Mike PleziaInside service technician, Clark Associates · Commercial Equipment, HVAC, and Refrigeration professional

ISO's Impact on HVAC Standards

13 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief monologue, the speaker recounts the founding of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1947, when 64 delegates from 25 countries convened in London to propose an internationally recognized industrial standard. The narrative then connects this historical milestone to the daily work of HVAC technicians, emphasizing that many of the routine standards they rely on—such as the common practice of brazing with nitrogen—originate from ISO's standardization efforts. The purpose is to illustrate why understanding ISO’s origins is relevant for evaluating and applying HVAC standards today.

Chapters

So about 80 years ago, 64 delegates representing 25 countries gathered in London, England to discuss a revolutionary idea. Why don't we establish an internationally recognized industrial standard? Their work would eventually lead to the establishment of the International Organization for Standardization. Of course, you may know them today as ISO in 1947. So why does this matter to us HVAC technicians? Well, think about the standards we depend on today. Think about when we say, you know, whether a job is done right or wrong. When we talk about something as kind of boilerplate, as commonly accepted as you always braze with nitrogen, those kind of standards began here.