Dealing with layoffs in tough economic times can be challenging. Layoffs can’t necessarily be based on seniority, as persons skilled in one aspect of the business can’t easily be shifted to an area out of their expertise. Added to that are the emotional ties that so many company owners in HVACR have with their employees.
At the most recent International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) conference, a focal point was the exhibit hall where more than 100 manufacturers, service providers, and educational organizations provided updated information.
At the recent Industrial Refrigeration Conference & Exhibition, outgoing International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) chairman Adolfo Blasquez noted the global focus of the institute.
While HFC refrigerants appear firmly entrenched in the HVACR industry landscape for the foreseeable future, it is interesting to see how so-called “natural” refrigerants such as ammonia, HCs, and CO2 could have an impact.
The upcoming games of the XXX Olympiad in London are featuring some of the latest state-of-the-art refrigeration and air conditioning equipment as well as the use of one of the oldest refrigerants, namely ammonia, as well as other natural refrigerants such as CO2 and HCs.
I just returned from my biannual visit to the Food Marketing Institute Food Retail Show, called FMI 2012. This is for all things in supermarkets and convenience stores. For me it means the latest in refrigeration equipment and — more and more these days — the refrigerants used in that equipment.
It is great to enter the industry as a refrigeration service technician (or any HVACR tech for that matter) with a good amount of education attained through high school, community college, vocational school, or even a four-year program. But is that enough?
My Point of View in the April FROSTlines was about a movie called “Inuk” that was shown at the Beloit International Film Festival. Now, I suppose I should mention another movie (one of four we saw at that same festival) — one completely different from “Inuk” but one that had a refrigeration aspect.
What will it take to jump-start more use of reclaimed HCFC-22 to service the huge inventory of equipment running on that refrigerant? The EPA and the dozens of companies offering reclamation services are hoping the most recent announcement of a potential 45 percent reduction in virgin R-22 coming to market.
