The First Facility Management Blog

With many areas of the country beginning to experience a winter chill, infrared heater manufacturers call on safety inspectors to pay close attention to the proper use and maintenance of their installed equipment. To help them identify potential hazards, the Infrared Heater Safety Council (IRSC) has issued a free safety inspection checklist, available here.

“As manufacturers of this heating equipment, we want to make sure our equipment is being used safely and properly, which is why we’ve developed this safety checklist and distributed it to thousands of fire and safety inspectors nationwide,” said Joseph A. Wortman, Jr., chairman of the IRSC, which is an Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) safety education initiative dedicated to the safe use of infrared heating equipment in commercial and industrial applications.

The free checklist provides safety inspectors with easy access to all the information they need to make sure this equipment has been safely installed and maintained, as well as a reminder to make sure the equipment owner is maintaining appropriate clearances from combustibles.The checklist is included in a comprehensive brochure that outlines infrared heater types and proper applications, relevant safety codes and standards, proper clearances to combustibles, information on proper gas connections and ventilation, proper signage, and other important safety guidelines.

“Many people work around infrared heaters, but likely give little thought to safety or maintenance of this equipment,” said AHRI President Stephen Yurek. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to better understand how to use infrared heater properly to reduce potential hazards, while staying safe and warm.”

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) will begin using a new unified mark to identify heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and commercial refrigeration (HVAC/R) products that have achieved third-party certification of their performance ratings. The new mark will replace the ARI Performance Certified, GAMA Efficiency Rating Certified, and I=B=R marks. The changes will be implemented according to a schedule that provides time to bring all certification programs into compliance with internationally recognized accreditations.

In January 2008, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) merged to form the current AHRI. Since then, discussions among its 42 product sections have focused on the value of moving toward unifying the association’s three certification marks. After months of discussion, AHRI’s executive committee recently approved use of a new phrase, AHRI Certified™, and a new unified mark (seen here).

While the new mark and brand usage guidelines became available to manufacturers participating in AHRI’s certification programs on April 20, not all participants will be able to apply the new mark immediately. I=B=R and GAMA Efficiency Rating Certified program participants will have to wait until their programs enter the scope of AHRI’s accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada. Every year, the SCC audits several AHRI programs to ensure that they comply with International Organization for Standardization Guide 65 (ISO-65), which is the internationally accepted quality standard for organizations managing certification programs. Earning SCC accreditation allows certified equipment bearing the new AHRI Certified™ mark to be imported to Canada.

“This audit is important because it recognizes changes have been made to the certification programs to bring them into compliance with ISO-65,” said AHRI President, Stephen Yurek. “The former ARI Performance Certified programs already meet ISO-65 guidelines and are SCC Accredited.”

For this reason, ARI Performance Certified program participants can begin applying the new logo immediately, although they have until January 1, 2011 to transition to the new mark.

Implementation Schedule

April 20, 2009: New certification mark and brand usage manual available for use by the former ARI Performance Certified program participants.

November 2009 to December 2009: Standards Council of Canada audits AHRI annually to confirm its compliance with ISO-65. In 2009, SCC also will be considering whether to extend the scope of AHRI’s SCC accreditation to include the furnace and boiler certification programs. Upon successful completion of this audit, equipment certified under these programs can bear the AHRI Certified mark; however, the certification marks for these programs must still be registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. The average registration process can take 18 to 24 months from filing to registration, assuming no significant obstacles are encountered during the process.

January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2012: Transition period for harmonizing the governing documents for former I=B=R and GAMA certification programs to meet  AHRI’s ISO-65 quality system requirements.
January 1, 2011 Former ARI Performance Certified program participants must apply the new mark by this date.

January 1, 2012: Former I=B=R and GAMA Efficiency Rating Certified program participants must apply the new mark by this date.

