Industry News

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice assessed a $500,000 civil penalty to Trader Joe’s grocery chain for failing to address excessive amounts of ozone depleted and greenhouse gas refrigerants leaking from its coolers. The business was also penalized for failing to maintain records, as required by the National Recycling and Emissions […]

JW Marriott Hotel in Atlanta was plagued with high-energy bills and musty odors.  A consultant was hired and figured out that the hotel’s ducts were leaking. Unfortunately, a barrier of walls, wires, and pipes prevented HVAC techs from reaching the ducts until they could approach the problem with a relatively new technology: aerosol duct sealant. 1 […]

Thanks to legislation and innovation, the HVAC industry continues to become greener. Another refrigerant is now being used to replace ozone damaging R22 refrigerant. In July 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authorized the sale and import of the refrigerant R458A under its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program. It will act as a replacement […]

Attending a professional HVAC conference has plenty of advantages: you get the chance to meet industry leaders, further your HVAC knowledge, learn new industry trends and network with other professionals in your field. Here are some HVAC trade shows and conferences occurring in 2017.   1. The International Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) […]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) creates and enforces standards to ensure workers are safe on the job, and its rules affect everyone from retail workers to construction crews to HVAC professionals. 1 Recently, OSHA updated a rule designed to protect HVAC technicians who work in confined spaces. OSHA’s Role in the HVAC Industry […]

Growing concern for the environment has changed standards for energy efficiency in both commercial and industrial buildings. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has taken major steps  to ensure that buildings across the country use efficient heating and cooling systems by introducing a new set of standards meant to reduce waste, pollution, and expenditures for utilities. The department’s […]

North American Technician Excellence (NATE) recently added some new tests to its already robust certification program. 1 One of them is an HVAC Support Technician certificate and is available to HVAC technicians who have been working in the field for 6 to 12 months. While NATE already offers a number of well known certification options with […]