Industry Watch 12-18-17

Rheem opens Innovation Learning Center near Dallas

The center is the fourth of five Rheem training facilities to open across the U.S. and Canada

Rheem, a leading manufacturer of water heaters, is celebrating the grand opening of its newest Innovation Learning Center outside of Dallas. The Center is part of an extensive renovation and expansion of Rheem’s divisional offices, warehouse and distribution facilities at 1875 Waters Ridge Drive in Lewisville, Texas.

The grand opening event kicked off with a ribbon cutting attended by Rheem executives and employees along with Mayor Pro Tem Brent Daniels, Rachel Bagley of the Lewisville Chamber of Commerce, and Erik With, district director from Congressman Michael Burgess’ office. The newly refurbished office and training spaces are home to Rheem’s regional HVAC division office a distribution center, which opened in Lewisville in 2006.

Rheem’s new Innovation Learning Center in Lewisville is the fourth of five training facilities to open across the U.S. and Canada. The digitally forward training facility will be used to educate HVAC contractors and plumbers from around the southwest and Midwest. It is a high-tech, hands-on center that includes interactive classrooms, a live demonstration lab where equipment can be broken down and reassembled, virtual reality labs for diagnostic training, as well as a product showroom that showcases the company’s latest energy efficient HVAC equipment, water heaters, pool heaters and boilers for both residential and commercial applications.
Source: Rheem

100, 000 Houston Air Conditioners May Be At Risk Of Failure

Houston-area homeowners and businesses with properties damaged by the recent historical flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey are potentially facing looming problems with their climate control systems that may not be obvious to the untrained eye.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute, a trade association representing the heating, ventilating and air conditioning warns standing water associated with flooding can result in system failure well after the water has receded.

“Standing water in a yard or house can damage a home’s heating and cooling system in ways that are not always readily apparent, ” said Stephen Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI. “We advise homeowners to play it safe and replace, rather than repair, flood-damaged heating, cooling, and water heating equipment.”

More than 134, 500 residences in the ten-county Houston area have been damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, according to a report from the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Any air conditioning unit that has taken on water is potentially damaged. Most water-damaged units may need to be replaced, according to AHRI. A flooded home comfort system is similar to a flooded car. It may appear to operate normally, but may be prone to suffer serious problems due to the long-term impact of the water damage.

While AHRI recommends replacing a water-damaged HVAC system, the timing of when to replace is important, according to Houston-area dealers: “The vast majority of damaged homes and businesses are having drywall work done plus hardwood floors sanded, ” said Corey Boyer, owner of Air Aide, a Houston HVAC service company. “In these cases consider whether it is best to wait to run the new system until the drywall work and floors are finished because you don’t want to circulate dust and debris through a new system. It will likely contaminate it.”  Source: ReevesJournal.com

Central Brass Pre-Rinse Faucet

Central Brass Company introduces a new Pre-Rinse Faucet, designed to help reduce water usage in commercial kitchens while providing exceptional durability and performance. The faucet’s water-saving 1.1 gallons per minute flow rate meets the EPA’s WaterSense guidelines, and the rugged brass construction is designed to last 1M+ cycles – four times the requirement for WaterSense certification.

The Central Brass Pre-Rinse Faucet is comfortable to handle and easy to use. The chrome-plated brass handle has an integrated clip to hold it in the open position for easy operation. A spring-style pre-rinse fitting offers 12-inch clearance from the mounting surface for superior maneuverability. An overhead swivel arm with extended horizontal reach is also available.

Options include an add-on faucet for pot filling that attaches near the base and can be fitted with numerous Central Brass spouts. A retrofit riser kit is available so the Pre-Rinse can be attached to existing Central Brass or other brand faucets. Additional options include an ADA-compliant lever handle, color-coded indicators and vandal-proof screws.  Source: PHCPPros.com

 

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