Heating, Cooling Submarines By Betty Stephens Heating Submarines A submarine is mostly all metal, and metal is an excellent conductor of heat. The surface area of a submarine is large. The ocean is filled with convection currents, caused by the sub’s motion. This makes the heat transfer between submarine and ocean an active process. The […]

Thomas Midgley, Jr By Betty Stephens Inventor of Freon and Leaded Gas Thomas Midgley, Jr. (May 18, 1889 to November 2, 1944) was an American mechanical engineer and chemist. He was a key figure in a team of chemists, led by Charles F. Kettering, that developed the tetraethyl lead (TEL) additive to gasoline as well […]

EPA to Ban More 'Unacceptable' Refrigerants By Betty Stephens EPA Action A list of refrigerants unacceptable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grew by leaps and bounds on July 10, when EPA proposed to prohibit the use of certain chemicals that significantly contributes to climate change. The EPA’s action is to reduce emissions of hydro […]

HVACR Contracting Business.com Magazine’s 70th Anniversary By Betty Stephens In June Contracting Business.com trade magazine celebrated its 70th birthday. It was 70 years ago that Cleveland-area publisher Irving B. Hexter created this publication to serve the refrigeration industry. He called it, "The Refrigeration Industry," In 1949, The Refrigeration Industry’s name was changed for the first […]

Auto Freon R134A Recharge Kit – Quest By Betty Stephens Auto Cooling The auto cooling system protects the engine from overheating as the vehicle runs. Since the engine burns fuel, it produces energy: one third of it turns into mechanical power, while the rest is transformed into heat. But not all that heat goes straight […]

Casino Air Quality BY Betty Stephens Casinos are one of the few public places that allow indoor smoking. They are faced with a unique air quality challenge. In addition to cigarette smoke, gaming facilities must also control malodors related to customer density, food services and restroom facilities in order to encourage guests to stay and […]

Cold Air in Business Meetings By Betty Stephens Cold Air in business Meetings do they do that to keep people awake or kill germs? As summer-clad office workers, conference attendees and event guests stream into meeting rooms and reception halls nationwide, many are met with a blast of Arctic air. "Over-chilling" is one of the […]

Yeti Coolers  By Betty Stephens The Seiders brothers (Roy and Ryan) set out to make a cooler that could stand up to abuse. A cooler that could be used as a seat, a casting platform, storage for fish, and keep drinks cold. The Seiders brothers founded the company, Yeti Coolers, Austin, TX. They developed a […]

Texas Prison Inmates Sue Over No A/C By Betty Stephens Texas Prison Inmates sue over no A/C and the number of deaths due to heat related causes. The suit, filed by the Texas Civil Rights Project and the University of Texas School of Law Civil Rights clinic on behalf of the prisoners, isn't seeking monetary […]

McQuay First Air Conditioner Classroom Unit By Betty Stephens   McQuay International is a global corporation that designs, manufactures and sells heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products, systems, parts and services for commercial buildings. Since 2006, McQuay has been a subsidiary of Daikin Industries, Ltd. McQuay world headquarters are located in Minneapolis, MN, USA. […]

Portable A/C Units/Spot Cooling    By Betty Stephens Portable Air Conditioner or Spot Cooler A spot cooler is a portable, self-contained air conditioner used to cool a space. The entire unit is portable and can be moved to another space, if needed. The spot coolers are completely self-contained and do not have condensing units that need […]

Use Micron Gauges When Installing New R410A Systems By Betty Stephens Recently a new refrigerant, R-410A, has been formulated and currently is being used in the HVAC/R industry. It was developed primarily because the production of R-22 is scheduled to stop soon as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). R-410A is intended for use […]