Author: dpadmin

It’s only been 20-odd days, and already 2017 has brought with it a whirlwind of change. While many people are busy watching the news or protesting in the streets, HVAC contractors are making preparations. They have less than a year to get ready for the “largest energy-saving standard in history”. The US Department of Energy (DOE’s) new [energy conservation standards for commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, and commercial warm-air furnaces] are set to take effect January 1, 2018. In other words, new rooftop HVAC efficiency regulations are going into effect in 2018, and contractors need to start preparing now! The DOE estimates the new rooftop HVAC standard will save 1.7 trillion kWh over 30 years. In addition, the changes have the potential to net building owners up to $10,000 over the life of a single rooftop unit. The standards will take effect in two phases. But with less than a whole year to go until the first phase, are HVAC contractors ready? Continue reading “New Rooftop HVAC Efficiency Regulations Are Going Into Effect In 2018”

Wearable technology like smart watches, glasses, and cameras are huge in law enforcement, construction, and even sports and action/adventure-based fields. But in 2017, it is also breaking into new fields most people might not have ever considered before. One such field is the HVAC industry. Several companies across the United States have already begun implementing wearable technology as part of their technicians’ standard equipment. As a result, contractors can share and review their work with consumers and utilize the recordings for educational and training purposes. But that’s not the only reason wearable technology is becoming popular in the HVAC industry in 2017. Continue reading “Wearable Technology Is Becoming Popular in the HVAC Industry – Industry News”

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.

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.