Joanna Turpin is a Senior Editor at The ACHR NEWS. She can be contacted at 248-786-1707 or joannaturpin@achrnews.com. Joanna has been with BNP Media since 1991, first heading up the company’s technical book division before moving over to The ACHR NEWS, where she frequently writes about refrigerants and commercial refrigeration. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington and worked on her master’s degree in technical communication at Eastern Michigan University.
While it remains to be seen how the new minimum-efficiency standards will impact the industry as a whole, most distributors are breathing a sigh of relief that their decision to stock more 13-SEER equipment is paying off, leaving them time to start thinking about what to do with the next round of minimum-efficiency standards, which the DOE is considering right now for residential furnaces.
While online sales are growing in popularity, many HVACR parts and equipment companies still prefer doing business through the traditional supply chain.
As the gatekeepers between manufacturers and contractors, distributors are tasked with deciding which new products deserve a place on the shelf and which ones may not appeal to their customers.
Many contractors are adding new products and services that do not fall under the traditional HVAC contracting realm. These products can include everything from generators and tankless water heaters to security systems and pest control, and contractors are reporting a positive response to these non-HVAC offerings.
Despite the numbers, manufacturers remain optimistic about the future and are focused on growing the market by introducing new products and educating the public on the many benefits of GHPs.
Barring an act of Congress, the 30 percent federal tax credit for residential geothermal heat pump (GHP) systems will expire at the end of 2016. The industry is worried about what that means for the future.
Many homebuilders across the country are differentiating themselves from the competition by offering green communities that feature sustainable products and features.
Keeping the number of callbacks to a minimum is the goal of any HVAC contractor, and one way to do that is to increase the amount of training that they — and their technicians — receive.
Many would like to see HVAC manufacturers demand proof from their dealers that systems have been installed and serviced correctly. But, commissioning takes time and costs money for all parties involved.