Markets in 79 of the approximately 360 metro areas nationwide returned to or exceeded their last normal levels of economic and housing activity in the third quarter of 2015, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI).

The global HVAC market is forecast to grow steadily at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7 percent from 2016 to 2020, according to a new report available from ReportsnReports. Rapid growth in the construction and real estate markets worldwide is having a positive impact on the HVAC market.

The global HVAC market is forecast to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of close to 7 percent by 2020, according to the latest report from Technavio. The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the HVAC market from 2016 to 2020.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Confined Spaces in Construction final rule, issued May 4, 2015, created confusion in the HVAC industry. ACCA announced that, after months of negotiations with OSHA, an agreement clarifies that the rule has very limited application in the residential HVAC industry.

Acco Engineered Systems announced that it will join forces with All Area Plumbing, a regional design-build plumbing contractor serving Southern California. Adding All Area Plumbing’s capabilities, Acco said it will strengthen its position as one of the largest mechanical contractors in the western United States.

Cold Craft Inc., which specializes in mechanical installation for new construction, renovation, and retrofit of commercial, residential luxury, and industrial facilities, announced it has added an Engineering and Planning Department. 

Per the DOE’s second annual “National Energy Employment Analysis,” a total of 6.4 million Americans now work in the traditional energy and energy-efficiency industries. More than 300,000 net new jobs were added in 2016, which accounted for 14 percent of the nation’s job growth.

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.

Contractors focused primarily on service, maintenance, and repair should continue to see steady, healthy growth, even in a slowing economic environment.

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.

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

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.

Optimizing HVAC systems with new technology can result in a domino effect of benefits. One great example is the HVLS fan, which can boost HVAC system performance, efficiency, and sustainability.

HVAC industry members are debating how the DOE’s new rules — the first-ever for commercial and industrial fans — will impact their operations.

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.

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

Once considered a temporary solution, portable heating and cooling units continue to evolve as consumer demand calls for new units and new uses.

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.

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

One-year study conducted on Atlanta commercial high rise’s HVAC systems proves UVC lamps reap energy efficiency payback benefits.

New technology has made air handlers more efficient and much quieter, and when paired with heat pumps, a great all-electric and sustainable option.

When paired with heat pumps, air handlers are a great all-electric and sustainable option.

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.

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).

An HVAC tech was stuck on a roof as a trio of brazen thieves made off with all his tools after kicking over his ladder during a daylight heist.

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.

These products cover a wide variety of refrigerants as well as residential a/c and refrigeration applications.

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

Very few end users fully understand the importance of properly cleaning and sanitizing their ice machines, storage bins, and dispensers. Yet the quality and safety of every beverage they serve as well as the longevity and power consumption of their equipment depends on proper maintenance.

Integrated Facility Services (IFS), a full-service mechanical contractor with offices in St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri, announced it has acquired Wally’s Refrigeration, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

Emerson Climate Technologies has filed a patent application for a simulation model of a commercial ice machine to support development of more efficient equipment that can meet upcoming U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) targets.

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.

In contrast to many other countries around the world, Americans consume a lot of ice. That’s probably why ice machines are found virtually everywhere here, from convenience stores and supermarkets to hotels and hospitals. It doesn’t really matter what shape it takes — cubes, flakes, nuggets, chips, etc. — but it does have to look and taste good.

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.

The Horizon Elite 710 series Chewblet® ice machines have the same patented scale-inhibiting design as the Horizon Elite 1010, 1410, and 2110 series ice machines that offer foodservice operators high performance even in the most challenging water conditions.

The higher the inlet water temperature, the more sensible heat must be removed from the water and the longer the freeze cycle. The latent heat removed causes the water to change state, thus producing ice.

Like other companies working in the sector, Heatcraft Refrigeration Products faced a new set of DOE Annual Walk-In Energy Factor (AWEF) standards taking effect on Jan. 1 of this year.

Once restaurants started reopening, smart owners asked contractors to clean and sanitize ice machines before they were returned to service.

In this puzzle, a restaurant manager complains that one of the ice machines in his high-volume establishment isn’t producing enough ice.

The Gold award in the Refrigeration and Ice Machines category goes to the Copeland Digital Outdoor Refrigeration Unit, X-Line Series by Emerson.

The Refrigeration School Inc. (RSI) in Phoenix, Arizona, in partnership with Clear Channel Outdoor, recently donated and installed an ice machine at Aimee's Animal Sanctuary in Queen Creek, Arizona, to help protect more than 100 special needs animals from severe heat.

The Refrigeration & Ice Machines category winners include a refrigerant charging scale, evaporative control technology, and a condensing unit.

The world’s first autonomous ice micro-factory is designed to help eliminate middle-mile logistics to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, water waste, and plastic pollution.

The Gold award in the Refrigeration and Ice Machines category goes to a self-contained refrigeration system for walk-in coolers and freezers that eliminates several of the steps required for a traditional system.

If an ice machine evaporator has a grid design, it can separate from the evaporator plate over time, causing ice to form between the two parts, causing problems.

The winner is a kit that is a universal, field-mount refrigeration controller with temperature sensors and pressure transducer kit that can be installed up to 40 feet from an air or electric defrost unit cooler.