World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Look out below!

CHINA: Images, like this, of air conditioning units festooned on the outside of buildings are likely to both excite air conditioning engineers and horrify architects in the West in equal measures but in China there may be another reason to be horrified.

There have previously been incidences of air conditioning units plunging to the ground but reports in the Chinese newspaper Metropolis Daily suggest that this might become a more common danger.

A survey of air conditioning units on one residential building in Wuhan City found more than 80% with signs of serious corrosion on the condensing units’ retaining brackets. Some brackets were said to be of poor quality, others not painted or showing any signs of corrosion protection and, in some cases, evidence of poor installation with insufficient anchoring points.

It is unclear whether the survey was representative of installations across the country but there is sufficient concern in Wuhan for the authorities, building owners and appliance industry associations, as well as Chinese ac manufacturers Gree, Midea and Haier, to quickly convene a meeting at the newspaper’s offices to discuss the problem.

There have been calls for regulations and standards to be introduced to regulate the air conditioning accessory maufacturers producing the brackets as well as calls for the original air conditioning unit manufacturers to take more responsibility.

Latest News

18th April 2024

Fan maker to expand US tooling centre

USA: German fan manufacturer EBM‑Papst is to add a 1,350m2 extension to its US manufacturing and engineering facility in Farmington, Connecticut.
18th April 2024

Artus adds larger hybrid fan coil

UK: Artus Air has added a larger model to its range of hybrid fan coil units.
18th April 2024

Thai ammonia leak sends 155 to hospital

THAILAND: An ammonia leak at an ice factory in Thailand’s Chonburi Province hospitalised more than 150 people of which nine are said to be in a serious condition.
17th April 2024

Barwinski heads Danfoss MENA sales

UAE: Danfoss has appointed Marcio Barwinski as its climate solutions sales director for the MENA area.
17th April 2024

Mike Gittoes joins Hubbard Products

UK: Mike Gittoes, former MD of Arctic Circle, has joined Ipswich-based refrigeration equipment manufacturer Hubbard Products as business development manager.
17th April 2024

Daikin’s Crombez elected EHPA president

BELGIUM: Patrick Crombez, Daikin Europe’s general manager heating and renewables, has been elected as president of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).