The threat of increasingly stringent federal regulations is heating up the hydronics market as manufacturers unveil high-efficiency equipment in preparation of the pending government-initiated efficiency benchmarks.

While the geothermal industry is enjoying the growth, many are focused on 2016, when the tax credits are set to expire. The existing tax credit grants a 30 percent incentive for residential projects and 10 percent for commercial projects.

With the ductless market predicted to grow to more than $9 billion by 2020, more and more AHR Expo exhibitors were featuring new, sophisticated ductless solutions on the show floor.

If you haven’t already, now’s the time to contemplate your budgets for 2015. I realize the training required to be an HVAC tech is different from being an accountant, and many contractors started their careers working with tools before becoming a contractor; however, some rudimentary knowledge of accounting is important.

Designed to replace a conventional 40-gallon tank-type water heater for two-bath residences in warm-weather climates, the new EZTR40 streamlines the tank-replacement process with three key features.

The 3 Series 300A11 geothermal heat pump features Copeland UltraTech™ two-stage scroll compressors and five-speed ECM blowers for highly efficient, quiet operation.

Duct leakage, refrigerant undercharge or overcharge, low indoor airflow, and oversized equipment with undersized ductwork have the most potential to significantly degrade equipment efficiency. 

While the new efficiency standards do not require manufacturers to use any specific technologies to achieve the new EF (energy factor) ratings, they’ve already necessitated a significant redesign effort from manufacturers. Additionally, the increasing unit sizes pose transportation and installation challenges that have yet to be fully understood.

Thirty-seven years and one addition to the house later and McDermott is proud to claim that his geothermal system — including the original ClimateMaster heat pump unit from Friedrich (eventually assumed into LSB Industries subsidiary ClimateMaster Inc.) — is still working perfectly.