HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMIf You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!™hvactoday.comAPRIL 2018Annual Service IssuePerformance Service AgreementsSupercharged Service with Performance- Based DiagnosticsSafety is Job One2 APRIL 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYAPRIL 2018 3HVACTODAY.COMAPRIL 2018 VOLUME 2 NUMBER 4HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMSERVICE MANAGEMENT:Supercharged Service with Performance-Based DiagnosticsIt’s not enough to implement performance into sales and installation. It must be part of your service as well.SERVICE AGREEMENTS:Performance Should Be Native to Your Service AgreementsFrom a technican’s viewpoint, here is why performance service is so important.CUSTOMER SERVICE:Safety is Job OnePerformance-Based Contractors must always consider customer safety as their primary concern on all projects. Here is why.211816 DEPARTMENTSOnline Content ......................................................................................4Today’s Word ........................................................................................7High Performance News ....................................................................8High Performace Products .............................................................11Spotlight: Getzschman Heating ................................................12Photo of the Month .........................................................................23Member Update ...............................................................................24Ad Index ................................................................................................25One More Thing ...............................................................................264 APRIL 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYONLINE CONTENTMONTHLY DOWNLOADThis Tech Tip is a one-page checklist providing instruc-tions for navigating the digital menu of the TSI/Alnor EBT Bal-ancing Hood. First, it includes a seven-step checklist for set-ting the instrument up to take airflow readings up to 500 CFM at registers and grilles. It also includes a 17-step pro-cess for taking airflow read-ings when grille and register airflow is more than 500 CFM.Go to ncilink.com/md0418, or use your phone with the QR Code below.By registering for free on NCI’s website, you can ac-cess this download plus many others.ONLINE UNIVERSITYFeatured this month is the NCI’s Fan Laws training. Using fan laws is an essential part of adjusting system airflow in com-mercial equipment with belt-drive mo-tors. In this module we discuss the three basic fan laws and how to apply them to a commercial HVAC system. For those of you looking for more than in-person training, these online courses focus on several areas of concentration:• NCI-specific training on testing and measuring• Exclusive NCI soft skills and business training• Basic HVAC training to help prepare students for various NATE certifications and more.Learn more here: ncilink.com/ou0418APRIL 2018 5HVACTODAY.COMBLOG POSTSCARBON MONOXIDE: WHAT DO YOU KNOW?Something isn’t making sense. You have visu-al signs of flue gas spillage from the water heater due to melted grommets, but your CO readings are showing the water heater is operating safely. Could there be something else going on that’s creating the spillage? David Richardson provides insight to help solve this mystery. Read it here: ncilink.com/KnowCOSALES CLOSING THE PERFORMANCE-BASED WAYIn a Performance-Based Contracting Business, your job as a salesman is to not only find out your customers’ pain spots, but to know what makes your com-pany different from all the rest. Then the key is communication. David Holt shares his insights and details how to get around the “box pric-ing” quagmire most of you face every day. Read his blog here: ncilink.com/SalesClosingMobile apps for HVAC contractors are everywhere. Do they provide big bang for the buck (or download time)? Not necessarily. NCI’s David Richardson has found a number that make great sense for the Performance-Based Contracting™ communi-ty and we present those here.This month we highlight one from DesignStein, LLC called SuperCool HVAC App. This app includes a duct sizing and lay-out calculator, superheat and subcooling charging calcula-tor, a compressor windings troubleshoot-ing guide, plus a converter for everything HVAC. It even has heating and cooling airflow troubleshooting built in.This is a free app available in both the Google App and Apple App stores. Check them out and let us know if you think “the juice is worth the squeeze.”THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT ...APRIL 2018 7HVACTODAY.COMAnd then there is the perspective of the techni-cians themselves. Often they view service agree-ment work as busy work -- something that earns the company money but adds little to their own pockets. This is not a universal outlook, but it cer-tainly can impact the mindset of younger techni-cians who haven’t totally learned the ropes yet.All three perspectives are addressed in this issue of the magazine. Former HVAC technician Casey Contreras presents a solution to technician woes when it comes to doing service agreement work. He makes a strong case for updating to ‘perfor-mance’ agreements and how you, the owner, can help technicians better understand it. Then they can more professionally complete the work. Read more about it in his article, , Performance Should Be Native to Your Service Agreements (page 16).Rob Falke takes a look at service through a contractor’s eyes in the article, Supercharged Service with Performance-Based Diagnostics (page 18).Rob explains how many contrac-tors implement performance into their companies through their in-stallation and sales teams. He ex-plains how performance service not only is ev-ery bit as important as sales and installation, but can more than supercharge your business when implemented properly.Contractor Tom Johnson discusses the im-portance of keeping customers safe in his arti-cle, Safety is Job One (page 21). He recommends building combustion safety checks and CO mon-itoring into your service offerings to protect customers from the hazardous and potentially deadly consequences of carbon monoxide.So there you have it. I would love to hear how you address service in your performance-based business. Write me at MikeW@ncihvac.com.In my 34-years of experience as an HVAC industry editor, April has always been the time to focus on the importance of HVAC service. After all, April marks the beginning of spring, and with that comes warmer weath-er, and the need to tune up air conditioning systems.Some things never change. So welcome to the very first service issue of High Performance HVAC Today magazine.In the HVAC industry, service typically means maintaining customers’ mechanical and duct systems so they perform in accordance to man-ufacturer specifications