I also was happy to see a new electronic balometer from Alnor. These devices, which read ceiling-mounted diffuser outputs in direct autoheatercores CFMs with no correction factors, are needed throughout the industry. However, they were usually very large, sensitive and expensive, so only the largest commercial shops had them, until now. Alnor just introduced its LoFlo balometer, a compact 10-500 CFM instrument designed specially for residential and light commercial applications.I took a minute to stop by some of the smoky denizens of the welding business. Uniweld Products has just come up with a new oxy/acetylene torch tip they call the Tuning Fork (because that''s what it looks like). It is specifically designed for the removal and installation of reversing valves. Flames coming from both tip surfaces surround the three-connection side of the reversing valve, allowing the whole assembly to be unbrazed in a single operation.

At the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, a pool of 85 caddies is available for groups playing the Ocean Course. The cost also is built into the greens fee."We offer this program to encourage walking," said Josh Zollweg, the resort''s director of golf sales. "This is golf in its finest and first form'' Kiawah can accompany a 120-person tournament with caddies.Groups of 60 or fewer can travel to the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., where both the Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes courses were designed for walking. There are no cart paths, and motorized carts are available only for disabled golfers; even then, caddies do the driving. The $35 fee is separate from the greens fee, and Bandon Dunes has a pool of more than 300 caddies. Peachtree City, Ga., with its lush green spaces, inviting boutiques and white picket fences, could fit the description of dozens of U.S. towns. But where it takes a radical departure from Main Street U.S.A. is in its preferred form of transportation--there are an estimated 9,000 golf carts used in a city with a population of 34,000. At McIntosh High, nearly 170 golf carts are usually parked outside, causing some unique traffic problems when the final bell rings.

Previously regarded as bulky and cumbersome, the domestic steam generator hitting today''s market is a different beast from those you might encounter behind the scenes in an hotel or other commercial operation. Coloured water tanks, sleeker designs, faster heat-up times and the ability to refill the water tank even during operation all contribute to the consumer appeal of these products. Where they really excel though, is in their ability to iron for much longer periods of time without needing a refill since on average they have a capacity of one litre.

©2003 www.autoheaters.net All rights reserved.