Jack Lehr Heating Cooling and Electric
Allentown, PA
As the president of Jack Lehr Heating, Cooling & Electric Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Lehr brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table. Lehr serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Air Conditioning Contractors Association (PAACCA) and plays an active role in other organizations including the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Lehr is well-recognized for his strong history of commitment to the HVACR industry. When the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) introduced a new requirement for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) devices on outdoor HVAC equipment, Lehr recognized the potential challenges this mandate posed and immediately volunteered to represent ACCA on a collaborative NEC/industry working group.
As a part of his work, Lehr testified on behalf of ACCA when the new requirement was appealed before the NFPA Standards Council. His testimony convincingly argued that the GFCI requirement would not only burden HVAC technicians with excessive nuisance trips but also pose risks to customers attempting to reset or bypass the devices. In a victory for the industry, the Standards Council granted an exemption for outdoor HVAC equipment from the GFCI requirement in both the 2020 and 2023 editions of the NEC, effective until September 1, 2026. This provided valuable time for the HVACR industry to address the underlying issues and develop better solutions with contractors in mind.