HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMIf You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!™hvactoday.comMARCH 2018AIR DISTRIBUTION:Back to theBASICSAvoid Four Common Mistakes When Measuring Static PressureAddress IAQ Through System PerformanceHow Air Upgrades Enhance Business ProfitsLITEIntroducing NCI’s First High Performance Mobile App:NCI Member or ComfortMaxx™ Subscriber?Apple App Storencilink.com/AML1Ancilink.com/AML1DGoogle PlayAccess to the full version of the app is INCLUDED for you.NCI’s new AirMaxx Lite™ app is available for both Android and iOS phones!• Features easy-to-use data entry and easy-to-display reports. • Download this free app onto your phone or tablet, and immediately start using it to display an airflow ‘grade’ for your customers.Three Simple Steps:1. Choose Heating or Cooling mode.2. Collect and input some basic nameplate information.3. Measure two static pressures and input your readings.That’s it! The results are instantly shown in graphs and wording even your customers can understand.Bonus: AirMaxx Lite includes links to free videos, tools and articles to help you perform static pressure measurements and diagnose airflow issues today.Get started on the path to High-Performance HVAC™ today by downloading the app for FREE!Search for “AirMaxx” on your phone’s app store. Once installed, follow the instructions on how to get your unique access key to unlock the app.Find AirMaxx Lite in yourphone’s App Store or GooglePlay, or scan the QR code below.Find AirMaxx Lite in yourphone’s App Store or GooglePlay, or scan the QR code below.FREE!MARCH 2018 3HVACTODAY.COMMARCH 2018 VOLUME 2, NUMBER 3HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMTECHNICAL:Making the Case for Better Equipment Performance DataTECHNICAL:Avoid 4 Mistakes When Measuring Static PressureMost questionable static pressure readings start with forgetting and/or ignoring measurement basics. David Richardson examins four common mistakes made when measuring static pres-sure, and how to avoid them. DEPARTMENTSOnline Content ......................................................................................4 Editor’s Page: Today’s Word .............................................................7High Performance News ....................................................................8High Performace Products ................................................................9Utility Spotlight: Austin Energy ..................................................10Photo of the Month .........................................................................31Member Update ...............................................................................32Ad Index ................................................................................................33Publisher’s Page: One More Thing .............................................34SERVICE:It’s Time to Phase Out ‘Rules of Thumb’Sadly, when it comes to air conditioning equipment sizing, the HVAC community, in general, falls woefully behind. Contractor Paul Wieboldt says most don’t measure -- they rely on Rules of Thumb. He believes this needs to change, right away.MANAGEMENT:How Air Upgrades Enhance Business ProfitsUnapplied labor is the enemy of every HVAC contractor. David Holt high- lights how adding the Air Upgrade to your service offerings helps to defeat that enemy and fund the continuing success of your Perfor-mance-Based business.1727Did you know that most manufacturers do not share the bulk of the data they have on their equipment? Ben Lip-scomb makes a case for the need to share that data with HVAC field service technicians.MANAGEMENT:Address IAQ Through System PerformancePerformance-Based contractor John Ellis -- So Cal Air Dynamics -- discusses how poorly performing HVAC systems impact Indoor Air Quality and why.1424214 MARCH 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYONLINE CONTENTMonthly DownloadA micromanometer measures pressure, and calculates velocity and volumetric flow rate. It can be used with Pitot tubes to measure velocity and then calculate flow rates with user–input duct size and shape. This month’s down-load is a 14-point checklist on how to set up the micro-manometer and use it cor-rectly when performing duct traverses.Keep this Tech Tip handy as a printout or on your phone as a reference tool out in the field. Go to ncilink.com/md0318 to download this Tech Tip item.By registering for free on NCI’s website, access this download and many more. Be sure to register today.Online UniversityFeatured this month is the Introduction to Carbon Mon-oxide (CO) module of the Online University’s Advanced Technical training.This course will help you to bet-ter understand the characteristics of carbon monoxide and the symptoms of CO poisoning? Do you know at what levels does carbon monoxide become life threatening and what you should do if you encounter it?Find out the answers to these questions and many more in this introductory pro-gram.Read more here: ncilink.com/ou0318.MARCH 2018 5HVACTODAY.COMBLOG POSTSHVAC ETHICS AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSRob Falke always talks about the importance of ad-hering to the laws of physics when designing, in-stalling, and servicing HVAC systems. In this post, he discusses the laws of ethics that also have a large impact on your HVAC business. Read his blog here: ncilink.com/FalkeOnEthicsVISUAL CLUES OF DISCOMFORTMany homeowners across the U.S. live in uncomfortable conditions. As an HVAC contractor, there are some common steps you can take to help make conditions much more bearable.David