Is online buying becoming just as important as one phone call and a pickup at the parts counter? Maybe the HVAC trade isn’t ready to concede that online buying will surpass local purchases or put a big hit on traditional relationships. Yet, online sellers are making themselves hard to ignore and are working to make the buying experience quick and convenient.
Bob has been sent on a service call where the customer is complaining about her power bill. She thinks that the heat pump may be the problem. Her power bill is much higher than last year. She explained this to Bob and he started by asking a question, “Does the auxiliary heat light come on very often on your thermostat?”
One of the most common HVAC technologies - common to people inside the trade - is variable speed. Although most HVAC people know its definition and how it affects equipment performance, chances are that most customers have limited or no understanding of how it affects the equipment in their basement or attic.
Martinson-Nicholls new residential Heated Snow Melting Stair Mats are designed to be quickly and easily connected to prevent snow and ice accumulation on stairs around the home. The Heated Stair Mats can be interconnected with the company’s residential Heated Walkway Mats to create a continuous system of snow melting mats.
In the mid-1960s, The NEWS ran a seven-part series on trends in compressor design. The author accurately predicted the future shift that took place in compressor development. So it’s fitting to tune in again to hear what this compressor expert has to say about the history and future trends in compressor design.
As a host of pressures - from demanding consumers to stringent regulations to rising energy costs - continue to bear down on the industry, compressor manufacturers are reiterating that energy efficiency is the best response to these issues.
Bob and Btu Buddy were on a service call yesterday where the compressor motor was running overloaded due to internal load; the bearings were dragging or worn. Btu Buddy told Bob, “Motor overload protection and circuit protection are subjects that need to be discussed later.” They’ve gotten together today for that discussion.
While repairing refrigeration equipment, technicians sometimes come up with unique methods of solving problems. Many of these are used again and again and become known as “tricks of the trade.” When a bunch of technicians get together, they oftentimes enjoy sharing new tricks they learned or developed recently. It’s like a badge of honor.
My Feb. 7 column focused on ice flake machine troubleshooting. I will have more to say on that specific topic in my April 4 column. For this column, I want to take a look at amperage as it relates to HVACR compressors.