HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMIf You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!™hvactoday.comNOVEMBER 2018 Celebrating Our One-Year Anniversary!ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:Why System Performance Measurement WorksABCs of High-Performance Contracting: Part 5What Makes a Great High-Performance HVAC Technician?A Legacy of HVAC Distribution Excellence NOVEMBER 2018 3HVACTODAY.COMNOVEMBER 2018 VOLUME 2 NUMBER 11HIGH PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMSERVICE:What Makes A Great High- Performance HVAC Technician?Here are five key attributes that separate good techncians from GREAT ones. David Holt shares his thoughts on this.TECHNICAL:Why System Performance Measurement WorksRob Falke explains using measurements to solve customer comfort and efficiency issues can also help increase sales.MANAGEMENT:ABCs of High-Performance Contracting – Part 5Dominick Guarino discusses Return on Investment benefits of moving toward High-Performance Contracting.162320 DEPARTMENTSOnline Content ......................................................................................4Today’s Word ........................................................................................7High Performance News ....................................................................8High Performace Products .............................................................11Contractor Spotlight: Four Seasons AC & Heating .............12Photo of the Month .........................................................................26Member Update ...............................................................................27Smart Mart Classifieds .....................................................................28Ad Index ................................................................................................29One More Thing ...............................................................................304 NOVEMBER 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYFREE Monthly DownloadThis month’s download is a procedure for Measuring Coil Pressure Drop using a Field-piece SDMN5 Dual Port Ma-nometer. The procedure in-cludes a checklist for setting up this instrument and an eight-step checklist for how to measure coil pressure drop.Using this procedure helps technicians to determine if coils are undersized or dirty so they can then take the next steps to assure proper system operation.Go to ncilink.com/md1118, 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 BTU Measurement Basics module of our System Performance Testing Series. This class explains why accurate temperature measurement is one of the essential skills you’ll need to effectively test HVAC systems using NCI’s HeatMaxx™ and CoolMaxx™. By adding system tempera-ture measurements to your service routine, you can discover things like duct leakage, poor insulation, and other problems that cause HVAC systems to operate at an average of less than 60% of their capability. Discover more at ncilink.com/ou1118.ONLINE CONTENTNOVEMBER 2018 5HVACTODAY.COMBLOG POSTSWHY SYSTEM PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT WORKSRob Falke explains how high-performance HVAC can work for you and your customers. He says, “All the government and utility programs want is for HVAC contractors to capitalize on what they’ve tried to offer the public for decades. They’ve created the demand, that’s their job. Yours is to deliver to your customers what they have want-ed and are willing to pay for all along.” Read his blog post at ncilink.com/WhyPMWMANAGING YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETTime is so valuable because it’s perishable –it has an expiration date. What you don’t invest, you spend, you burn up, or you waste. David Holt shares six tips on how to best manage time and benefit your business and your life.Read his blog here: ncilink.com/TimeThere’s An App for That ...PRESSURE/TEMPERATURE CALCULATORThis month our featured app is from Na-tional Refrigerants. It is a comprehensive Pressure/Temperature calculation tool with several features designed to make the HVACR technician’s job easier. It calculates a simple pressure/temperature relationship or superheat/subcool temperatures. Techs input pressure or tem-perature(s) on any screen and the other values are automatical-ly calculated and displayed. For refrigerant blends, both saturated vapor and saturat-ed liquid values are displayed. Within the superheat/subcool screen, a graphic display for blends shows entering, mid-point, and outlet temperature. This FREE app is available for download in both the Apple (ncilink.com/1118App) and Google (ncilink.com/ 1118App2) stores.NOVEMBER 2018 7HVACTODAY.COMWith the writing of this column, HARDI’s 2018 annual meeting is just a month away. This distribu-tor event’s theme focuses on the legacy that distribution has within the