‘Did anyone wake up with a tiger in their bathroom?’

BY ELLEN ROHR
contributing writer

Las Vegas is perhaps the only place in the world where you might hear that question, asked by John Barba in the Taco booth at the recent AHR Expo.

I was at AHR, and, assisted by Phc News and HVACtv.com, I interviewed some of our industry’s brightest and best to discover what’s happening now. The AHR Expo is where manufacturers go to show off their latest and greatest offerings. We filmed our adventures so — if you couldn’t make the show — we could report back to you. The products we learned about ranged from beam-me-up innovation to elegant new touches on an already good idea. Here are some tidbits…

• Chuck O’Donnell, product marketing manager at Laars Heating Systems, showed off the fleet. This included the Mascot, a streamlined wall hung boiler designed to make friends with other homeowner appliances, and the Pennant, the commercial line chosen to keep the water temperature just right for walruses and other mammals in a huge theme park. Nice job, Chuck, helping contractors accommodate Energy Star requirements too.

• At Webstone, Fernandes Mireles, VP of sales and marketing, and John McCaffrey, national accounts manager, unveiled the Hydro-Core valve manifold kit. Every detail of this component, such as the adjustable pump flange, is designed to save the contractor time, energy and frustration. You could do all that work in the field, and it might be fantastic. However, this smart kit makes for a simple, surefire installation and sets the end-user up for maintenance success too. Well done, Team Webstone.

• Led by rock star Dan Kelbaugh, vice president of sales and marketing, the Burnham by U.S. Boiler team showed off their IQs. The IQ control system allows you to upgrade your installations — outdoor reset, low water shut off — with plug and play components. As Nate Warren, residential product manager said, “The IQ control system is designed to work like the installer thinks.” Nice! American pride — and some fantastic craftsmanship — were on display with the cast iron boilers.

• At Weil-McLain, John Resso, training and technical manager, introduced their new indirect tank and showed off their Ultra boiler line. They offer nice boiler piping packages too, to get the installation “off on the right foot.” John also showed their iPhone app, a cool tool for troubleshooting in the field. Fun fact: Martha Stewart selected Weil-McLain to help her reduce her carbon footprint. It’s a good thing.

• It’s always a great time at the Watts booth! Watts Radiant and Watts Water Technology were in the house. I feel like I have grown up in this industry with these folks. I met Kolyn Marshall, director of marketing and customer support, when he was five years old and just starting at Watts. Their new graphite FlexPlate takes the weight and headache out of transfer plate installations. They also have a nice approach to water tempering. The Watts team is committed to helping you meet LEED specs. Neat!

• At Taco, Gary and the Hydronics kicked things off with a song. “Taco has the green pumps, green pumps…baby!” Greg Cunniff, PE applications engineering manager, wants you to know that Taco is more than green pumps. He demonstrated the Chilled Beam, radiant cooling (Yep, as nice as it sounds) with the LoFlo injection pumping system design. Mark Chaffee, senior marketing manager, introduced E-smart, the Taco approach to energy saving/comfort making components and systems. Nice demo, Mark, of how to configure zone valves and pumps for energy efficiency.

• At Lochinvar, everything they do is nice, nice, nice. There is attention to the smallest detail, from the factory floor to the show display. It’s a fine family business with a company culture that works. Thanks to Stirling Boston, director of marketing, and Mike Lahti, VP of sales, for unveiling the Crest line at the show. The Fire-Tube heat exchanger turns what you know inside out and contributes to an overall system that achieves up to 99% efficiency. 99%! This is rockin’ innovative.

• Ried Goodrich is the radiant sales manager at Viega. Don’t let his boyish good looks fool you. His expertise stems from working with his contractor dad since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. The Viega line is inspired by solving in-the-field challenges. The Climate Mat rolls out in perfect loop lengths to make short work of in-floor radiant piping, for heating and cooling. Wow! They have a lot more going on than just their fabulous Pro-Press systems.

• The fellows at Apricus are committed to saving energy and the planet with the warm power of the sun. What fun I had with these young people (of all ages). It was great to see their solar-powered offerings. Owner Mick Humphries and his international crew spoke English, French, Mandarin and Texan at their booth. They understand that solar is just part of the program in other parts of the world. Their Wombat product is an all-in-one approach to solar heating and domestic hot water. Good on ya, mates, bringing your enthusiasm to our slow-to-go-to-solar countrymen.

• Who knew that bathroom fans could be an integral part of energy-efficient design? We had a rockin’ time at the Panasonic Home & Environment booth. Brett Gundersen, NE regional sales manager, demonstrated how a humble fan could make a difference in time, energy, money and… civility. These fans respond to motion and humidity, and they are measurably better than the competition. Check out the video. By the way, ask Brett if he found a tiger in his bathroom in Vegas.

• It was an honor to meet Clay Stevens, the AHR show manager and CEO of International Exposition Company Inc. It’s a family business, and Clay has been putting on the show since 1969. They work for up to three years to bring the HVAC/R world together in each fabulous show. This was the 63rd AHR show. Clay is already planning locations and venues for the shows in 2024 and 2025. He’s a long-term planner and a super sweet guy, passionate about the HVAC/R industry. Cher’s show manager has nothing on him.

Yep, there is a lot of amazing technology. However, what struck me was the human connection. The energy at this show was amazing! I haven’t felt that at a trade show in awhile. It was fantastic to spend time with friends, visiting with them about what they do so well: move air, warm water, create comfort, keep everyone safe and protect Mother Earth. The technology is simply the tools these wizards wield.
One more thing: A shout out to Eugene and Graham, our film crew. You guys are professional and fun, and made us all look so good.

There is a lot more to see and learn. Click on the Rock n Rohr banner to view the videos at www.phcnews.com.

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