Consistent with the new certification mark, AHRI also will be modifying the name of the programs’ certificates to the “AHRI Certificate of Product Ratings” and the certified product identifier number to the “AHRI Certified Reference Number.” For products listed in gamapower.org that identification number was called the “GAMA Model ID” and for those products listed in the ARI directory, it was called the “ARI Reference Number.”

In addition, the name of ARI’s standards changed earlier this year to AHRI Standards. Standards will reflect the new name as they are revised or updated over the next three years.

With many areas of the country still experiencing a winter chill, infrared heater manufacturers call on safety inspectors to pay close attention to the proper use and maintenance of their installed equipment. To help them identify potential hazards, the Infrared Heater Safety Council has issued a free safety inspection checklist.

The free checklist provides safety inspectors with easy access to all the information they need to make sure this equipment has been safely installed and maintained, as well as a reminder to make sure the equipment owner is maintaining appropriate clearances from combustibles. The checklist is included in a comprehensive brochure that outlines infrared heater types and proper applications, relevant safety codes and standards, proper clearances to combustibles, information on proper gas connections and ventilation, proper signage, and other important safety guidelines.

“As manufacturers of this heating equipment, we want to make sure our equipment is being used safely and properly, which is why we’ve developed this safety checklist and distributed it to thousands of fire and safety inspectors nationwide,” said Joseph A. Wortman, Jr., chairman of the IRSC, which is an Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) safety education initiative dedicated to the safe use of infrared heating equipment in commercial and industrial applications.

“Many people work around infrared heaters, but likely give little thought to safety or maintenance of this equipment,” said AHRI President Stephen Yurek. “It’s in everyone’s best interest to better understand how to use infrared heater properly to reduce potential hazards, while staying safe and warm.”

DuPont Refrigerants has called for intensified actions to address the potential for a major R-22 refrigerant shortfall beginning in 2010. A recently issued proposed allocation rule from the U.S. EPA, which would take effect in 2010, projects a 27.5 million pound supply shortfall, based on demand projections for the air conditioning and refrigeration service aftermarket (see graphic).

Measures to conserve R-22 by increased efforts to reclaim it, and by retrofitting equipment with R-22 replacements like DuPont™ ISCEON® refrigerants, are two critical ways business owners and facility managers can avoid potential negative impact to their operations, according to DuPont. The company has expanded its Refrigerant Reclaim Program, and continues to offer retrofit solutions to replace R-22 in existing systems.

DuPont is also supporting industry educational initiatives to ensure that refrigerant users understand the effects of the recently proposed regulations and are able to put effective refrigerant management programs into place in advance of the anticipated 2010 shortfall.

“With this new projection, it’s become increasingly clear that the industry will need to rely on the recovery and reuse of recycled and reclaimed R-22 as well as retrofits of existing equipment to hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) replacement products such as DuPont™ ISCEON® refrigerants to avoid shortfalls going forward,” said Diane Iuliano Picho, global business manager, DuPont Refrigerants.

ISCEON® refrigerants have been field tested and demonstrate up to 12% more energy savings than R-22 in low temperature equipment, and offers 32% lower global warming potential than R404A. Retrofitting to HFCs such as ISCEON® refrigerants, as part of a well-designed refrigerant management plan, puts businesses in a better position to avoid anticipated supply and labor issues as the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) including R22 draws closer.

The DuPont Refrigerants Reclaim Program has recently been enhanced to provide a variety of options to its distributors so they can develop reclaim programs with their customers. Enhancements to the program allow DuPont distributors to choose the best option for handling used refrigerant, including R-22. Distributors select the best option for their needs and pursue and promote the return of used refrigerant with branch and targeted programs to support retrofits away from R-22.

DuPont has also been working with industry groups, like the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute’s Chemicals and Refrigerant Reclaimers’ (CRR) Communications Committee, to help put together a Web site (www.phaseoutfacts.org) which is expected to launch in March of 2009. The site will contain information regarding refrigerant issues primarily related to regulations and the phase out of HCFCs aimed at manufacturers, distributors, contractors, and equipment owners/facility managers.

