HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMIf You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!™hvactoday.comOCTOBER 2018ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:Contractor Spotlight: Vincent’s Heating and PlumbingABCs of High-Performance Contracting: Part 4Sales Performance: Setting the Appointment and Customer Expectations10TOPIssues Impacting Commercial System PerformanceOCTOBER 2018 3HVACTODAY.COMOCTOBER 2018 VOLUME 2 NUMBER 10HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMMANAGEMENT:ABCs of High-Performance Contracting – Part 4Dominick Guarino addresses five additional steps to get your business on the high-performance track.TECHNICAL:Top 10 Issues Impacting Commercial System PerformanceKnowing these can help lead you towards specific diagnostics. NCI’s Ben Lipscomb, P.E. explains.SALES:Setting the Appointment and Customer ExpectationsSales expert Tom Piscitelli highlights the opportunities you have if you set your sales appointments correctly.2420 DEPARTMENTSOnline Content ......................................................................................4Today’s Word ........................................................................................7High Performance News ....................................................................8High Performace Products .............................................................11Contractor Spotlight: Vincent’s Heating & Plumbing .......12Photo of the Month .........................................................................27Member Update ...............................................................................28Ad Index ................................................................................................29One More Thing ...............................................................................30164 OCTOBER 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYFREE Monthly DownloadFor September’s download, we have a procedure for tech-nicians to use with the Testo 605i Psychrometer. This data sheet is for using the Testo Smart Probe App with the 605i. It provides a 10-step proce-dure for setting up the psy-chrometer, and then a five-step procedure for using both to conduct temperature test-ing. Includes helpful images and diagrams showing where to use the 605i on the ductwork as well as how to use the app to read the measurements.Go to ncilink.com/md1018, or use your phone with the QR Code below.By registering for free on NCI’s website, access this download and many more.Online UniversityFeatured this month is the System Temperature Mea-surement Basics module of the Advanced Technical Training series of online training. Accurate temperature mea-surement is one essential skill you need to effectively test HVAC systems using NCI’s exclu-sive procedures. System tem-perature measurement brings a new dimension to testing. In this class you will uncover the reasons why installing higher AFUE and SEER equipment is not always the solution to energy efficiency issues.Read more at ncilink.com/ou1018ONLINE CONTENTOCTOBER 2018 5HVACTODAY.COMBLOG POSTSECONOMIZER REPAIR OPPORTUNITIESEconomizers are in the spotlight as a prime oppor-tunity for energy savings in the commercial HVAC marketplace. Blogger Rob Falke states that it’s said, with little argument from those in the field, that nearly 80% of air-side economizers are non-func-tional. So if that’s true, opportunity is calling any mechanical contractor willing to step up and take this bull by the horns. Read his blog post at ncilink.com/econrepair.TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORKWhen the team works together to solve problems and agrees on how to deliver solutions, they all become stronger and more receptive to each other’s needs. In this Legacy Se-ries Post, Nita Brooks shares how, in a positive teamwork environment, the group values collab-oration and accomplishes so much more.Read her blog post at ncilink.com/TWDWThere’s An App for That ... This month we feature the Danfoss Refrigerant Slider App. It provides you access to a user-friendly, quick pressure-to-temperature refrigerant convert-er. The tool covers more than 80 refrigerants, including natural refrigerants, ammonia, and transcritical CO2. Danfoss provides informa-tion such as Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP). The tool is based on NIST Refrigerant Properties and is using the Antoine equa-tions for the conversion. You can see both dew and bubble point for refrigerants with glide. Please note that the Refrigerant Slider is not a scientific tool and is intended only as a tool for use in the field. This FREE app is available in both the Apple (ncilink.com/RefrigApp2) and Google (ncilink.com/RefrigApp) App stores.OCTOBER 2018 7HVACTODAY.COMfore they make buying or management decisions. Business owners are leaving the “intuition” or “gut-feel” part of their decision making