HVAC Industry. It reminds me, once again, of the vital role that distributors play, especially when it comes to training their customer base -- you, the HVAC contractors.Let’s face it, training programs for HVAC deal-ers are available from many sources around the country. Training providers include HVAC man-ufacturers, distributors, trade associations, as well as consultants. But distributors hold a special place in the training channel. They are the front-line link between manu-facturers and the contractors. Good distributors know that to stand out and have the greatest success, they have to find ways to help contrac-tors be more successful. This often means help-ing contractors become better business people. Many distributors also offer technical training -- usually from the equipment manufacturers whose product lines they carry.That works well when the idea is to better un-derstand how to install and service equipment. Doesn’t it make total sense for distributors to partner with other organizations that offer train-ing that goes beyond the “box,” by teaching con-tractors to test, diagnose, and resolve system-wide issues?It seems to me that contractors who are well trained and certified, tend to be better at running their businesses and solving customer problems. That means their businesses grow, which leads to them buying more products and services. Offering training to contractor customers is an essential investment. From a contractor viewpoint, having a strong distributor relationship not only gives them ac-cess to the products and equipment they need to take care of their consumer customers, it also provides them back-up and a training partner. There is another way to look at this as well. By offering training to contractor customers, dis-tributors are actually rewarding them for pur-chasing products and materials. This is key. By rewarding contractors in this way, it makes it easier for them to justify time away from the business to learn more about the technology and products they work with every day, making them better at what they do. This is especially important in the realm of Performance-Based Contracting™ where technical expertise goes well beyond just re-placing equipment and upselling accessories. Right now, this High-Performance approach to HVAC is just a small segment of the overall in-dustry, but it is only a matter of time before it sets a new, higher bar. It is also only a matter of time before residential and commercial con-sumers begin to demand it.Last month in his One More Thing edi-torial (http://ncilink.com/1018OMT), An Open Invitation to Manufacturers: The Fu-ture is Here and Now, Publisher Dominick Guarino wrote the following: “The best choice is to BE PROACTIVE and develop a network of indoor comfort professionals with the training and the tools they need to make the entire sys-tem work correctly.”By supporting your contractor customers in this way, not only do distributors create a mutu-ally beneficial relationship, the HVAC distribu-tion chain can change the entire industry. And that benefits everyone. Distribution’s Key Role in Contractor TrainingMike 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 NOVEMBER 2018HIGH PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYEvery December, the Heating, Aircondi-tioning, and Refrigeration Distributors In-ternational (HARDI) hosts its Annual Con-ference for its HVAC distributor members. The four-day event is set for December 1-4 at the JW Marriott, Austin, TX.The meeting brings together distribu-tors, manufacturers, and other vendors from across the HVAC Industry to work on driving their businesses forward, growing their professional networks, and expand-ing their industry knowledge. This year HARDI’s theme is Legacy, which focuses on the rich 100-plus-year history of the HVACR distribution indus-try and its impact on modern society today and on into the future.“I have been very fortunate to be Chairman of HARDI for such a ground-breaking year,” says Troy Meachum, HARDI’s 2018 chairman. Meachum is president of ACR Supply Co. in North Carolina. He adds, “With this year’s theme of Legacy, we took a meaning-ful approach to analyzing and discuss-ing how HVACR industry professionals do business, and I could not be more excited to bring it all together down in Austin.”HARDI has put together a very full agenda divided into three tracks:n Explore: Analytics, Trends, Datan Execute: Culture, Brand Development, Recruitmentn Expand: Strategy, Innovation, and Technology.Kicking the program off will be key-note speaker Matthew Griffin, co-found-er and CEO of a company called Combat Flip Flops, a footwear and apparel com-pany that sells goods manufactured in conflict and post-conflict zones. Other speakers include:n Dr. Alan Beaulieu – Principal at ITR Economics and senior economic advisor to several trade associationsn Frances Stroh – Award-winning au-thor of