HIGH-PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMIf You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!™hvactoday.comFEBRUARY 2019Residential Market Forecast2019ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:n First Impressions and Lead Generationn Save Time with an Air Upgrade Procedure n Contractor Spotlight: Born to High-PerformanceFEBRUARY 2019 3HVACTODAY.COMFEBRUARY 2019 VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2HIGH-PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMTECHNICAL:Air Upgrade Procedure Saves TimeCan your company benefit from a process that speeds up field diagnosis and repairs? Rob Falke says it will and shows you how to do it.MARKETING:First Impression Impact on Lead GenerationDo you know how your incoming customer calls are being handled by your team? You should. Here’s why.MANAGEMENT:Will 2019 Be Kind to the HVAC Industry? Changes are AfootEconomic expert Connor Lokar examines the tell-tale signs of a weakening cycle and its impact on the HVAC business.221816 DEPARTMENTSOnline Content ......................................................................................4Today’s Word .........................................................................................7High-Performance News....................................................................8High-Performance Products ..........................................................11Contractor Spotlight: Punbar LLC ..............................................12Member Update ...............................................................................26Photo of the Month .........................................................................27HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................28Ad Index ................................................................................................29One More Thing ................................................................................304 FEBRUARY 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYFREE Monthly DownloadThe February 2019 down-load is how to Navigate the Fieldpiece SMAN 460 Four-Port Manifold. This is for use by field technicians who need to mea-sure refrigerant in a residential system.This one-page data sheet explains how the instrument functions and how to properly set it up. It defines the abbrevi-ations used on the device as well as defines the functionality of every button and control.Go to ncilink.com/md0219, 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 first module in our Customer Service Training Series: Active Listening. In this module you will learn the importance of communication in the office as well as in the field, and it should help you develop the skills necessary to meet and exceed customer expectations. You’ll learn the importance of your mindset and body lan-guage, building customer relationships, and identifying typical listening problems and how to overcome them.This is a course that should be taken by everyone in the com-pany, not just the office co-workers. When finished, your peo-ple will be able to identify effective methods of communicating, build better relationships based on listening skills, and more. Go to ncilink.com/ou0219 to learn more.ONLINE CONTENTFEBRUARY 2019 5HVACTODAY.COMBLOG POSTSFOUR COMMON STATIC PRESSURE MEASUREMENT MISTAKESMost questionable readings start with overlook-ing and/or ignoring static pressure measure-ment basics. In this blog post, David Richardson revisits four common mistakes made by some of the best HVAC Industry contractors and what to do to avoid making them yourself. Find out more at ncilink.com/4SPMistakes.AIR BALANCING AND ENERGY SAVINGSRob Falke examines how air balancing reports are now placing manufacturer specifications and measured field data side-by-side to prove how efficient an installed system is operating. He discusses why this is important and what it means to Performance- Based Contractors.His blog can be found at ncilink.com/AirBal.There’s an APP for That...The February focus is on Goodman’s CoolCloud HVAC App. This mobile app enables HVAC contractors to connect and communicate wirelessly via BlueTooth with both Goodman and Amana premium air handler and furnace control boards. This provides a more efficient means for servicing and maintaining equipment, making configuration adjustments, gaining equipment status, performing diagnos-tics, viewing fault code history, and ultimately sim-plifying the tech-nician’s ability to ensure energy- efficiency and reli-able performance.This is a FREE app available in both the Apple (ncilink.com/CC1) and Google stores (ncilink.com/CC2).FEBRUARY 2019 7HVACTODAY.COMThe Bad – Not to be a naysayer, but despite all the good feelings of the show, there are realities we all need to face. The economy is the biggest one. Just read Connor Lokar’s market forecast ar-ticle on page 22 and you will see what I mean. Many manufacturers acknowledge that the economy could negatively impact the costs of their finished goods, but hold out hope that ship-ments in 2019 will be on the upswing.The Ugly – In a nutshell, the key economic in-dicators (the U.S. Single-Family Housing Starts growth rate, for example) have been sliding for some time, which Lokar says is a warning sign that the economy is slowing. That means poten-tially fewer HVACR projects. It also can mean that residential consumers may steer their spend-ing towards more renovation work – the baliwick of