An often overlooked item in your home’s infrastructure is the water heater. Most people don’t think a lot about their water heater until they turn the tap and are surprised with water that is less than hot. Water heaters are just like many other major home appliances, they need a little attention to get their maximum life and performance. Read More
Wire ropes are critical components of cranes and play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficiency of crane operations. To extend the life of these ropes and maintain their strength and performance, it is essential to regularly lubricate them. Read More
Hail property damage is frequently reported after an HVAC service call. Building owners are often unaware there is damage until the power bill starts trending higher and the HVAC system is simply not cooling effectively. Take look at the fins! The National Weather Service reported over $722 million in property damage from hail in 2018. Based on NWS data, hail caused more property damage than tornadoes or thunderstorms. Only Tropical Storms/Hurricanes at $12 billion, coastal storms at $1 billion and flooding at $1 billion were more costly than hail to property.
One of the items very susceptible to damage is the HVAC system. The heat that is removed from the interior of a building must be rejected to the environment. As such the HVAC system is placed where it can have unhindered access to outdoor air in order to function properly. This often results in the unit being placed in a large open space such as a rooftop, making it susceptible to damage such as hail. Read More
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) “Top 10 for 2018” violations once again have Machine Safeguarding earning a position on the list. Machine safeguarding was the 9th most cited standard as noted in the list below:
(Source: www.osha.gov/Top_Ten_Standards.html)
A mini-excavator at a job site developed a leak at a hydraulic fitting at the base of the cylinder that raises and lowers the boom. A subcontractor foreman at the site raised the boom to search for the leak. The foreman found and attempted to tighten the leaking fitting. When he did, the fitting separated from the base of the cylinder, releasing the hydraulic pressure that held the boom aloft. The boom fell and the bucket struck a nearby superintendent for the general contractor.
Equipment and appliances supplied with fuel gases like natural gas, propane and butane are a common and convenient part of most of our lives. Such devices as gas grills and ranges, ovens, furnaces, space heaters and water heaters usually perform without incident. However, when they malfunction the potential for incidents such as fires and explosions, carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and burn injuries may occur. These incidents may be due to design and manufacturing defects in the product, or improper installation or operation of the device.
This is the third and final of three articles concerning the basics of air conditioning systems. This article concerns the evaporator, a part of the air conditioning system that is usually unseen inside the air handling unit. The evaporator, in concert with a fan, supplies cool air to a building interior. Read More
The condensing unit is a key component of all vapor compression air conditioning systems. We are all familiar with condensing units as the noisy exterior portions of air conditioning systems that blow hot air to the environment. Read More
Pressurized cylinders filled with various gases are very common, from the propane fuel tank under your barbeque grill to acetylene for welding to fluorine for production of many common products. A leak from almost any of these can cause damage or significant losses, from a fire to physical injury, or asphyxiation.
Owner protection against losses and injury can range from nothing to significant, such as storage in ventilated closets or gas detection alarms. In one case the regulator valve on a small CO2 cylinder used in a bar to pressurize beer kegs broke off. The cylinder rocketed around the bar room, causing at least one serious injury. Read More
Air conditioning systems are everywhere in our lives – at home, in our vehicles, at work, in manufacturing facilities – yet most people give them little thought other than setting a comfortable temperature until they stop working or malfunction in some other way. Read More
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