behind for quantifiable metrics. I’m talking about every-thing from gross revenue per technician to time spent on the job, fleet management, accounting, payroll, and so much more. What about system performance? There are great tools for recording system data and analyz-ing it to help you diagnose and repair customer comfort issues like never before.Do you use data for decision-making?Web-Based Reviews: Consumers use the data of online reputations -- web-based reviews of your company, people, and services to make buying decisions. Their expectations are higher than ever, and much of this is due to what they learn on discussion forums, review sites, and dig-ital/web content. Do you know and manage your online reputation?Marketing Trends: If you’re not marketing to consumers on their mobile devices, you are missing the boat. Social Media connects consum-ers and the business world in ways unheard of just 10 years ago.This means your website needs to not only be mobile friendly, but quick to load, and super easy to use. When is the last time you updated and up-graded your online presence?THE GOOD NEWS IS ...Yes, change really is the only constant in our lives. For the HVAC world, that change is now flooding in from outside technology that has a di-rect impact on your business. If you do it right, this can be an excellent thing. Technology can even help attract new people to your company -- customers and technicians alike. Everyone wins. Good news indeed! Recently I spoke with several HVAC con-tractors who commented on how the industry today is so different than it was just eight or nine years ago. That got me thinking about why.So here are some key changes that continue im-pacting the HVAC Industry and your businesses. Top Technician Skills: Trained and certified technicians are the norm. You must have them. But that isn’t enough. Techncians need great peo-ple-skills too. Those who have both are worth their weight in gold, which means you must pay them more. By their nature, generally speaking, the peo-ple-skills part doesn’t come naturally, but it can be learned. That costs money too. Think of it this way -- it’s an investment in the future.Manufacturing Changes: More than ever before, manufacturers are building Smart Tech-nologies into their products. This is driven by reg-ulations, the development of Green Building stan-dards, and evolving ASHRAE standards. It’s all about energy savings through better controls, sys-tem efficiencies, and data collection. This means more training is necessary for your technicians.The Tech Industry’s Impact on HVAC: Apple, Google, and the other Internet companies have an undeniable hold over nearly every per-son alive today. For the HVAC Industry specifical-ly, their apps and software enable building man-agers and owners to operate facilities from mobile phones. Homeowners can do the same. Combined with sensor technologies, data gathering is easy, and anaylzing it is even easier. These types of tools need to be mastered and used by you and your workforce team.Data-based Decision Making: Consumers and contractors alike want more information be-Keeping Up with the Times:What Changes Influence Your Business Today?Mike Weil is editor-in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at mikew@ncihvac.comTODAY’S WORDBy Mike Weil8 OCTOBER 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYoper, “It’s not just about making sure ev-erybody gets new information. It’s about making sure we effectively deliver the in-formation to our students in the most ef-ficient and effective manner possible. Our job is to draw students in and get them in-volved. We want them to get excited.”In fact, he says Trainers Week works the same way. Every NCI trainer has a role to play, taking ownership of a part of the training and leading the class during their segment. Rob Falke, David Rich-ardson, and Steve Vannoy – NCI’s Techni-cal Curriculum Manager – decide which trainer will present on which topic based on a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weak-nesses, Opportunities, Threats). “We look for areas where each train-er has strengths, areas where they can help their fellow trainers improve,” Rich-ardson adds. “We also decide which pre-senters will introduce new classes and new materials.”Rob Falke says training the trainers is also a way for NCI to help them recharge their batteries. “It allows us to make sure they are delivering consistent train-ing that is based on NCI’s philosophies and approach to HVAC systems. This in-cludes plenty of hands-on training when it comes to using the right tools, instru-ments, processes, and so much more,” Falke adds.