If we could have known Guy Letrick in high school, we may not have believed that he is the HVACR instructor that he is today. Letrick is the runner-up in the 2004 Instructor of the Year contest sponsored by The News and ARI.

Higher steel prices have spurred increased interest in fiberglass duct materials, and manufacturers and other industry groups state it is important to understand the safety issues surrounding "man-made vitreous fibers" (fiberglass). The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) emphasizes that studies show fiberglass particles that are inhaled normally are broken down safely like household dust.

Oil-fueled heating system service work has come a long way. Dick Horan has taken Hughes Oil into the realm of Internet-based oil purchasing to help generate new customers, by signing up as a dealer with OrderOil.com.

Proper combustion analysis can help many aspects of commercial-industrial heating system performance. Typical measurements are taken of oxygen, temperature, and CO; from these a tech can diagnose excess air, carbon dioxide, and combustion efficiency. Enter the latest analyzers - digital combustion analyzers.

Three different technologies - fabric duct, heat recovery ventilators, and ultraviolet lights - affect indoor air quality (IAQ) in different ways. These case studies detail the distinct benefits of each technology for their applications in manufacturing facilities, schools, and hospital/health care facilities.

The Healthy Indoor Partnership Workshop on Mold took place in Montreal late last year, bringing together more than 85 North American experts. The report they gave at this year's ASHRAE Annual Meeting described what they learned.

Dry buildings do not tend to grow mold. But dry buildings do not happen of their own accord; they must be planned by everyone on the building team.

Did you hear the champagne corks popping? Manufacturers of central air conditioners and heat pumps set a single-month record this June of more than one million shipments - 1,081,147 to be exact.

There is no doubt that indoor air quality (IAQ) is a hot topic among consumers, and a hot market in the HVAC industry. Is it starting to cool down? Our best sources say no.

Carl Rowe's name is on the patent issued in 1954 for the first Aprilaire whole-house humidifier. Ernie Rothe was involved in the initial marketing. Both feel a debt of gratitude to others at the firm who have passed on before seeing the product's 50th anniversary.