Author: dpadmin

Every season has its fair share of challenges. For your HVAC system, winter can be one of the most challenging. Here are the top five problems that can arise during the wintertime.

1. Freezing Pipes

As temperatures decrease and ice begins to form, coils and pipes can be subjected to freezing. This can result in a systemwide failure. Hydronic systems, like steam radiators and water heaters, could cause the water to stop flowing. And there is nothing worse than not having hot water during the cold winter months.

In extreme cases, the frozen pipes can burst, and the damage can be more catastrophic. This is why it is always important to double check your pipes and systems to ensure there is no freezing, and if there is, contact a professional HVAC company to come inspect it.

2. Inadequate Airflow and Temperature Regulation

HVAC systems that aren’t optimized and inspected for winter could lead to irregular temperatures in the house. Imagine the frustration when you discover one room is colder than the other. Uneven airflow isn’t always an HVAC problem, but if your windows and doors are properly closed, and there are no holes or leaks you are aware of, then it could be an HVAC issue.

3. The Heat Pump Could Malfunction

Not all homes are heated equally. Some rely on heat pumps that are usually outside. Winter weather can cause damage to them, such as coil blockage and broken fans. Another common issue is defrost failure. A properly working heat pump requires its fans and coils to be clear of frost and ice. Luckily, some options allow for automatic defrosting. But in older heat pumps (and malfunctioning ones) you may have to manually scrape the ice and frost off.

4. Heater Filters Need Cleaning

When a heater is overused, the filter can become filled with dirt, dust, and debris. A blocked filter will decrease the air flow, which means the home will be cooler. And unfortunately, not many people realize that they have poor air circulation.

5. The Thermostat is broken

At times, the issue isn’t with the hardware, rather, the thermostat itself. There could be some electronic issue, possibly a faulty wire. It can be a simple fix that can solve a huge problem! A functioning thermostat controls the temperature and can promote energy efficiency.

Warehouses are the pillars of the supply chain for any company. While companies lease or own their spaces, many things need to be considered to make them space-efficient.

Warehouse spaces have seen a rise in demand over the last five years. With the rise of eCommerce sales and return rates, rationalizing warehouse space is becoming an essential part of the job.

Maintaining a comfortable environment for a warehouse is crucial to the success of the employees working there. The temperature for storing products might also need careful consideration, depending on the sensitivity of them. Because the indoor environment of a warehouse should always be the top priority of many large businesses, regular commercial HVAC maintenance is incredibly important.

Common Temperature Control Problems

In warehouses, temperature control is one of the most commonly requested maintenance repairs. During the summer, the temperature can rise to extremes and make workers unconformable. It may also damage products. In the winter, the temperatures can be bitter cold.

Maintaining the temperature of a warehouse can be fairly complicated due to its massive volume and size, and the abundance of windows and large doors can lead to leaks. For this reason, properly ventilated warehouses are critical for both the workers and products.

How HVAC Systems Solve Ventilation and Temperature Problems in Warehouses

Advancements in technology have led to highly efficient HVAC systems. Modern systems can be designed to direct air conditioning to areas where it is needed, such as places where workers frequently work. Also, a well-maintained ventilation system will help with the airflow, making it a better breathing environment for the employees.

HVAC systems are crucial for every commercial building, but they are incredibly important for the safety and comfort of your warehouse employees.

At times of great devastation, it’s important for communities and countries to come together to help those in need. Johnson Controls is doing just that by offering discounts to homeowners in Texas who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. To qualify, residents must live within the designated disaster area as defined by FEMA. The rebates can be used towards the replacement of air-conditioning, heating, and ventilation equipment.

Which Products Qualify?

There are several products that qualify for the rebate, with ones that provide the best Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) offering the best rebates. The more efficient the product, the better. Certain products from Champion, Fraser, Cole, Luxaire, Johnston, Guardian, and Evcon qualify. For air conditioners, if they have a SEER of 20, there is a $250 rebate. It’s $200 for an 18 rating, $150 for 16/17, and $100 for 14. For furnaces, there is a $150 rebate for 90% AFUE models, and $75 for 80% AFUE.

How To Apply

To apply for the rebate, homeowners or Johnson Controls employees can visit johnsoncontrols.com/harvey, or call (855)324-3650. The rebates cannot be used with other rebate offers, but fortunately they can apply retroactively. At the same website, homeowners will find a locater to find certified dealers in their area to make sure that they have a trusted source for their new equipment.

