Manufacturers that debuted new products at the recent 2018 AHR Expo at McCormick Place in Chicago made one thing crystal clear. Making the installation process as easy as possible for the contractor/installer continues to be top of mind, as is helping those responsible for the care and upkeep of the products on the back end.

For instance, take the Franklin Electric Little Giant brand’s VCMX-20 Series of condensate pumps. “You slide the check valve out and are able to service it right there,” Franklin Electric Market Development Manager Jeff Frank told Supply House Times during the show. “A contractor would be comfortable explaining that to a customer over the phone. It’s good for the contractor because it keeps thing simple from a service and maintenance perspective. We’re always listening to our customers and taking what they love and making it better.”

Watts Radiant displayed its ProMelt HX snow-melt system with an emphasis on the system part of the equation in making it as easy as possible to size and select a snow-melt system, a Watts representative noted during the show.

Taco’s 1915E light commercial ECM circulator falls into that user-friendly category as well. “With the quick-start guide, anybody can operate it,” Taco Product Manager Joe Castellone said.

Bradford White’s AeroTherm Series heat pump water heater offers top water connections and convenient height and weight for quick and easy replacements and installations, while also having the ability to be laid on its side for better transportation flexibility. An integrated smart control panel includes detailed diagnostic information for ease of serviceability and quick and accurate diagnostics, the company noted.

Along those same lines, Laars’ Pennant high-efficiency commercial boiler and volume water heaters keep the contractor and service professional in mind with an updated control panel. “We want to make it easy to use and one of those ways is making the screen easier to see,” Laars’ Chuck O’Donnell said. “You may have building management or building maintenance people who might not be specialized in mechanical operations. This makes it easier to navigate.”

More AHR goodies

Also seen on the AHR Expo show floor:

• NIBCO’s PERTPro flexible tubing provides flexibility, economy, lack of coil set and tight dimensional tolerance for potable water distribution and radiant heating.
• RIDGID’s new RIDIGD Link app allows firms to track tool data and as a result maximize job performance.
• Jomar Valve’s lead-free balancing systems combine all the components needed to effectively balance a commercial domestic hot-water system into what the company terms a compact and easy-to-install unit.
• Webstone’s many new products on display in Chicago included thermostatic mixing valves, G1 union accessories, water-heater tempering valves, a vertical-mount air separator, as well as a tankless water-heater service valve kit, uni-flange ball valves, PEX x
• press transition valves and numerous radiant products.
• Stiebel Eltron’s PSH Plus Series of
• wall-mounted tankless water heaters free up valuable space. The combination of a smaller-capacity tank with a 3 kW heating element gives the units quick recovery time.
• Carlin’s Universal Oil Primary Control pinpoints the cause of burner faults for fast and accurate repairs.
• Victaulic’s new PGS-300 groove profile solution eliminates cure time, chemicals and odors associated with a traditional installation method.
• Corzan Piping System’s cut-groove joining process can be completed in three steps, and the company noted contractors using the cut-groove and mechanical joints are experiencing a labor savings and decrease in downtime of up to 90%.

The 70th AHR Expo attracted a record-breaking 72.075 total attendees (up from 68.615 last year) and total visitor attendance spiked to 49,995 from 48,568 in 2017. The 2019 AHR Expo heads to Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center Jan. 14-16.

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