Richardson explains that if you know what to look for, you can easily see the signs. Here’s his opinion on the most common visual clues of dis-comfort and how you can help customers resolve them.Read it here: ncilink.com/DRClues.THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT . . .There are so many mobile apps for HVAC con-tractors. The question is, which ones are worth your time? Answer: Not all of them for sure.NCI’s David Richardson has found several that make great sense for the Performance-Based Contracting™ community and we present those here.The March 2018 app is the Loren Cook Engineering Cook-book. It is a free reference guide for HVAC designers. It provides fast access to often-needed information, including: Fan Basics, Sys-tem Design, Duct Design, Motors & Drives, Heating & Refrigeration, and Formulas & Conversion Factors.Loren-Cook Co. designs and manufactures fans, blowers, vents, laboratory exhaust systems, and energy recovery ventilators. This app is avail-able in both iOS and Android formats.6 MARCH 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYMARCH 2018 7HVACTODAY.COMnet of Things,” (IoT) the interconnection via the Internet of computing devices embedded in equipment and components, enabling them to send and receive data. The IoT race has also heated up in the instrument market via the movement to wireless data communications.In that light, there are two main wireless ap-proaches being used:• Bluetooth that sends data directly from the instrument to apps on mobile devices• Radio frequency (RF) that sends data from the instrument to a receiver, which can then broadcast the data to different devices: mobile, tablet, laptop, website, and more.There are pros and cons to both approaches. Bluetooth’s upside: it is simple and easy to use. Its downside is the data can only be sent a short distance to a single device. RF-based instruments can broadcast data long distances to many devices. Its downside: a multi-step process to use that can be fraught with potential technical difficulties. What does this mean for Performance-Based Contractors™? Many choices. Maybe too many. That’s why it’s imperative for contractors to choose the right tool for the right appli-cation. Be careful when it comes to buying instruments for residential versus com-mercial applications. Typically those meant for residential systems are NOT strong enough. Commercial instruments can be overkill in terms of features and cost for residential use.So choose your instruments carefully. And always choose quality over price. Because measurement accuracy is the key to providing customers the most comfort, best efficiency, and the healthiest and safest living and working environments.This is my epiphany. Welcome to the long, strange trip. What a long, strange trip it’s been. The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Gar-cia sang that back in 1970 in the song, Truckin’. It was a cry for the acceptance of banality and the drive to continue searching for epiphany.Banality? Think about that whirlwind of head-lines last year that shot past us at the speed of Twitter. Add in the crazy ups and downs of the U.S. economy, and it’s no wonder I had no idea what to expect as I stepped onto the floor at McCormick Place in Chicago for the 2018 AHR Exposition.The epiphany was the re-energized HVAC In-dustry I saw. It was as if all the craziness of the previous year didn’t happen. By all accounts, this year’s expo shattered every previous attendance and exhibitor record and the atmosphere was electric. The sheer magnitude of products and technology on display was mind-boggling. And it was the first time in my 38-year journey in the HVAC Industry that the buzz about home and building performance was so intense. The show was awash in a mad array of tools and instruments targeted to testing and measuring system and building performance. It is amazing to think that just 15 years ago the test instrument seg-ment was tiny. There weren’t a lot of instrument manufacturers, and the tools in the market were very limited compared to today.Now there are vast catalogs for probes and multi-meters, manometers and micromanometers, volt-age testers, Wattage meters, and so much more.Another buzz at AHR surrounded the “Inter-The Long, Strange Trip: A Milestone for HVAC and Building Performance Mike Weil is editor-in-chief and director of Communications and Publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc.IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY 38-YEAR JOURNEY IN THE HVAC INDUSTRY THAT THE BUZZ ABOUT HOME AND BUILDING PERFORMANCE WAS SO INTENSE.TODAY’S WORDBy Mike Weil8 MARCH 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYhotel, the Palmer House. Among those conducting training and education ses-sions at McCormick Place was a team from Cleveland, OH-based National Comfort Institute, Inc. (NCI) and National Balanc-ing Council (NBC).Ben Lipscomb, Rob Falke, Mel Johnson, and Scott Fielder taught four classes, some of which had standing room only. The classes were: NEasily Quantify HVAC System Efficien-cy Loss Caused by Poor Installation NSolve Hidden Maintenance Issues Using Testing and Balancing NFrom Estimate to Occupancy; Critical Documentation for Every Test and Bal-ance Project NWhy Residential Air Balance is being Required by Code.For more details on their classes, please follow this link: ncilink.com/AHRClasses.So What Was There? You name it – every product and service know for HVACR and sheet metal contractors were on display. In fact, there were 2,155 com-panies exhibiting this year, up from the 2,118 exhibitors last