1976: Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Business editors traveled the U.S. to talk with contractors about rooftop system replacement success stories.

• In Pennsylvania, when an old unit at a business conked out, Jack Oakman of Edward B. O'Reilly & Associates worked out a plan that included providing heating and cooling for a new addition. They were in the right place at the right time. “We laid out a system that would replace the 15-ton unit with a 22-ton heating/cooling unit that would handle the original space and the renovation,” Oakman said.

• When Johnson Rubber Co., Middlefield, OH, had a burned out compressor on a 4.5-ton rooftop unit, it was found the compressor was out of warranty. Dave Shanower, president and sales manager, also found that heating was being supplied by an improperly installed duct heater. That began a dialogue with the plant engineer about the improved performance and increased comfort that a new heat pump would provide.