by Burt Robertson
By now the clock has struck 12:00, and we have all made our New
Year's resolutions. Hopefully everything that was working is still
working. The new millenium will be bringing many changes in our
industry and we must all be ready. Let's look back over some of
the changes we have already seen. The old faithful standing pilot
has all but disappeared. The furnace industry has started to use
more printed circuit boards. Now one part replaces many. Oil furnaces
are now using fan timer boards to start the blowers in place of
the old fan limit, temperature type switch. Many contractors have
not yet accepted this new change. We have seen manufacturers adjusting
oil pump pressures up from the 100-LB standard setting. Direct
venting of oil furnaces and boilers without power venters has
started a new trend in the industry. More technical tools for
adjusting and setting up heating equipment have been developed.The
days of holding a match by the inspection door to check the draft
are gone. Contractors need to attend schools to keep up with the
many changes in the industry.
The A/C industry has changed with the introduction of the scroll
compressor. We have seen the change from the common R12 Freon
to the new blended types. We have seen the SEER ratings climb.
Our equipment is getting smaller in size. The height of a cooling
coil A has been reduced to 12". Modulating blower speeds
and modulating furnaces have been introduced.
We went from mechanical set back thermostats with movable pins
to the new digital models. We have started to see replacement
thermostats replace the soon to be banned mercury type.
The most important change I have seen are more educated consumers.
The consumers expect these new high tech products. You must all
be able to meet their demands and up sell quality products. This
is an important change for those selling only low quality equipment.
We will all have to start looking at these products and make sure
we are selling the best there is. Our Ruud heating and cooling
line of equipment is a fine example of a company that has already
seen the need to be ahead of the rest with new improved high tech
products.
There will be very exciting times in this new century. We all
must prepare for the many changes required to survive. We will
continue to do our part with the support of our sales force and
our inside staff. Please feel free to call us for technical support
or literature. The most important thing is to call. We look forward
to working with you, and thank you for your business.