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.

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.

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.

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.

Chris Forth, vice president of codes, standards and environmental affairs at Johnson Controls Inc., told a group of AHR attendees the industry can increase equipment installations with the help of the tax incentives and consumer rebates in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

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.

Ducts play a crucial role but are often overlooked.

Don’t assume equipment capacity or conditions. Instead, do some digging and find the tables for the equipment you install and service.

While some contractors fabricate sheet metal in-house and others outsource that work, both groups can benefit from a few best practices.

In the end, it's about airflow control. Unless your solution involves airflow and pressure measurement, you're guessing whether the repair worked.

The ductless market has grown significantly in the U.S. in the last 20 years. What was once a fringe product has become a prominent subset of the HVAC world.

Volunteering a total of 244 hours of work, Arista’s employees put their skills and passion towards a great cause.

67% of contractors see digital transformation as important to their success.

The Gold award goes to a new computer application designed to help technicians save time and money and provide efficient HVAC equipment installation and diagnostics.

Contractors have to spend the time to effectively choose the right business management software that allows AI capabilities to fold into their day-to-day operations with ease.

Founding engineer and head of growth at Rilla, Will Gao, compares the value of data analysis for winning in sports to sales.

The gold winner can service, certify, and ship a combustion analyzer the same day it’s received.

Contractors can get more productivity from staff by letting software take care of the small things.

With modern technology, HVAC contractors can leave paperwork behind, and instead share information in real-time.

The advent of smartphones has made life both simpler and more complicated for people around the world.

It’s been said that technology takes longer to arrive than expected, but once it does, adoption occurs more quickly than expected as well.

Add “increased risk of theft” to the growing list of concerns HVAC contractors face as they grapple with a shortage of supplies and equipment. Both HVAC equipment and service vehicles prove prime targets for thieves.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck nearly three years ago, automobile manufacturers have had trouble getting many of the parts — computer chips especially — required to assemble the vans and trucks that field-service businesses use daily.

These products are designed to serve both the new construction and replacement markets.

The YORK brand of JCI is launching a line of RTUs designed to exceed the DOE energy efficiency standards, which will take effect January 1, 2023.

At a booth thick with traffic at the AHR Expo’s, commercial product manager Schlegel talked about Johnson Controls’ new YORK Sun Choice rooftop unit.

Daikin Applied introduced two chillers and a rooftop unit and also took the opportunity to discuss the company’s decision to transition to R-32.

“Obviously, energy conservation and energy efficiency are two huge trends in the market.”

The ACHR NEWS caught up with Johnson Controls’ “Game On” Roadshow at its final stop in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Daniel Truxillo, the general manager of the Dayton, Ohio, branch of Thomas & Galbraith Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, has a long history of success in the home-services industry and got his start as an HVACR technician nearly two decades ago.

Refrigerant leaks in HVACR equipment – particularly commercial refrigeration systems -- are a significant problem.

Since A2L refrigerants are designated as mildly flammable, safety features like refrigerant detection systems (RDSs) are being incorporated into new residential/light commercial ducted split systems that contain more than 4 pounds of A2L refrigerant. Here’s what HVAC technicians need to know about installing those RDS in the field.

Many end users, as well as refrigeration engineers and contractors, attended Food Marketing Institute’s (FMI’s) 2018 Energy & Store Development Conference in Atlanta, looking for advice on how to respond to these trends.

In the latest episode of The NEWSMakers podcast, Kyle Gargaro, editorial director for The ACHR NEWS, talks to Michael Kane, president of UEi Test Instruments.

Don Kuhl, a U.S. Air Force veteran and civil servant, secured the most public votes and won an a/c unit in the giveaway, which honors the sacrifices of local veterans, active-duty service members, and their families.

The world is headed into a greener future and Johnson Controls wants to act as a leader in getting there. That will take smarter, more efficient HVAC equipment.

Johnson Controls has been recognized by independent analyst firm Frost & Sullivan with its Best Practices Customer Value Leadership Award for 2022.

Constellation’s Offsite Renewables Plus (CORe+) retail power product, combined with Johnson Controls’ commitment to renewables, is supporting the development of two new Welcome Solar renewable energy facilities.

Technology is redefining how consumers control their homes. That includes everything from lighting to mood music to heating and air conditioning.

Here are a few ideas that contractor can use to prime the marketing pump for this holiday.

It’s the contractor’s job to ensure consumers understand the functionality of smart thermostats without becoming overwhelmed by the features and data.

When homeowners purchase a Nest product, Google will connect the customers to a qualified installer, a “Nest Pro.”

As people spend more time at home due to the lingering effects of the pandemic, the buzzwords that come to mind are comfort and convenience. The influx of smart controls and thermostats can help fulfill these desires.

Smart thermostats offer preventive maintenance options and rebates for customers, but contractors should be sure to get educated — and educate homeowners — on utility rebates like demand-response programs.

Programmable thermostats that can be accessed through an internet device are old hat. Here are just a few of the residential HVAC controls products featured at the Georgia World Congress Center, the host venue for this year’s Expo.

When considering the multitude of HVAC thermostat options available on the market, who better to decipher the best from the rest than those responsible for their installation and operation?

Since HVAC contractors are usually the ones installing the systems, not to mention performing maintenance, when necessary, their opinions on comfort controls are not to be taken lightly

While government incentives, savings in utility bills, word-of-mouth, and increasing popularity have led to homeowner’s increased awareness of smart thermostats, there is still a lot of room in the market for growth.

A lot of refrigerant reclaimers aren’t charging for mixed refrigerants anymore, which may in turn, mean an opportunity for HVAC contractors to make more money.