“We feel we have a higher purpose in our industry, and that is to lead and to change it for the better,” he says. “When we train, we help students see the op-portunities for themselves and their companies in High-Performance HVAC Contracting. Our mission is to help stu-dents be confident in their ability to use Since 2011, National Comfort Insti-tute, Inc. (NCI) trainers meet annually to re-sharpen skills, build camaraderie, and learn materials for new certification classes and updates to older ones. This year NCI Trainers Week was held in early August in Cleveland, OH.Seven years ago, NCI President Rob Falke and NCI CEO Dominick Guarino decided, with the growing demand for advanced technical training and certifi-cation, the only way to provide the very best training program was to help train-ers hone their technical knowledge, pre-sentation, and communication skills.Just like the HVAC contractors, techni-cians, and installers they teach, NCI trainers need to continuously develop and hone their own practical skills and strategies. This enables them to better train students in the state-of-the-art practices necessary to be high-performance HVAC contrac-tors: proper testing and diagnosing air-flow issues, repairing and renovating duct and mechanical systems, using the proper tools and instruments, and more.According to David Richardson, one of NCI’s trainers as well as a curriculum devel-HIGH-PERFORMANCE NEWSProfessional Performance-Based Contracting™ Trainers GatherNCI Training Team. Front Left to Right: Tom Johnson, Scott Fielder, Steve Vannoy, Rob Falke, Ben Lipscomb, Paul Wieboldt, , Dominick Guarino, and John Puryear. Back Left to Right: Casey Contreras, David Richardson, Jeff Sturgeon, and Jim Davis.NCI trainers practice using an Amprobe instrument to measure airflow.OCTOBER 2018 9HVACTODAY.COMACCA CHANGES LEADERSHIPAir Conditioning Contractors of Ameri-ca (ACCA) announced in early September the departure of Paul Stalknecht, president & CEO, who plans to pur-sue other opportunities.Stalknecht began his ACCA career in 2001. He has led the 50-year-old association as its president and chief ex-ecutive officer ever since.In a letter sent to all ACCA members, current chairman Steve Schmidt said, “The Board of Directors has appoint-ed Barton James, senior vice president of govern-ment affairs, as interim president and CEO. Bar-ton’s advocacy and trade association leadership experience will be invaluable as ACCA engages with our membership to advance the industry and better align our capabilities to deliver su-perior services and products.”BRADFORD WHITE AND ELLEN ROHR TEAM UPEllen Rohr, who’s helped countless plumbing and HVAC business owners build and protect their bottom line, is now a free resource of business growth information on Bradford White Water Heater’s For the Pro™ website.Her new business development video series, Ellen’s Corner, appears exclusively in Bradford White’s contractor enrich-ment site found at ncilink.com/FTP.recent service meeting. Again, thank you and we hope to send you more photos in the future of the crazy things we come across.”To see the winning entry, just go to ncilink.com/0818POMWin.If you’d like to submit a photo for consideration in an upcoming con-test, it’s simple: just go to ncilink.com/ PhotoOfMonth and upload the photo and a brief description. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!The Danfoss radiator thermostat –which is used in millions of homes – just turned 75 years old! Some history: in 1943, Danfoss found-er Mads Clausen, invented the world’s first radiator thermostat. He patented it and gave Danfoss a leading position when the company began mass pro-ducing it. Since 1943, approximately 350 million have rolled off Danfoss’ production line. The latest version is the intelligent ra-diator thermostat Danfoss Eco™ – which won the prestigious design awards Ret Dot and Danish Design Award.what they learn and empower them to successfully implement that into what they do each and every day.”To see what type of training NCI offers, visit ncilink.com/train for a schedule and description or call 800-633-7058 to learn more.WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!!Each month High-Performance HVAC Today magazine sponsors a photo con-test on its website for readers to share some of the amazing or crazy installa-tions they find while on service or new install calls. Photos are posted on the website, and visiters can vote on the one they think should win the $50 gift card, courtesy of National Comfort Institute.In August, voters selected the entry from Trinity Air, Inc., Peachtree City, GA. The entry was submitted by Service Manager Brad Hoff.“Thank you for the gift card,” Hoff wrote in an email to Editor-in-Chief Mike Weil. “The gentleman to the right of me in this photo – Zech Evans – is the one who took the actual photo and I submit-ted it for the contest. “I presented the gift card to him in a Danfoss Chairman of the Board Jørgen M. Clausen (left) and President & CEO Kim Fausing (right) celebrate the world’s first radiator thermostat at the company’s factory in Silkeborg, Denmark to measure airflow.Paul StalknechtBarton JamesNext >