Top

AHR never fails to wow its audience. From new PHVAC innovations to advances in technology to refrigerants education to awesome presentations/seminars to brilliant exhibits displaying shiny new objects to discovering things you never knew. AI (artificial intelligence) won't ever replace hands-on PHVAC, electrical, carpentry or pretty much any trade where service and repair work is involved. AI will, however, become more and more of a useful tool techs will utilize to aid in their service and repair work. Speaking from personal experience, the five senses come into play during diagnosis and repair. AI has made significant inroads with respect to self-diagnosis in PHVAC equipment and with upgraded tools now available for technicians.

Time is money and massive efforts and investments have been made and continue to be made in that regard as I have witnessed over the past 5+ decades of my involvement as a professional tradesperson. Visits to AHR conventions have shown AI advances as they crept then leaped into the products and tools we install and use. Rather than resist changes, smart and savvy contractors embrace new technologies to enhance the services and goods they provide to customers. Aside from granting an unseen advantage that builds upon itself, the best and greatest result is fattening your profits because AI allows us to do more jobs in the same amount of time. We can now diagnose (some, but not all – not yet) equipment before heading to the job site.

Precisely why I have long attended international, national, and regional trade shows/conventions and advanced technical training. The most recent being the AHR Convention in Orlando Florida February 10-12, 2025 where 51,063 attendees were able to see, touch, and feel the latest and greatest HVAC, along with limited P, innovations and products that were on display. Who says you can't teach on old dog new tricks?

One highlight not to be missed was the transfer of the Carlson-Holohan Industry Award of Excellence, which is a prestigious award within the hydronic heating industry, recognizing individuals who demonstrate exceptional technical expertise, leadership in education and mentoring, and a passion for cultivating fundraising opportunities for industry causes. Caleffi graciously provides the space and hosts the ceremony in their booth. Dan Holohan presented the award to Dan Foley before the gathered crowd.

Robert Bean, ASHRAE Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer Retired, was not able to attend the award ceremony, but had this to say: Let me explain...well over 300 years of collective knowledge in this photo... I've known them my entire career...they are givers... collectively they have raised millions of dollars for industry causes such as Habitat for Humanity and every one of them are educators...each of them legends in the hydronic and steam industry. Missing from the photo are a few others who are also Stars.

You see that round disk Dan Foley is holding? That's a facsimile of Gil Carlson's original System Syzer. Everyone I know that designs hydronic systems either owns the Bell & Gossett plastic version or runs the software. It's akin to an exclusive business card within the industry... ya don't do design without it...anyways...the original is now in a museum with a history going back to 1785. That museum is the gateway to the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York which included amogst its founders Andrew Carnegie. It has a wonderful history that is worthy of study.

That System Syzer represents the Carlson-Holohan Industry Award of Excellence and Dan Foley is the recent recipient. The Award is for the best of the best and given out every two years. Thanks to Max Rohr and crew for managing the award.

A handshake and a hug to each for the contributions each has made - well done!

Spectacular, spectacular: Showmanship is at the forefront of most booths exhibiting at AHR that become more ISH-like (ISH trade show in Frankfurt, Germany) every year. Eye candy from this contractor’s perspective. A great draw, to be sure, but it’s the folks populating the booths who make or break the relationship. For example, did you know that installing a threaded adapter in a PVC schedule 80 fitting compromises its pressure rating by 50%? Neither did I until Stephanie Radel (pictured below), senior manager of global water at Uponor provided that heretofore unknown educational tidbit, along with presenting the solvent-weld to ProPress adapter that eliminates that problem during a tour (more to come later) of the Uponor soon-to-be mobile roadshow exhibit – a booth within a booth chockablock full of top shelf information.

Ever wondered what happens to the expansion foam we inject inside a tube we have so often used for wall sleeves, thinking we are providing an adequate seal? I always assumed the foam, as it expanded, would create a solid seal from end-to-end. As I discovered when visiting the American Polywater Corporation booth and being educated by Brian Gunderson (pictured below), sales manager, the center portion fails to properly cure while ending up as a weak bubbly void where only the far ends, exposed to air, cure into foam plugs.

As you might expect, Polywater has the proper product for sealing the void that is fully compliant with codes.

Heat pump water heaters were up front and center in every water heater manufacturers’ booth as were air-to-water heat pumps just about everywhere it seemed as the drive towards electrification continues unabated. In addition to having some of the highest best energy efficiency rating for heat pump water heaters, Bradford White is one of just a few product manufacturers that protects the trades professionals by selling only to contractors via traditional wholesaler distribution.

While visiting the Bradford White booth, I learned that with a UEF rating higher than 4.0, Bradford White’s heat pump water heater is one of the most efficient models available today.

On June 12, 2017, the water heater industry was required by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to transition from the well-known Energy Factor (EF) metric for water heater efficiency to an entirely new metric called Uniform Energy Factor, or UEF. In addition to the change from EF to UEF, manufacturers are required to use an entirely new First Hour Rating (FHR) test procedure. While the name of the metric remains the same (FHR), the resultant values will likely be different from the previous FHR values for the same models due to the new test procedures.

I was blown away by the amazing progress of Watts regarding water safety, management, and control from the potable water entry to all points of usage from their connected backflow preventers to the Nexa Intelligent Water Management for both potable as well as hydronic systems and one of many show-stoppers for me: Watts IntelliStation 2 while David Desjardins (pictured above), business development manager – mixing (East) Watts Water Technologies, educated me on the vast array of benefits available. Contacts like this make a trip to AHR invaluable as a resource I can now tap for any future project as questions arise. If there’s water in it, Watts is on it!

Happy birthday 007, and I don’t mean James Bond! Taco’s industry workhorse circulator has turned 50 and evolved into one of the most efficient ECM circulators available today in the 007e model. Aside from charging to the forefront of ECM technology, Taco is also known for its training classes and the ever popular Taco After Dark which is not a podcast, but rather a series of live online webinars focused on hydronics training, hosted by Taco Comfort Solutions, where industry professionals can learn about heating systems and related topics; essentially, it's an educational program delivered through live webinars and recorded sessions.

Here we see one of Taco’s technical trainers, David Holdorf, holding sway while extolling the many features and benefits of several Taco products on display during AHR 2025. As always, the Taco booth is well staffed with industry experts freely sharing knowledge during dynamic interaction with visitors and draws a large crowd from start to finish.