• COMFORTECH PRODUCT SHOWCASE AWARD

    Sept. 4, 2012
    At HVAC Comfortech 2011, 12 products were recognized as Product Showcase Award winners. Judges took into consideration the ease with which HVAC contractors can apply the technology, and the technical value of the product or service to the HVAC industry.

    At HVAC Comfortech 2011, 12 products were recognized as Product Showcase Award winners. Judges took into consideration the ease with which HVAC contractors can apply the technology, and the technical value of the product or service to the HVAC industry. We’ll feature these products each month in upcoming issues of Contracting Business. This month, we’re featuring Service Roundtable’s Service Nation Alliance, the winner in the Training category. For additional information on any of the products listed here, circle the appropriate number(s) on the reader service card at the back of this issue or visit www.contractingbusiness.com/freeinfo.html.

    Service Nation Alliance Helps Contractors Take Business to Next Level

    Designed by top contractors, the Service Nation Alliance is a coalition of select contractors dedicated to best practices, continuous improvement, and the creation of a marketplace for buying and selling HVAC companies. The marketplace is significant. It gives contractors more attractive options for an exceptional return on investment in their companies when they execute their exit strategies. Or, it gives contractors a seamless way to expand geographically across multiple locations, by acquisition.

    The program begins with boot camp. During the three-day Boot Camp, contractors will build a base level of business planning, management, operations, finance and marketing proficiency. At meetings beyond Boot Camp, the Service Nation Alliance seeks best practice strategies from around the world. Alliance members will also attend conferences held annually in the U.S. and internationally in conjunction with the world’s most important HVAC tradeshows.

    Service Nation Alliance members participate in the ongoing process of documenting, enhancing, and implementing the industry’s best practices, procedures, and systems.

    www.serviceroundtable.com

    PRODUCTS:

    Plasma Cutting Guide Helps User Cut Clean, Accurate Circles

    The Eastwood Company releases a new plasma-cutting guide, for easy cutting of straight lines, curves, radii, and circles. The guide was designed by the company, and is designed to fit the Eastwood Versa Cut plasma cutter.

    The Eastwood plasma-cutting guide is fast and efficient. It adjusts easily, to cut clean, accurate circles and holes from 3-in to 16-in in diameter in material up to 3/8-in. thick. It has large 1.375-in-diameter wheels, for easy maneuverability and a 0.25-in. rod for cutting accurate arcs, circles, and holes. The guide is designed to create slag-free perfect circles, laser-straight lines, and free form designs.

    eastwood.com

    ComfortGeni Product Makes Central HVAC Systems More Effective

    The ComfortGeni model Geni 6xr is a new through-wall fan that increases airflow from room-to-room or level-to-level, enabling consumers to enjoy the warmth from their fireplace or pellet stove in any room. Engineered to increase the area that wood, pellet, and gas appliances heat, the ComfortGeni uses no more electricity than a 14-watt light bulb and costs less than $5 a year to operate, sources say. It can also be used to enhance a home’s existing HVAC system. When used as a register booster fan, the three-speed ComfortGeni improves the central heating and cooling in that room.

    The ComfortGeni also features a built-in temperature sensor that will automatically shut the fan off when the source air temperature is insufficient to create the desired temperature in the room, providing greater energy efficiency than standard through-wall fans. When the source air again exceeds the desired temperature, the sensor kicks in and the fan turns back on.

    comfortgeni.com

    Americool, Inc. Adds New Portable Air Conditioner Unit

    AmeriCool, Inc. introduces a new portable air conditioning unit to its lineup. The new unit, the WPC-4000, features a cooling capacity of 16,800 BTUH, and can operate between 64F and 104F. The unit comes standard with cold air nozzles or a grill option, and has optional accessories that include a condensate pump, condenser air plenum and remote control. All AmeriCool units are designed to withstand the rigors of harsh industrial environments as well as the 24/7 cooling requirements of computer room cooling.

    The WPC-4000, along with all of AmeriCool Inc’s units, also features a warranty that includes parts and labor for one year on the entire unit and three years on the compressor.

    americoolinc.com

    Mobile Tool Helps Contractors Compare Energy Costs, Environmental Impact

    Facility and HVAC engineers can obtain critical operating cost data for HVAC air filters anywhere, any time, thanks to a mobile smart phone tool from Kimberly-Clark Filtration. The mobile analysis tool works with a variety of smart phones and other mobile devices and is available for free via kcfiltration.com/calculator. It allows people to compare the energy costs and environmental impact (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions) of any two similar HVAC systems using different filters simply by entering data into an easy-to-use form. (Online instructions are available to help.) The tool then automatically calculates the energy costs and annual CO2 emissions of each system, showing the impact of filter selection. The resulting data is available in tabular or graph formats — both of which can be emailed directly from the user’s smart phone to any email account. Users can see calculations as well as a summary.

    kcfiltration.com/calculator

    Rheem Debuts New Ultra High Efficiency Commercial Water Heater

    Rheem expands its SPIDERfire line of ultra high efficiency condensing commercial water heaters to include new 80-gallon capacity models, which complement the line’s existing offering of 100- gallon units. The SPIDERfire series is ideal for commercial settings that need an efficient way to heat a high volume of water throughout the day, such as restaurants, laundromats, hotels, schools and many other businesses.

    The 80-gallon SPIDERfire measures 26.25-in. in diameter and 69.625-in. tall. They have BTU input rates from 130,000 to 300,000 BTUH. The units operate between 92 and 97% thermal efficiency. The 300,000 BTUH model can deliver up to 391 gallons of hot water in one hour, and can recover its contents in just 14 minutes.

    rheem.com

    Weil-McLain Introduces New Wall Mount Boiler Size

    Weil-McLain announces the addition of a new WM97+ Boiler, a 155,000 BTU input model. Weil-McLain’s latest wall mount boiler size joins the original lineup of 70,000 and 110,000 BTU input models; all three offer a 97% AFUE rating.

    The WM97+ features a boiler circulator, primary/secondary piping, low water cut off, three zone control, text display, pre-wired terminal strips, 5 to 1 turndown ratio capability-all in a stylish compact wall mount cabinet. Also, the WM97+ offers flexibility with its multiple venting options and simple gas conversions. In addition, a durable unique stainless steel fire tube heat exchanger with a corrosion resistant condensate collector base.

    weil-mclain.com