and keep consumers comfortable and healthy without using too much energy.The key word in that description is ‘perfor-mance,’ something that isn’t often associated with service agreements or service agreement sales. But I’m here to tell you that performance is really the key to service and to that idea we dedicate this April issue.Obviously service can be viewed from many perspectives. From a customer viewpoint, ser-vice often is about how their concerns are ad-dressed -- both technically and from a timeliness standpoint. Customer service is one of the major influencers in a successful HVAC company.Then there is the perspective of the company owner. Service is the mechanism that keeps his or her HVAC contracting firm top-of-mind with customers. It is also a means for smoothing out the ups and downs of business caused by extreme weather and seasons. Contractors also see service as a means for keeping tabs on customer equip-ment for marketing and ancillary sales purposes.If It’s April, It Must Be Time for ServiceMike Weil is editor-in-chief and director of Communications and Publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc.CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ONE OF THE MAJOR INFLUENCERS IN A SUCCESSFUL HVAC CONTRACTING COMPANYTODAY’S WORDBy Mike Weil8 APRIL 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYing “Wow!” service experiences to cus-tomers. They do that through a deep commitment to advanced technical training and certification.2018 MEDIUM CONTRACTOR OF THE YEARWinner: Getzschman Heating, LLC, Fremont, NBGetzschman Heating is a full-service, heating, ventilation, and cooling com-pany dedicated to serving Omaha, Fre-mont, Blair, Council Bluff, and Wahoo, Nebraska with the highest quality me-chanical systems installations and ser-vice. Their singular focus is the comfort of their customers’ homes and families.2018 LARGE CONTRACTOR OF THE YEARWinner: Progressive Heating and Air Conditioning Corp. of Newnan, GAProgressive Heating and Air Condi-tioning serves residential/commercial HVAC customers in and around Newnan, Georgia. Company Owner Greg Wallace attributes the company’s steady growth to a commitment to training and staying on the cutting edge. During the National Comfort Institute (NCI) Summit 2018, held March 4-6 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin in Austin, TX, HVAC contractors were recognized for ex-cellence in Perfor-mance-Based Con-tracting™.For NCI’s Contractor of the Year awards, the criteria are as follows:• Implement Performance-based testing into service offerings• Create and follow a Performance- Based business culture• Have a strong service department which is service agreement based• Engage in selling system renovations regularly• Training is part of the culture.Furthermore, there are three catego-ries for these awards:u Small Contractor of the Year – Com-panies under $1.5 million in gross sales u Medium Contractor of the Year – Companies with $1.6 to $3.9 million in gross salesu Large Contractor of the Year – Com-panies with $4 million plus in gross sales.2018 SMALL CONTRACTOR OF THE YEARWinner: Hyde’s Air Conditioning of Palm Desert, CAThis residential and commercial HVAC contracting firm has been in business for 45 years. Their mission includes provid-HIGH PERFORMANCE NEWSNCI Names the ‘Best of the Best’ During 2018 Annual Summit EventMike Hyde (center) received the NCI Small Contractor of the Year Award from President Rob Falke (right) and CEO Dominick Guarino (left).Pictured from left to right: Co-Owner Scott Getzschman, Co-Owner Ron Getzschman, and two members of their team.Greg Wallace (center) of Progressive Heating and Air. To his left, NCI Chairman Dominick Guarino and NCI President Rob Falke is to his right).APRIL 2018 9HVACTODAY.COMNCI’s David Debien Technical Excel-lence Award is presented in memory of Houston Contractor David Debien who, despite a life-long battle with diabetes which eventually took his life, dedicated himself to non-stop learning, develop-ing, and teaching strong technical skills in testing and measurng HVAC system performance.The requirements for this award are:• The individual must have strong tech-nical skills, especially in air-side and combustion testing• They must perform diagnostic testing on service and installation projects• They teach others in their company to test and measure performance• They are a constant learner, always seeking to improve knowledge.2018 DAVID DEBIEN TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE AWARDWinner: Tom Johnson, TM Johnson Brothers, Inc., Cambridge, MNPresenting this year’s award to Tom Johnson, was NCI Trainer and Curricu-lum Developer David Richardson who was the very first recipient of the Debien Garofalo, who lost his battle with cancer in 2016. The criteria are as follows:• The company regularly delivers mea-sured performance in every aspect of its business• There are visible benchmarking/score-boards with up-to-date performance results posted• The company has strong leadership• The management team sets ethical standards, with humility• The management team is constantly looking for ways to improve• The entire team is willing to embrace change.2018 JOHN GAROFALO IMPLEMENTATION EXCELLENCE AWARDWinner: Kennihan Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning, Valencia, PAKennihan’s lives up to the Garofalo re-quirements in so many ways. Suffice it to say the 49-year-old, family-owned and operated business goes out of its way to help Western Pennsylvania consumers be more comfortable in their homes and reduce their energy use so they can save money on utility bills.For the NCI Training Excellence Award. NCI looks for companies with the following attributes:• Training is part of the HVAC company culture• The company provides employees with constant internal and external training and education• The company has well-designed train-ing facilities conducive to learning• The company shares knowledge and training with other NCI members.2018 TRAINING EXCELLENCE AWARDWinner: All Pro Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning of Ontario, CANCI President Rob Falke presented this award to All Pro’s Michael Greany and Nick Perez. Falke said that one of the dis-tinguishing things about this company was that “nearly 75% of their 53 techni-cians – including plumbers –go through NCI training and earn certifications. The John Garofalo Implementation Excellence Award is named in honor and memory of NCI Business Coach John Pictured from left: All Pro Field Manager Nick Perez, All Pro Service Manager Mike Greany.NCI’s David Holt (left) with Bill Kennihan (second to left), Jose Montes (third from left), and NCI President Rob Falke (right).David Richardson (left) presents Tom Johnson (2nd from left) with the 2018 David Debien Technical Excellence Award. Also presenting were NCI Chairman and CEO Dominick Guarino (right) and NCI President Rob Falke (2nd from right.)Next >