year. Always amaz-ing are the number of countries repre-sented at AHR: this year 169 were there, just slightly up from last year’s totals.For the Performance-Based Contrac-tor, the expo was a cornucopia of test instruments and products. We saw the latest airflow hoods, air velocity meters, hydronic manometers and more from TSI, Inc. Diversitech’s fans and filterss-tood out. Ultra-Aire’s humidity controls, dehumidifiers, and IAQ equipment were on display. There was something for every one.Next year AHR Expo will land in At-lanta, GA. NCI and NBC will once again be presenting classes and will continue as an endorsing partner of the event.THE FEBRUARY PHOTO OF THE MONTH WINNER IS ...In our February issue, Andrew Ferrell, of DM Select in Burke, VA took home the “Bad” title in our monthly photo contest for his image titled, “Pure Idiots.”He found that someone replaced a 90% AFUE furnace with an 80% AFUE furnace. The problem? They reused the same PVC flue pipe. Thus his headline.Congratulations to Andrew! He re-ceived a $50 gift card.You can be a winner too! We always welcome submissions. Just point your browser to ncilink.com/potm and fill out the information requested.Photos fit into one of three categories: NThe Good NThe Bad Nor The WTH (What the Heck)!We’ll need a title for the image as well as a brief description.We look forward to seeing your sub-missions and wish you all the best of luck in our next contest.Chicago is the grand poo-bah of cities, especially when it comes to the HVAC Industry’s annual meeting place – the AHR Exposition (AHR Expo). This year saw the event breaking six all-time records, including total attendance of 72,000 souls with nearly 50,000 registered visitors.The Expo, which began in 1930, pro-vides a unique forum for the entire HVAC industry: OEMs; engineers; contractors; manufacturers; distributors; commercial, industrial, and institutional facility oper-ators; and educators. This year it ran from January 22-24 at the McCormick Place convention center. The 70th consecutive showing of the expo was celebrated by Show Manager Clay Stevens, who said, this year’s excite-ment was “palpable from the show floor to the training sessions.”By the way, the 2018 show had more training sessions than ever before! The educational sessions also drew very healthy crowds both in the convention center and at the ASHRAE headquarters HIGH PERFORMANCE NEWS2018 AHR Exposition Breaks ALL the RecordsMARCH 2018 9HVACTODAY.COMsure switches on your truck. The SDMN6 comes with a four- pocket carrying case, static pressure probes, pressure tubes, quick connect leads, hoses, and Y-splitter, as well as hoses with brass screw fittings.For more information or to order, go to ncilink.com/0318FieldPiece, or call 800-633-7058.SENSI™ TOUCH WI-FI® THERMOSTATEmerson’s new Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Ther-mostat -- along with an updated version of the classic Sensi™ Wi-Fi® Thermostat— is now compatible with the Apple Home-Kit™ smarthome management platform. Customers can use the new geofenc-ing proximity detection feature for flexible scheduling options to achieve energy savings without compromising comfort. Other features include:• Smart alert -- notifies customers of extreme temperature/humidity levels• The Sensi mobile app has been up-dated, including a new dashboard with individual thermostat cards• Both thermostats are also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Wink.The products were introduced during the AHR Exposition in January and will be available in early summer.For more information, go to sensicom-fort.com or connect with Sensi thermo-stat on Facebook or Twitter.FIELDPIECE SDMN6 DUAL PORT MANOMETER / PRESSURE SWITCHThe SDMN6 dual-port manometer measures gas and static pressure. It ac-curately tests pressure switches by simu-lating a draft using an internal pump. The SDMN6 tests the pressure switch to determine if it is working properly, or if it is starting to fail which can cause the furnace to run unsafely. Plus, with the SDMN6 you can easily calibrate any adjustable pressure switch to manufact- urers’ specifica-tion, so there’s no need to carry a large variety of pres-HIGH PERFORMANCE PRODUCTSUpcoming NCI Training & Event SchedulePerformance-Based Selling Apr 17-19: Los Alamitos, CA* Commercial Air Balancing Certification Program Mar 13-15: Kansas City, KS Mar 27-29: South Plainfield, NJ Apr 10-12: Dallas, TX Apr 24-26: Middletown, CT May 8-10: Nashville, TN May 15-17: Boston, MA Duct System Optimization & Residential Air Balancing Certification Program Mar 27-29: Columbus, OH Mar 27-28: Los Alamitos, CA* Apr 3-5: Baltimore, MD Apr 10-12: Rochester, NY Apr 17-19: Cleveland, OH Apr 24-26: Austin, TX NBC Commercial Balancing with Certification Mar 19-23: Cleveland, OH Combustion Performance & Carbon Monoxide Safety Certification Program Apr 3-5: Omaha, NE Apr 10-12: Chicago, IL Commercial HVAC System Performance Mar 13-14: Tulare, CA* Apr 3-4: Louisville, KY Apr 24-25: Los Alamitos, CA* Optimize Economizer Performance with Certification Mar 15: Tulare, CA Apr 26: Los Alamitos, CA Residential HVAC System Performance & Air Balancing Certification Program Mar 20-22: Mobile, AL Mar 20-22: Washington, DC Mar 27-29: Nashville, TN Apr 3-5: Lansing, MI Apr 10-12: Los Alamitos, CA* Apr 10-12: Tulare, CA* Apr 17-19: Denver, CO May 1-3: Portland, OR May 1-3: Philadelphia, PA May 8-10: Northern, NJ May 15-17: Minneapolis, MN Introduction to Hydronic Testing, Adjusting, & Balancing Apr 10-11: Cleveland, OH May 8-9: Los Alamitos, CA* *Subsidized NCI training offered by Southern California Edison.Next >