HVAC & Plumbing News

It’s a “pretty recession-proof business,” says Ricky Jones of Blythe Woodworks The U.S. this year had its hottest summer in 132 years of recordkeeping, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). What’s happening: Americans cranked the AC for themselves — and for their pets. One August TikTok video showing three dogs enjoying an…

An index measuring whether consumers think it’s a good or bad time to buy ‘major household items’ fell 18 percent month-over-month in October, the largest monthly decline in the past year U.S. consumers’ outlook on buying large household durables — an indicator of HVAC purchasing intent — plunged in October. What’s happening: A University of…

NEW PRODUCTS: From cooling and refrigeration to software, building automation and more, the latest group of annual winners will ALL be on display this January at AHR Expo in Chicago. WESTPORT, CT, Oct. 15, 2026 – The International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) has announced the winners of the 2027 AHR Expo Innovation Awards.…

The company reported growth in both residential unit volume and average selling prices during the third quarter The residential HVAC market is continuing to stabilize following the transition to A2L products, according to Watsco. What’s happening: North America’s largest distributor on Tuesday reported a seven percent year-over-year increase in residential equipment sales during the third…

Major HVAC manufacturers on Friday asked a federal judge to dismiss a class-action lawsuit accusing them of conspiring to fix prices and overcharge for equipment since 2020. What’s happening: In a joint motion filed Oct. 9, seven OEMs — Bosch, Carrier, Daikin, Lennox, Rheem, Trane, and AAON — and their subsidiaries asked a judge to…

Group offers resources for avoiding questionable equipment, refrigerants Distributors are seeing a rise in equipment and refrigerants in the HVACR channel that may not comply with federal regulations, and Heating, Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) is working to protect members from buying what could turn out to be dead inventory. In particular, a HARDI…

Heat pumps have reshaped August shipments over 10 years October 12, 2026 Need to Know Combined U.S. central air conditioner and air-source heat pump shipments reached 756,739 units in August 2026, an 11.4% increase over August 2025, marking seven consecutive months of year-over-year growth. Heat pumps accounted for 44.7% of combined cooling equipment shipments in…

High oil prices tied to Iran conflict and recent trade friction with Canada have pushed input prices up 8.9% over a year ago, according to BLS. Key Highlights Construction input prices increased by 1.2% in August; Material prices for steel, lumber, and metals have surged over 10% year-over-year; Energy prices showed mixed trends: crude oil…

Under growing pressure to conserve more water, large facilities are exploring alternative treatment technologies to reduce both blowdown and water use without disrupting operations. Key Highlights Cooling towers naturally lose water through evaporation and blowdown, which can be optimized for conservation without impacting core processes; Advanced oxidation process (AOP) technology helps increase cycles of concentration,…

Competition in Shanghai highlights workforce shortages and the need for expanded vocational training worldwide. Key Highlights Plumbing workforce shortages are becoming a global infrastructure issue: LIXIL cites major labor gaps in the US, Europe, Australia and Japan Training is central to expanding the skilled workforce: LIXIL’s GROHE GIVE and TradeUp programs provide plumbing training and…