Critical Thinking Culture is a canon for HVACR Instruments Manufacturer
ORANGE, CALIF. (September 20, 2023) – Fieldpiece Instruments, the leading manufacturer of HVACR tools pros trust, announced they were recognized with the prestigious Kepner-Tregoe Critical Thinking Cultural Excellence Award. Kepner-Tregoe (KT) is the pioneer of rational process development, and the KT Excellence award is bestowed to an organization that displays outstanding performance in developing an environment and support structure that enables critical thinking skills to flourish and thrive.
Fieldpiece’s nomination was remarkable given that over 100 award submissions were received from companies worldwide. After a successful implementation of the KT methodology, the leadership team developed a solid plan for encouraging process excellence in all areas related to operational performance and client satisfaction. The overall impact was a laser-focused drive toward the successful implementation of its 3-year strategic plan. For this truly outstanding achievement, Fieldpiece was recognized as a global benchmark and has now become part of the historical record and legacy of having won a coveted KT Global Excellence Award.
“KT methodology is one of the foundational tools we use to help align our thinking and continuously innovate,” stated Cameron Rouns, chief executive officer of Fieldpiece. He continued, “The ability to create a systematic way of driving organization-wide critical thinking skills in areas such as problem solving, decision and root- cause analysis, as well as opportunity assessments for business improvements and team engagement, allow us to thrive. We are honored to be recognized for developing these core values as an integral part of our operating model.”
If you’re interested in joining Fieldpiece, see job listings on LinkedIn.
ABOUT KEPNER-TREGOE: Kepner-Tregoe is a global leader in management consulting and problem solving. For more than 65 years the company has helped organizations analyze complex problems, make decisions, and effectively implement change. With a proven approach and extensive expertise, Kepner-Tregoe has established itself as a trusted partner to virtually all the Fortune 100 companies.
Before you commission or service a fuel-fired furnace this heating season, make sure your combustion analyzer is up to the challenge. Measuring heating system emissions, stack temperature, and draft pressure accurately and effectively are key requirements of combustion analysis and accomplishing these tasks quickly can be a game changer on a busy schedule. We’ve outlined some must-haves for your combustion analyzer so you can cruise through the winter.
Go Rugged
The Fieldpiece CAT85 Combustion Analyzer HC stands out from the competition for a few simple reasons. For starters, it’s tough and easy to use. After all, it’s from Fieldpiece. The analyzer has a strong magnet for hands-free operation and a rubberized casing for high durability. The large, high-contrast touchscreen is easy to see anywhere, including those dark crawlspaces.
Stay Connected
The CAT85 also seamlessly connects to the Job Link® System App and allows you to view trends, draft pressure and customer details at the swipe of a fingertip. Easily create a combustion analysis report as verification that all safety parameters are within compliance. Pairing with the Job Link® System Appallows you to generate and send a report to your customer, and the CAT85 pairs to an optional Wireless Thermal Printer (CATPR) for a quick printout.
No More Water Traps
The innovations on the CAT85 don’t stop there. The flue probe features the unique HydroCycle™ Pump that automatically separates and returns accumulated water to the flue prior to reaching the sensors. This means no time wasted monitoring and draining a water trap, and ultimately, time saved on every job you tackle throughout heating season.
Extend Sensor Life
Another patent-pending feature, SensorVault™ technology, is designed to extend sensor life by sealing off the sensors from the air when not in use. Backed by a 4-year warranty, the field-replaceable sensors maximize your uptime and minimize your cost of ownership. Fieldpiece also offers an affordable and fast turnaround system calibration and preventive maintenance program when a certificate of calibration is required.
Built-in, Dual-Port Manometer
The CAT85 combustion analyzer also comes with a built-in, dual-port manometer so you have one less tool to carry. You can measure gas pressure and static pressure, allowing you to view the effects of any adjustments made to the heating system.
Eliminate Guesswork
While combustion analysis measurements and calculations should be compared to the heating appliance manufacturer’s recommendations to verify compliance and optimal performance, legwork is greatly simplified with the CAT85. Based on the system selected, reference ranges for temperature, O2, CO and CO air free provide visual cues to indicate whether the values are in (green) or out (yellow) of generally accepted ranges. So easy.
