly suggest that, if the exhibitors don’t want pictures taken by someone they consider a possible competitive threat, they should be aggressive enough to stand in front of their camera and tell them they don’t want pictures taken. I don’t think a policy change will fix it.

W. Kerk Farrell
President
National Energy Control Corp.
Havertown, Pa.  

Destruction, Not Reclamation

Thank you Peter Powell, for covering the Refrigerant Management Canada (RMC) program in your [March 31] article titled “Canadian Reclaim Sets Standard.”

I am writing this to clarify some of the content so that readers better understand the program. RMC is strictly about destruction of surplus ODS [ozone-depleting substance] refrigerants. The program is not involved with reclamation of refrigerants.

The three RMC collection service providers listed in the article are also reclamation companies and take back refrigerant from wholesalers for reclamation purposes. Refrigerant that is tagged at the wholesaler for RMC is put through for destruction as long as the cylinder contains a CFC or HCFC.

The only testing RMC does to the cylinders of returned refrigerant is to confirm the cylinder contains a CFC and/or HCFC (and is therefore eligible for the program) as well as determining that there are no PCBs contained in the contents. In addition, the RMC levy is only collected on sales of virgin and reclaimed HCFCs and HCFC blends.

I trust this clarifies some of the details of the program and once again, thank you for providing this information to your readers. 

Warren Heeley
President
Refrigerant Management Canada/Heating,
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Institute of Canada
Mississauga, Ontario  

Thanks for the Information

Thanks to Mike Murphy for his article in the April 7, 2008, edition of The NEWS. I didn’t know that there was a Women in HVACR organization! I purchased a membership as soon as I finished the article, and then I passed the Website along to the women I know in the industry. What a great thing he’s done by featuring this group in his article.

I would be delighted to see more women making careers in this industry as I have, and will definitely volunteer to make that happen.

Joanna Holt
Regional Sales Manager
Nordyne Inc.
Bay City, Texas

Send correspondence via e-mail to letters@achrnews.com.

Publication date: 05/05/2008