Other Initiatives

Johnson Controls also encourages everyone to donate to the Red Cross to help the recovery effort. The company already donates $500,000 every year to the charity, but have a spot on the site to donate. They’ve also set up a Harvey Relief Fund for employees who have fallen victim to the hurricane. Johnson Controls will match all donations to the fund as well. They have also created a team within the company to help with a strategy to meet the needs of affected employees.

Johnson Controls has stated that its prime concern is with the health and the needs of its employees. With the rebate initiative, and the relief fund for employees, they are showing that everyone must come together to help when disaster strikes.

Everyone from the professional contractor to the average homeowner experiences frustration with color-coded equipment. HVAC professionals deal with an entire color wheel of refrigerant cylinder colors. There are so many, in fact, that the issue has prompted the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute to take action. New revisions in AHRI Guideline N, “Assignment of Refrigerant Container Colors” state that all refrigerant containers should be a universal gray-green color by 2020. The guideline is a means of equipment identification. However, increasing numbers of approved colors and equipment has lead to concern about confusion among colors that look too similar. Find out how HVAC refrigerant cylinders expected in uniform color by 2020 will affect the market and the industry.

HVAC Refrigerant Cylinders Expected in Uniform Color by 2020

Concerns Behind the Change

Colors are added to equipment in many industries as a safety precaution. For example, refrigerants have different operating pressures and some contain flammable properties that pose serious safety hazards. In addition, using refrigerants in the wrong application can lead to equipment damage, which means expensive repairs. With so many new refrigerants on the market, the new guideline will ensure safe and proper use for contractors.

Support for the Change

AHRI conducted a survey of contractors, suppliers, technicians, and more to determine if the many colors used for refrigerant identification was confusing. More than half of the participants said that they were. As a result, the new change stipulates that all containers will be a universal color, but their individual packages may maintain the original unique assigned color. The goal is to have contractors and other handlers rely more on the labels to identify individual refrigerants.

Concerns for the Change

Ultimately, the cartons or packaging for refrigerant cylinders is not changing. Only the cylinders themselves are getting a new look. Therefore, assigned colors being used today will still appear on cylinder cartons in 2020. In the end, the change to the cylinders will not necessarily make anything easier for contractors. Rather it means that contractors will have to pay more attention to the labels instead of relying on the colors for identification.

The inaugural Service World Convention 2016 was just held at the end of October at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. The event was presented by Service Nation Inc. and BNP Media, who wanted to do something beyond a traditional seminar. As a result, Service World Convention provided one of the most impressive lineups of keynote speakers, educational seminars, and face-to-face networking opportunities many attendees had ever seen. Consequently, more than 700 HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors attended the event from all over the country. CEO Matt Michael commented on the turnout: “If Service World is this good right out of the chute, imagine how much better it will be in 2017. Every contractor owes it to their business to attend Service World every year.” But what was it that made the Las Vegas HVAC convention so successful?

Las Vegas HVAC Convention – Service World 2016

Renowned Industry Leaders

Event organizers recruited an impressive lineup of industry leaders to speak at the convention. Hudson Inc. CEO Adam Hudson and “Blue Collar Coach” Kenny Chapman were among the keynote speakers. In addition, former race-car driver turned motivational speaker, Derek Daly, gave a heartfelt appeal to all HVAC contractors in attendance. “The greatest power we all possess is the power to choose,” he said. “You must make a choice to step closer to extraordinary because, if you do, it doesn’t matter what your competition does.”

Training Seminars

Training and educational seminars were provided in four categories, or “lanes”. These included leadership, sales, business development, and marketing. Todd Liles, founder of Service Excellent Training, provided an in-depth panel on hiring millennials. The presentation was titled Killing the Professional: How to Create a Sustainable Team Member. During his speech, he spoke of the importance of the hiring process and of hiring millennials. “Millennials think differently than older generations. Is it bad? No, but it’s different,” he said. “Millennials are not the future, they’re our now. We have to be flexible and willing to do what it takes to find the help we need.”

A Great Success

Service World Convention 2016 drew more than 700 attendees, all made up of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors. Organizers are already beginning to plan next year’s convention, as a result of the enormous success of the Las Vegas HVAC convention. The 2017 Service World Convention is set to take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.