Pick up a CAT85 Today
We created this analyzer to help you provide exceptional service, ensure safety, and optimize the performance of heating systems for all your customers. If you want to work smarter and faster, add a Fieldpiece CAT85 Combustion Analyzer HC to your bag; it’s sure to be your go-to tool throughout heating season.
ORANGE, CALIF. (JULY 10, 2023) – Fieldpiece Instruments, the leading manufacturer of HVACR tools pros trust, today announced the launch of a new line of hoses and fittings featuring two key types of premium hoses: charging hoses and vacuum hoses, with accompanying accessories and a variety of different fittings perfect for all HVACR charging, recovery and evacuation needs.
“Every Fieldpiece product is designed to make the HVACR pro’s job easier, faster and better – and our new hose line is no exception,” explains Jeb Ball, vice president of sales and marketing at Fieldpiece Instruments. “Our A2L-compatible, black hoses can withstand extreme use, and their unique color tagging system increases versatility in the field by making hoses easy to identify and customize.”
Fieldpiece designed its charging and vacuum hoses in a universal black to allow each hose in a set to function as a spare for any other, removing limitations that technicians typically experience when using traditional yellow, blue and red colored hoses. Sturdy colored tags snap onto each hose for identification and customization. This contemporary approach reduces the number of spare hoses field techs must carry and decreases errors by allowing technicians to easily mark hoses that are specific for particular use cases or refrigerants. Additionally, the highly flexible hoses allow a tight bend radius ideal for cramped locations and compact storage, provide a good grip even in oily hands, and won’t degrade over time from UV and oil exposure.
Fieldpiece hoses also feature durable triple-ring crimped fittings for increased reliability even at high pressure, and greater pull strength than a traditional single-crimp or hex-crimp where if one crimp fails, the entire hose fails. With triple-ring crimped fittings, redundant crimping ensures the hose still maintains pressure – extending hose life with fewer leaks and less frequent need for replacement.
Fieldpiece hoses also have smaller diameter low-loss fittings and low-abrasion, knurled brass fittings, offering an improved feel while still providing a solid grip. An added premium feature is the compact ball valve knob design that reduces inadvertent refrigerant release if bumped, protecting users from accidental refrigerant burns.
All hoses are UL 1963-compliant, third-party tested and compatible with industry standards (SAE J2196, SAE J2888 and SAE J513) for refrigerant recovery and recycling. Hoses are A2L-ready with durable four-layer construction; have neoprene gaskets for a lasting seal even when exposed to harsh temperatures and lubricants; and are certified for 4000 psi burst pressure and 800 psi working pressure.
Fieldpiece charging hoses are available in 3-packs or individually to fit both a quarter inch standard and five-sixteenths inch split system service ports. Vacuum hoses are sold individually to mate with either three-eighths or quarter inch port sizes. Accessories such as ball valve and open hose extensions as well as straight and angled split system adapters are part of the new lineup along with replacement gaskets and extra hose color tags.
FIELDPIECE INSTRUMENTS HONORED WITH 2023 ACHR DEALER DESIGN AWARD AND INCLUSION IN “BEST PLACES TO WORK – SOCAL”
HVAC Combustion Analyzer Design takes Gold and Fieldpiece is Recognized by Workplace Culture Experts as an Employee Favorite
ORANGE, CALIF. (AUGUST 3, 2023) – Fieldpiece Instruments, the leading manufacturer of HVACR tools pros trust, announced two key achievements today: the Fieldpiece CAT85 K2 Combustion Analyzer HC was a Gold Winner in the 2023 Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration (ACHR) Dealer Design Awards, and the privately-held company was honored as one of 83 companies named in the 2023 Best Places to Work SoCal list.
The Dealer Design Awards Program, sponsored by ACHR the News magazine, recognizes product design excellence annually. An independent panel of contractors acted as judges in the contest and awarded Fieldpiece’s CAT85 Combustion Analyzer HC the gold winner in the testing and monitoring products category.
The CAT85 Combustion Analyzer HC with wireless printer ensures combustion safety and efficiency of furnaces and simplifies the process for HVACR techs by measuring O2, CO, CO2, flue temperature, air temperature and draft/gas pressure. A standout design innovation includespatent pending SensorVault™ technology that seals oxygen and carbon monoxide sensors from air when the tool is off, resulting in prolonged sensor life. Sensors are warrantied for four years and are replaceable in the field – leading to maximum uptime on the job site for techs. Replacement sensors have built-in calibration data, so after a simple swap, the analyzer is ready to go.
