Recent Blog Posts

One way to ensure that your facility remains up and running is to invest in the most up-to-date HVAC equipment and technologies. And one of the hottest HVAC technologies this year is geothermal technology. Geothermal heat pump systems, for example, use 25%-50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems. And they can reduce energy [...]

This post is the last in a series that covered what I call “critical components” — processes or physical items that are must-haves for your preventative maintenance program. One of the things that I have often observed when looking at preventative maintenance programs is a lack of consistency. Basically, when performing  preventative maintenance (PM), or other maintenance processes [...]

Boiler cleaning and maintenance are always foremost in a boiler operator’s mind.  This means being fully versed in the general condition of the boiler and the way the boiler is being operated and maintained. Some of the items to consider are: have the exterior and interior surfaces of the boiler been cleaned by using boiler [...]

Green isn’t just for the eco-conscious consumer anymore – it’s become an industry standard as was quite apparent at the 2012 International Air Conditioning Heating Refrigerating (AHR) Expo in Chicago last week. The event featured more than 60,000 professionals from all over the world. It also featured experts from 35 countries presenting truly unique wares [...]

The New England Patriots and New York Giants have been crowned NFL conference champions and are now preparing for the Superbowl. The next two weeks will be filled with team meetings, breaking down of game tapes, practices, traveling, and much more. Yup, that’s alot of work that needs to be done prior to the big [...]

As cold weather continues to cover much of the U.S., buildings will need to rely more heavily on their HVAC system. If you perform routine upkeep on your furnace, heat pump, and filter systems, chances are good you’ll continue to experience a comfortable winter. Technology and maintenance standards are constantly evolving, and realistically, no one [...]

January brings us cold weather and hot new products at AHR 2012! Like a Christmas morning in January, it’s that time again for the AHR/ASHRAE show where you get to see all the new goodies in HVAC. And as usual Goodway has a lot of great products at the show. So let’s see a few [...]

When the massive earthquake and accompanying tsunami hit Japan last year, people around world watched as a potentially history-making crisis unfolded before us. The Fukushima nuclear power plant had been built to withstand just such an event. However, some of the ancillary systems weren’t, resulting in a loss of power to the pumps that helped cool [...]

It’s that time of year again—time to finalize resolutions for the new year that some of you probably will not keep. And in most cases that’s OK. It may not be crucial that you hit the gym six days a week or lay off the chocolate. But there are some resolutions that are critical for [...]

Today, we’re bringing you a rewind of the most popular HVAC maintenance posts of 2011. Enjoy these reader favorites from the Just Venting blog as the year winds down. Number 10 – Dust & Soot Vacuums Are More Versatile Than You Might Think Our 10th most popular post for 2011 is a good reminder that sometimes [...]

[Editor's Note:  If your looking to boost your HVAC career in 2012 check out our HVAC Career Development Map] Last week we discussed the top 3 HVAC tech trends for next year. Since 2012 is all but here, now is a good time to also look at some key HVAC industry trends. Green Initiatives are [...]

The new year is right around the corner, so it seems like a good time to stare into the crystal ball and see what’s going to be hot for 2012. Technology as always will play a big part in keeping your building up and running. 1) HVAC high tech instruments – Facility management staff can [...]

Chances are that your facility has several pumps performing various tasks.  Pumps are necessary for the smooth operation of your building whether they are used for HVAC, domestic water, or process.  To keep pumps running properly, it’s prudent to keep a regular maintenance schedule using a pump maintenance checklist. Here’s how: The first thing you need [...]

Here’s a building envelope and HVAC retrofit success story in the food and beverage facility management sector.  Barbara’s Bakery in Sacramento, CA has made a significant investment over the last 10 years in energy efficiency.  This investment has paid off in several ways and has been a key part of their business’ growth.  In fact, [...]

As we continue our exploration into the items required for an effective HVAC Preventative Maintenance (PM) program, training is next on our checklist. Early on in my HVAC career, I was given the role of after hours on-call supervisor. Effectively I was the acting Facility Manager during these times.  A critical after hours responsibility was to respond to issues [...]

Here’s a real-life ” benefits of HVAC maintenance ” scenario for ya. Recently, I was asked to assist in a control point-to-point checkout for a manufacturing facility. The complex had 36 rooftop units and our task was to go through and verify that the control points were what the program said they were. The facility [...]

The HVAC Professionals Group at LinkedIn had several interesting discussions over the last 2 months.  The groups diverse background provided some strong and valuable opinions. Top influencer of the week Noriel Ong asked a seemingly simple question about pump positioning in a chilled water loop. This lead to a discussion of the many factors involved. [...]