BEER MONEY: A Memoir of Priv-ilege and Lossn Gerry O’Brion – Professional speaker and strategy consultantn Barry Brandman – Widely recognized security expert and CEO of Danbee In-vestigationsn Susan Frew – Co-owner and president of Sunshine Plumbing, Heating and Air in Denver, Colorado.n Ian Heller – President/COO of Modern Distribution Management, a resource for market intelligence and industry insight.n Mohammad Ali – Expert in Virtual Reality production, distribution, and education.n Luke Hall-Jordan – Chief of the EPA’s Stratospheric Program Implementation Branch.n Danielle Wright – Executive Director for the North American Sustainable Re-frigeration Council (NASRC)n Richard Hadden – Author and work-place expert with a focus on Leadership and Employee Engagement.n Mark Chaffee – Vice President of Gov-ernmental Affairs & Sustainabili-ty for Taco, Inc.n Susan Rider – Consultant in Employee Benefit and Human Capital Management.n Chad Morris – Designs industry-lead-ing cost containment strategies to im-prove organizations’ employee benefits programs.n Charlie Warren – CEO of Convex, a leading data analytics business for the HVAC sales and service market.The meeting will also feature two dis-tributor panel discussions. The first is the Young Talent Panel moderated by Stef-fan Busch of the Nexstar network. The second is the Legacy Panel led by Tom Gale of Modern Distribution Management. Learn more about all the HARDI Annual Conference Set for December in AustinHIGH-PERFORMANCE NEWSNOVEMBER 2018 9HVACTODAY.COMHigh-Performance HVAC Today Magazine Celebrates First AnniversaryNovember is the one-year anniversary of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine – the new voice for the Performance-Based Contracting™ Industry. As publisher Dominick Guarino wrote in the inaugural issue, “Performance-Based Contracting™ (PBC) is more than just a technical discipline. It’s a culture within organizations that aren’t satisfied with just installing, replacing, or servicing equipment. “These contractors understand they can provide cus-tomers with the highest level of quality and performance when they test every HVAC system they come in contact with. Performance testing allows them to verify each sys-tem is operating at optimum performance “And then they can provide documented proof.”Twelve issues later, Editor-in-Chief Mike Weil says, “Our editorial is written by high performance contrac-tors for contractors who are also performance-based or are considering taking that path. “We write about the news and technologies that impact performance-based HVAC contractors and their customers, as well as the changes in the business necessary to success-fully implement processes and procedures for operating as a high-performance company.”During the last year, 30+ industry experts – Nation-al Comfort Institute trainers and Performance-Based Contractors from across the country – shared their knowledge here. In fact, High-Performance HVAC Today published more than 380 pages of content geared toward implementing and enhancing PBC into an HVAC contracting business.After one year, we’d like to thank all of the advertisers and partners who have supported the magazine and recognize the nearly 15,000 subscribers. To advertise in the magazine and reach this unique audience of HVAC contrac-tors, contact Dave Kenney at DaveK@ncihvac.com or call him at 440-670-5370 with questions.. If you’d like to receive our digital or print version of the magazine, just go to ncilink.com/subscribe and sign up. Or if you’d like to write for the magazine, sub-mit your ideas at hvactoday.com/contribute/. We look forward to continuing our service to the High-Performance HVAC contracting industry for years to come.The contest is 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 High-Performance HVAC Today web-site and visitors vote on the one they think should win the gift card, courtesy of National Comfort Institute.Dawn writes, “Thank you so much! This was a great surprise to win!”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.AHR INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCEDAHR Show Management recently an-nounced the winners of the 2019 AHR Expo Innovation Awards competition. Each year, products in 10 different cate-gories are recognized for being some of the HVACR industry’s most innovative products, systems, and technologies. Winners were selected by a panel of third-party ASHRAE member judges who evaluated each award entry based SEPTEMBER’S PHOTO OF THE MONTH WINNERThe winner of the $50 gift card in the High-Performance HVAC Today maga-zine photo contest was Dawn Mroczek of GV’s Heating and Cooling, Glenview, IL. speakers and panelists here: hardicon-ference.com/speakers/.To register, follow this link: hardicon-ference.com/register/For more information, go to the hardi-conference.com/ website.Dawn MroczekNovember 2018Inaugeral issue: November 2017Next >