An additional CAT85 innovation includes its HydroCycle™ Pump technology. The pump condenses water vapor pulled through the combustion analyzer probe and returns it to the flue, eliminating the need for a water trap that must be repeatedly emptied. The CAT85 also has a built-in manometer for one less tool to carry and connects wirelessly to the Fieldpiece Job Link® System App, allowing techs to view trends, draft pressure and customer details seamlessly and conveniently.
“Fieldpiece’s culture is one of innovation and commitment to the HVACR contractor community. It’s great to see our team’s hard work being recognized for the combustion analyzer design that increases techs’ uptime and effectiveness during furnace installation, maintenance and repairs,” said Cameron Rouns, chief executive officer at Fieldpiece Instruments. “Our culture drives everything we do and helps define who we are at Fieldpiece, so we are also very honored to be named on this year’s Best Places to Work SoCal list,” he added.
Best Companies Group (BCG) selected the Best Places to Work SoCal winners based on responses from detailed, anonymous employee surveys and ranked the winners across small, medium and large company categories. Companies in Southern California that rated highest on issues that matter most to employees were highlighted as best places to work. The ranking is based on an analysis of survey responses about corporate culture, training and development, salary, benefits and overall employee satisfaction.
Jaime Raul Zepeda, executive vice president, Best Companies Group, said, “Southern California is home to some of the world’s top brands, leading SMBs and innovative startups. The companies that made this year’s Best Places to Work SoCal list are standouts from the thousands of employee survey responses we analyzed and reviewed. These companies are a bright spot for their employees, and we congratulate them for creating a valuable and rewarding work environment.”
If you’ve ever wished your HVAC refrigerant hoses lasted longer, wanted to build your own set, cart fewer spares in your truck, and ultimately spend less on hoses every year – then Fieldpiece hoses are for you! We spent weeks on the job with HVACR pros to understand the demands of this workhorse equipment and figure out how to improve charging and vacuum hoses to make techs’ jobs easier, faster and better. Partnering with our extensive team of beta-testers, we designed our new line of Fieldpiece hoses and accessories with the following performance and ease-of-use design improvements, all for you:
Premium Refrigerant Hose with Four-layer Construction
A refrigerant hose take a beating, so we built them tougher. Our hoses have a four-layer construction designed specifically for ruggedness and A2L refrigerant compatibility. Although tough, the external layer provides a soft feel and solid grip even with wet or oily hands. The outermost layer holds up to UV exposure, scorching heat on roof tops, biting cold in refrigeration units, abrasion from dragging and even storage abuse in your truck. The premium quality, black rubber stands up to the harshest conditions and chemical exposure commonly faced on HVACR jobs.
For the second refrigerant hose layer, we selected a polyester material with high flexibility that allows a tight bend radius for those hard-to-reach service ports and will easily coil, carry and store. By choosing a specific thickness and density of a braided-fiber polyester, it also provides the strength and durability to meet 800 psi working pressure and 4000 psi burst pressure requirements.
To maximize flow rate, we ensured that the inner diameter of the third rubber layer is as large as possible in all hoses to create an open flow for gases, speeding up your charging, recovery, and evacuation times.
The fourth layer is how all Fieldpiece hoses are A2L compatible and ready for the transition to refrigerants with much lower global warming potential. An inner veneer on the third rubber layer reduces the permeation of gases and lubricants to meet SAE specifications. This fourth layer is applied in all charging and vacuum hoses to ensure compatibility with common CFC, HCFC, HFC and HFO refrigerants.
Unique Refrigerant Hose Color Tag System
Why go all black? We wanted to offer a premium refrigerant hose, while minimizing what you need to carry as spares. With our new color tag system, you can easily replace a single hose by removing the color tag and snapping it onto the black Fieldpiece replacement hose you need – open, ball valve or low loss. You are not bound to a particular color hose and fitting combination, or as limited by what stock your local supply house may carry. Furthermore, the premium black hose appearance won’t degrade over time from UV sunlight and oil exposure, unlike a traditional red, blue, and yellow refrigerant hose. Color tags are made of the same robust, glass-filled nylon proven for industrial HVACR use on other Fieldpiece tools.
