As if it's not bad enough that the legitimate R-22 refrigerant alternatives out there are not straightforward "drop-in" solutions (see my previous blog for details), there are dangerous unapproved options out there as well! The article below is a bit dated, but some of these refrigerants are still out there. The important thing to remember is that changing the refrigerant in your system as a … [Read more...]
HVAC and Sheet Metal – They Go Together Like Batman and Robin
Which one is Batman and which one is Robin? Depends on who you ask. But I think we can all agree that HVAC and Sheet Metal make a great team. With our longstanding membership in the HVACR Union (UA Local 51, Providence) and our newly forged membership with the Sheet Metal Workers Union (Local 17, Boston), Advance Air has brought the Batman and Robin Dream Team together. Ironically, our own … [Read more...]
Safety Stuff I’d Actually WANT to Wear
I got called out for a recent blog post I did that had what I mistakenly thought would be received as a somewhat clever and funny title: I Drive a Forklift in Heels… I admit it, I was totally pushing the envelope, pimping out my article title in an attempt to boost readership. And boy did it do its job! But not all of the attention was positive. There were a couple of folks who felt that it is … [Read more...]
Defining and Removing Obstacles to Women in HVACR
I recently attended the Comfortech/Women in HVACR Conference. It was in Nashville, y'all. A city of country music, friendly southern folks and more fried foods than I care to admit to eating. I met some flat-out amazing women and I am so proud to be part of an organization of such tough, smart and savvy people. There was one common theme throughout the conference, “We need more women in the … [Read more...]
What’s Your Take on HVAC Industry Conferences?
Today I am attending the Comfortech Show and Women in HVACR Conference in Nashville, TN. I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks, and actually wrote this blog a couple weeks ago because I knew that I would probably be too busy to blog about a conference while I was actually attending that conference. And this brings me to the topic of my blog today – conferences are woefully … [Read more...]
I Drive a Forklift in Heels…Don’t Tell OSHA.
NOTE: I’m just kidding OSHA. No need to come investigate me. I keep a set of steel-toed boots, jeans and a hard hat in my trunk in the event that I’ll have to do something non-office-y (that’s a word, right?) in the course of my day. I put them on every time. Yup. Every. Time. Anyway, now that we’ve agreed that I always observe all forklift safety regulations and totally ruined my super awesome … [Read more...]
VFD, VSD, LMNOP – The Alphabet Soup of HVAC
Anyone new to HVACR – that’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning and refrigeration for those of you who aren’t in the KNOW – struggles with the crazy alphabet soup that is our industry. We have RTUs AHUs, VAVs and VSDs. We’ve got MUAs and HVs. We’ve got ABC’s coming out of our A-holes. My favorite ABC-ism has to be the VSD and VFD. They are THE EXACT SAME THING. So why do we need two … [Read more...]
The High Cost of Apprenticeship – Struggling to Train the Next Generation of Technicians
When I graduated college, I was ready to take on the world. I was a good student (translation: a total nerd) so I thought that the employers would be lining up to hire me. It never occurred to me that despite my degree and the massive practical work experience I’d gained waiting tables in the summers, that I actually had ZERO marketable skills. I couldn’t even use a fax machine. Probably couldn’t … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- Next Page »
