Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine February 2018

industry through design, sizing, and installation of the air conditioning system. It is not an easy science, cannot be accomplished in today’s new houses using past defaults, and is not intuitive. So a person needs Maintaining proper humidity is the job of the HVAC industry through design, sizing, and installation of the air conditioning system. It is not an easy science, cannot be accomplished in today’s new houses using past defaults, and is not intuitive. training and the public expects a contractor to know what they are doing and for the State to license persons who know what they are doing. So why do we care if there is mold or mildew in the home? A study by the World Health Organization stated, “building dampness and mould (mold) are associated with approximately 30–50% increases in a variety of respiratory and asthma- related health outcomes.” (12) The study also stated there was suggestive evidence between mold and lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children. (12) The potential dangers to the elderly, children, and persons with even minor respiratory problems should not be underestimated. In addition to public health and safety, we have not even addressed issues of designing and installing systems that deliver the level of

energy efficiency promised by the manufacturer of the equipment. An unlicensed and untrained person can reduce delivered, installed efficiency by several percent and thereby create a higher utility bill for the consumer for the life of the equipment, perhaps 15 to 20 years. As we have stated before, we do not doubt that some licensing and regulation may be overextended in some occupations; however, that is not the case in the HVACR industry. We have established that (1) the heating and air conditioning industry directly affects the health and safety of families by the installation of heating and air conditioning systems. (2) the trade is not intuitive, requires training, and we further assert that the public expects the State to properly license businesses and individuals involved in the trade. (3) that the HVACR industry can deliver a highly efficient HVAC system which delivers comfort for an affordable price or can mis-design and mis-install one that serves as a siphon into the pocket book of the homeowner for up to 20 years. The case for licensing and regulation of the HVACR industry is clear; and, because of the complexity of the trade, any licensing and regulation should be promulgated, overseen, and reviewed by members of the HVACR industry in consultation with the legislature, governmental agencies, and consumer representatives. That is exactly what we have now. The

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