The tag colors available today are red, yellow, and blue, but with the coming A2L refrigerants, we are working on more color combinations. You also have the flexibility to configure and customize hoses for their specific use, such as adding additional tags to easily differentiate between 1/4 inch and 5/16 inch fitting hoses or hoses dedicated to particular refrigerants and lubricants. You can also create your own mix with tag halves, such as red/blue or red/yellow, to personalize your hoses so you can always identify your own!
Durable Fittings Designed for HVAC Techs
Technician safety and comfort is always at the forefront of design considerations for Fieldpiece, and hose fittings are no exception. The knurling depth, shape, and density provide a solid grip with dry, wet, or oily hands – so say goodbye to chewed up fingertips. Fitting diameters are minimized to maximize hand-access while still providing good torque for a robust seal under pressure.
Fieldpiece intentionally designed our ball valve fittings with a center pivot to reduce the chance of accidentally bumping the valve and releasing refrigerant – a safety hazard techs are all too familiar with. The center pivot also minimizes the total width of the hose and fitting when closed to allow easier access in tight spaces. Anti-blowback features are also built into our angled fittings to protect your hands from refrigerant exposure. Staying safe on the job is something you should always expect from your equipment.
We also looked at long-term durability and reliability of our fittings and added triple-ring crimps to the brass fittings on each end of the hose. This process is typically only used on premium and high-pressure hoses and we added it to all our fittings. Should a single crimp fail, the additional rings come into play to secure the seal, giving longer-life to your hoses.
Fieldpiece core depressors are also threaded to allow you to make depth adjustments with a simple twist, because we understand that not all service port Schrader valves are created equal.
Only Buy the Refrigerant Hoses you Need
Fieldpiece’s charging hoses come in multiple 3-pack sets, with open, ball-valve, and low loss fittings, for both 1/4 inch and 5/16 inch mini-split port options. A 1/4 inch combo pack is also available with (1) ball valve and (2) low loss valves. But you asked, and we delivered – all hoses are also sold individually, so you can build the exact set you use the most and replace only what you need.
Fieldpiece is proud to offer hoses and fittings designed and tested in partnership with HVACR pros like you and manufactured to the highest standards. Fieldpiece hoses and accessories are the preferred refrigerant hoses to complement Fieldpiece manifolds, pumps, and recovery tools. Visit the hoses and fittings product page to see all options and accessories and ask your local HVAC distributor about them today!
Working as an HVACR tech during the summer presents some very specific hazards. Beyond spending long hours outdoors in the heat, you could also work in cramped, hot environments with exposed power lines and hazardous leaking refrigerants. Here are a few dangers to look out for this summer and ways to avoid them.
Stay safe around power
Safety around electrical equipment is critical and since we’re in HVAC, it’s part of the job – especially during the summer. This is when AC systems are overtaxed and are prone to failure and burning out. When repairing these systems or replacing components like fan motors and compressors, be sure to turn the power off at the breaker, not just at the unit. This minimizes the risk of accidental shock. As a final precaution, using a meter with non-contact voltage sensing can confirm the system is deenergized. Also, whenever you come across an exposed wire, use your electrical test tools to ensure safety and tape it off.
Be careful with refrigerants
Recharging a system is a frequent job for techs, especially during the summer months. During a recharge, techs are often inadvertently exposed to hazardous chemicals by breathing them in or absorbing them through the skin. Minimizing this contact is essential. To ensure your safety, wear the correct protective gear like gloves and safety glasses, and follow all manufacturer recommendations. If you need to recharge a system, be sure to use A2L-compatible tools like the Fieldpiece MR45 – Digital Refrigerant Recovery Machine and the Fieldpiece VPX7 – 10 CFM Vacuum Pump. Both are designed to work with the latest refrigerants.
Have the right tools in your bag
To work safely this summer, start by working smarter. Wearing the correct protective gear is a great place to start. Make sure that your bag includes PPE, gloves, helmets, hard-toed boots, and other equipment to defend you from potential hazards. Also, ensure that your bag has all the tools that you need for every job. Trips back and forth to the truck or the shop cause unnecessary delays and extend your time on the job site. Packing the right gear reduces exposure to dangerous heat and other potentially harmful weather conditions.
Work smart. Be safe.
Paying attention to the dangers of working around electricity and refrigerants is important. That’s why you should keep all potential hazards in mind. Avoid or minimize any risk by coming to work prepared with the right equipment, HVACR test tools and protective gear to keep you safe through the summer months.