Over $8,000 in entry fees from the 2009 AHR Expo Innovation Awards Competition is being given to HomeAid Chicago to help rebuild the HVAC system in a domestic violence shelter.

This donation is part of charitable support contributed annually by AHR Expo to local communities where the world’s largest HVAC/R trade show is being held. Total contributions have exceeded $50,000 during the seven years the program has been in existence. In years past, the Innovation Awards entrance fee has gone to technical schools for use in their HVAC/R scholarship funds. 

Working with HomeAid Chicago, and WINGS Program, Inc., the show’s donation will be used to assist in providing a complete climate control system reworking for a 1960s single family home in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. The WINGS Program will be rebuilding the second floor to create five private bedrooms, as well as one shared bathroom, and upgrading the HVAC system to accommodate the new rooms. The result will be a safe, comfortable, and modern living environment where women and their dependent children can live. Once renovations are complete, up to 20 individuals may reside in the house at one time, depending on family size, and it will provide between 4,000 to 7,000 nights of shelter per year.

Natalie R. Ashton, executive director, HomeAid Chicago, thanked AHR Expo saying, “Support from AHR Expo is imperative right now, as we see the need grow every day for dignified housing where homeless families and individuals can rebuild their lives.”

Since 1985, WINGS has provided housing and supportive services for families who are homeless or are fleeing the devastating effects of domestic violence—the main cause of homelessness among women and children. 

“We are happy to assist with such a great cause,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Company, which produces and manages the show. “We enjoy giving back to the communities that host the AHR Expo by providing them with contributions from our Innovation Award entry fees.”

Now in its seventh year, the AHR Expo Innovation Awards Competition represents the best submissions from the thousands of products on display at the 2009 show and is sponsored by ASHRAE, AHRI, and the International Exposition Co. Honorees span the industrial marketplace in a total of nine product categories ranging from the latest developments in green technology to the newest building automation tools.

The 2009 AHR Expo will be held January 26-28 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center. The world’s largest HVAC/R trade show will offer attendees the chance to see new products and technologies for the first time. The industry’s trade associations will also have over 70 educational sessions and workshops available to attendees. The topic will range from achieving sustainability and energy efficiency to best practices and the latest trends and techniques in the HVAC/R industry.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), along with nine other organizations, is forming a consortium in response to the U.S. Department of Energy request for consortia to advise the department on high performance building issues. The HighPerformance Commercial Green Building Partnership (HPCGBP) brings together leading organizations from all aspects of the building community to provide guidance and technical leadership on key sustainability issues to the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program.

“This partnership will ensure that the voices of the building industry are being heard,” says Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president. “At a time when reducing energy consumption in buildings is paramount, the consortium gives leaders in the built environment and in those industries affecting construction a clear path to offer advice to the DOE on our goals, concerns, and new technologies.”

ASHRAE initiated formation of the partnership and will serve as the group’s secretariat. Other members of the HPCGBP’s steering committee currently includes the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), American Institute of Architects (AIA), Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), International Code Council (ICC), Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The partnership intends to be recognized as a “Partnership Consortium” by the Department of Energy as requested in response to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Section 421. Section 421 is part of the formation of the Net-Zero Commercial Building Initiative, which is intended to develop a research, development, and deployment strategy toward achieving net zero energy commercial buildings.

Partnership participants reflect all disciplines necessary to design and build high performance commercial buildings, including:

• architects and engineers
• the development, construction, financial, and real estate industries
• building owners and operators 
• academic and research organizations
• building code agencies and organizations
• independent high performance green building associations or councils
• experts in indoor air quality and environmental factors
• experts in intelligent buildings and integrated building information systems
• utility energy efficiency programs
• manufacturers and providers of equipment
• public transportation industry experts
• nongovernmental energy efficiency organizations

 

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating and commercial refrigeration equipment.

