SAN ANTONIO — For years, one of the highlights of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America’s (MCAA’s) Annual Convention has been the economic forecast offered by Brian Beaulieu, CEO of ITR Economics in Manchester, New Hampshire.

B&I, based in Fort Myers, Florida, is one of a growing number of contractors across the country to adopt “lean construction” techniques: a plug-and-play approach to construction that lets workers prefab a project off-site, section by section. Then, at the job site, all that remains is putting the pieces together.

Vertical Mechanical Group is a full-service HVAC and plumbing contractor that specializes in large-scale commercial projects such as hotels and multi-family residential buildings.

Designing a forced-air system for proper air movement and efficiency is a challenge faced by multiple players in the HVAC industry.

This product forces heated or cooled air down to floor level, eliminating temperature layers in the ceiling space.

Rated for indoor and outdoor covered spaces, this fan can cover up to 23,000 square feet.

Suitable for roof or wall mounted applications, this product is ideal for areas that have little or no ductwork.

The 2019 edition of ASHRAE/IES 90.1 will use the new fan energy index (FEI) as the metric for efficiency provisions.

Let’s look at five hidden reasons HVAC systems might not keep up when the temperatures get hot, how to test for them, and potential repairs.

This product provides a compact ventilation solution for warehouses, equipment cooling, mechanical rooms, factories, and more.

Awarded the Energy Star® Most Efficient Mark in 2019, this product has a high-efficiency DC motor.

This commercial product’s constant CFM EC motor technology ensures performance set points resulting in improved IAQ.

In the right situations, whole house fans provide a good option to homeowners who want to avoid running air conditioning all the time.

At the 2020 AHR Expo, Broan-NuTone introduced Overture, a fully automated, cloud-connected, whole-home IAQ system that monitors and optimizes air in the home.

Superseding AMCA Publication 511-21, AMCA Publication 511-21 (Rev. 12-22) outlines technical procedures and the proper presentation of data for the certification of air-control devices through the AMCA Certified Ratings Program (CRP).

Back in December, The ACHR NEWS toured the Big Ass Fans facility in Lexington, Kentucky. While we were there we had the opportunity to tour the company’s facility and with its research and development center, and chat with general manager of industrial business lines, Andrew Koukis for the latest episode of the NEWSMakers podcast.

Thanks to the prevalent use of online search engines like Google, consumers everywhere are becoming more educated on the products they buy, and HVAC systems are no exception.

Nothing lasts forever. This old adage holds true, especially when it comes to HVAC coils.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about high-end air conditioning systems is usually cost.

Lennox’s SL280NV Ultra Low NO_X gas furnace was built to address a market need in the South Coast and San Joaquin air quality districts in California, which require the reduction of emissions to 14 nanograms of NO_X per joule.

This unit is a semi-custom fabricated air handler that can utilize direct or indirect evaporative cooling or a combination of both to meet specific usage and dimensional requirements.

Heat recovery systems can be divided into two categories based on the thermal parameters of the system: Systems with high and low thermal parameters.

Delivering 1 to 1.5 tons of nominal cooling, this formerly single packaged unit is now a separate module.

While not often addressed, the air handler in an HVAC system has a significant role to play.

Unico System, in conjunction with Ecoer, announced a corporate alliance at the recent AHR Expo that will offer an inverter heat pump optimized to pair with Unico’s small duct air handlers.

Unico Inc. announced it is making highly efficient EC motors standard for all blower models within its modular air handling units.

AI-enabled HVAC systems can offer benefits for building owners and occupants. By monitoring and analyzing conditions inside a space, as well as outdoors, the system can constantly make adjustments to the environment based on the data being collected.

Ongoing and evolving U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) regulations have created a complex landscape for supermarket owners.

Evapco had an exciting fourth quarter of 2017, and they used the 2018 AHR Expo to build upon that success.

If a condenser coil is dirty or fouled, its ability to reject heat is severely affected.

With over 20 years of experience in natural refrigerants, Embraco’s compressor portfolio features products for commercial food service, food retail, merchandisers, and aftermarket segments. Conveniently, the booth was sectioned into these four different segments, so AHR Expo attendees could easily find the R-290 solution they were looking for.

Johnson Controls Inc. had a big 2018, with the launch of several new products and the acquisition of Lux Products Corp. For Johnson Controls, the Lux acquisition enhances its commitment to thermostats. The move also enables faster product development cycles, improves customer service capabilities, and supports greater product innovation.

This low-profile condensing unit is designed to maintain a building’s aesthetic by hiding the unit within the building and eliminating the need for outdoor installation.

Troubleshooting the high side of a refrigeration system will often give service technicians valuable information. That’s because what happens in the condenser is a direct reflection of what is happening in the rest of the refrigeration system.

This product has a new modular construction scheme with the thermal performance of the company’s patented nuCore Heat Exchanger.

Designed to maximize reliability and uptime, this product allows technicians to stay dry while safely inspecting the basin with an internal walkway.

Demand is changing the landscape of coils and condensers. Efficiency, refrigerant, and market demands are adjusting to a global cooling marketplace.

A look around the world of condensers these days shows three factors driving changes.

Can the type of ultraviolet light known as UV-C light kill the novel coronavirus? Manufacturers are not making that claim … yet.

Selecting the correct air-cooled condenser for an installation is a vital part of ensuring the system operates properly and at peak efficiency.

Most outdoor units will have survived another winter intact, but nearly all will need some routine (or added) TLC to get into game shape.

Occasionally while servicing refrigeration equipment, technicians may come across a system utilizing a water-cooled condenser instead of an air-cooled condenser.

What happens in the condenser is a direct reflection of what is happening in the rest of the refrigeration system.

Lineage Logistics recently funded renovations to the refrigeration system at a New Jersey facility, including replacement of an evaporative condenser.

The condenser is the most underrated component in an air conditioning or refrigeration system.

EPA is revisiting a rule that would allow R-410A condensing units to be manufactured indefinitely to service existing equipment.

Homes, restaurants, bars, and businesses rely on clear, clean ice for many applications. Ice is considered a food source, and the water that makes the ice must be of good quality. Good quality water will produce a crystal-clear, hard piece of ice.

The U.S. commercial refrigeration systems market is projected to expand at a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.2 percent in terms of value through 2025, according to a report from Future Market Insights.

This year’s Dealer Design Awards gold winning product in the Refrigeration and Ice Machine category is the Quantum Air™ Remote Air Cooled Condenser from Heat Transfer Products Group Inc.

Refrigeration contractors who have not yet attended the annual National Restaurant Association (NRA) show really need to put it on their bucket lists. For four days each year, McCormick Place convention center is filled to the rafters with vendors exhibiting everything from gluten-free pasta to pizza ovens to high-tech ice machines.