The new head of AHRI, Keith Coursin, is president of Desert Aire Corp. of Germantown, WI. He was elected chairman of the Board of Directors at the organization’s Board of Directors meeting in November.

Coursin has been an active member of AHRI for more than 10 years. He has served as AHRI’s treasurer, chairman of the dehumidifiers product section, and a member of the association’s Audit Committee, Budget and Investment Committee, Education and Training Committee and Exposition Policy Committee.

Other officers elected to the AHRI Board of Directors include two new vice chairmen: Morrison Carter, CEO, Beckett Gas, Inc., North Ridgeville, OH;  and Ray Hoglund, president and CEO, Hill PHOENIX, Conyers, GA.

Harry Holmes, president and CEO, Morrison Products, Inc., Cleveland, OH, was elected treasurer and C. David Myers, vice president and president, building efficiency at Johnson Controls, Inc., Milwaukee, WI, will serve as immediate past chairman.

AHRI’s board also elected 11 vice presidents:

• Todd M. Bluedorn, CEO, Lennox International, Richardson, TX
• Steven S. Duerwachter, president, Baltimore Aircoil Co., Baltimore, MD
• Dan Ellis, president, ClimateMaster, Oklahoma City, OK
• J. R. Jones, president and CEO, Rheem Manufacturing Co., Atlanta, GA
• Bonnie Kern-Koskela, president and CEO, Maxitrol, Southfield, MI
• David LaGrand, president and CEO, Nordyne, O’Fallon, MO
• Michael Lehman, president and CEO, Bard Manufacturing Co., Bryan, OH
• Edgar M. Purvis, Jr., executive vice president, Emerson Climate Technologies, Sidney, OH
• Ajita Rajendra, president, A.O. Smith Water Products, Ashland City, TN
• John Reilly, CEO, National Refrigeration Products, Philadelphia, PA
• Eric Roberts, president, CES Group, Chaska, MN

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has hired David B. Calabrese to fill a newly created position of vice president, public policy. In that role, he will oversee and provide overall direction for the association’s government relations, regulatory, research, and international affairs activities.

Calabrese comes to AHRI from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, where he has served as vice president of government relations since 2003. Calabrese also served as director of government relations for the Electronic Industries Alliance from 1990 to 2000 and as an attorney with the Washington, DC law firm of Dewey Ballantine, LLP, where he represented association clients on Capitol Hill and in federal agencies.   

Calabrese, who holds a Masters Degree in International Relations from The George Washington University and a law degree from The George Washington University School of Law, will join AHRI on September 15.

In other AHRI news, on September 8 the association will be moving its headquarters to a new location. The group will remain in Arlington, VA. When the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) merged on January 1 to become AHRI, the combined staff resulted in the need for a larger office space.

The new address is 2111 Wilson Blvd., Suite 500, Arlington, VA  22201-3001. Staff telephone numbers, email addresses (firstinitiallastname@ahrinet.org) and Web site address (www.ahrinet.org) remain the same.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) announced it has been awarded accreditation by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a standards developing organization.

“ANSI accreditation adds value to our standards development process by confirming that our procedures meet ANSI’s essential requirements for openness, balance, consensus, and due process,” said AHRI President Stephen Yurek. “In order to maintain accreditation, AHRI is required to consistently adhere to a rigorous set of requirements and procedures.”

Many of AHRI’s standards outline technical procedures for uniformly measuring the performance of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and commercial refrigeration (HVACR) equipment. Through the use of these standards and voluntary participation in the industry’s performance certification programs, consumers can be assured manufacturers’ performance claims are verified and rated uniformly to enable fair comparisons.

“The rigor of ANSI accreditation makes it widely recognized as a valid measurement of a standards program’s credibility and competency by federal and state governments and governments outside the United States,” said Yurek. “It also enhances the integrity of AHRI’s industry certification programs, and improves consumer confidence in the performance of heating, cooling and commercial refrigeration equipment and components both domestically and abroad.”