High-Performance HVAC contractors.One reason: the Air Upgrade Process. Check out Rob Falke’s explanation of that process in his article on page 18.More ugliness exists in the form of tariffs, gov-ernment shutdowns, technician shortages, and the impending patchwork of state-led refrigeration regulations that can be a huge burden to contrac-tors. All this makes 2019 a potentially ugly year. WELCOME TO 2019 This mixed bag also includes a bright spot. Lo-kar sees things turning around in the fourth quar-ter of 2019. And if you are a Performance-Based Contracting™ company, you are somewhat insu-lated from the negatives because you offer some-thing no one else can – proveable results in com-fort, energy efficiency, safety, and health.So welcome to 2019. It will be challenging, but opportunities abound. Apply your training and skills for the betterment of your customers, and make this year one of your best ever! As I write this, the AHR Exposition is in the rear-view mirror, a massive cold snap is freezing out the upper mid-western U.S., and the federal gov-ernment shutdown is on temporary hiatus. I like to call this troika of events The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.Like every year at the expo, you can’t help feel-ing the positive energy as the HVAC Industry gathers to talk about the future. Showcased were the latest technologies, equipment, and services designed to take this industry and its customers forward. This includes high attendance in all the educational sessions, crowds working the show floor, and the after-hours events where contrac-tors, engineers, manufacturers, and distributors hobnob and lay the groundwork for the upcom-ing year.The Good – Having an early year kick-off event like the AHR Expo really can set the stage with all its positive energy. The manufacturers themselves seemed con-fident that 2019 would be a strong year. This was evidenced in the Economic Outlook Survey conducted by expo management late last year. HVACR manufacturers reported positive 2018 sales growth and forecasted that to carry into 2019.Contractors also cited a good business envi-roment in 2018, many attributing it to positive changes in the tax laws and an easing of regula-tory burdens. Everyone is concerned about price increases due to national and international politics (can you say tariffs?), but for now that hasn’t hit yet.Contractors like Dan Foley, who received the Dan Holohan Award from Taco, Inc. during the show, is an example of a contractor who finds great benefit from attending the expo and using it to kick off the year on a positive footing.Welcoming 2019: The Good, The Bad, and The UglyMike Weil is editor-in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at MikeW@ncihvac.com.TODAY’S WORDBy Mike Weil8 FEBRUARY 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYdeveloping and marketing products that minimize waste when in use. Peel says this is combined with the goal of reduc-ing their own greenhouse gas footprint and in alignment with the company’s 100th anniversary.The Efficiency approach really focus-es on the company’s processes -- new efforts to implement environmental processes. “Along with the company’s in-dependent efforts to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, Rheem is committed to affecting an even greater environmental impact and is calling on other companies to adopt environmentally sound practices and prioritize sustainability in their manufac-turing as well,” Peel said.Regarding Leadership, Peel says the company is taking a stand in the battle to overcome the technician shortage in the HVAC and plumbing trades.“Recognizing that our success de-pends on skilled plumbers and contrac-tors who install and service our products, Rheem is investing in new recruiting and training initiatives. “We are working to foster a qualified workforce and educate the trade on how to best support Rheem’s sustain-ability goals. By 2025, Rheem will com-mit to training at least 250,000 plumbers and contractors on sustainable products, sustainable installation, and recycling best practices using our six state-of-the-art Innovation Learning Centers located across North America.“We all feel a shared responsibility to reduce the natural resources required to make and use our products, and we are excited about the opportunity to affect positive environmental change through these purposeful actions. By working together – Rheem associates, our contractors, and consumers – we will create a Greater Degree of Good,” Peel concluded.DANFOSS SEES RESIDENTIAL MARKET SLOWDOWNDanfoss North America President John Galyen took a look back at the econo-my from an HVAC Industry perspective during a press conference at last month’s AHR Expo in Atlanta, GA.He told attendees that 2018 was a year of solid growth in the HVACR indus-try, but said that would change in 2019, mostly as a result of the tar-iff war between the U.S., some of its allies, and China. He added that those tariffs and other economic events were creat-ing uncertainty that would impact the markets.“All indicators point to positive growth early in 2019,” he says, “but we see a slow-down coming in the second half.”Galyen qualified his statement say-ing that the slowdown would most-ly impact the residential arena – com-mercial HVAC would continue to grow. He attributed that growth to a new RHEEM ANNOUNCES NEW SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVELast month, during the AHR Exposi-tion held in Atlanta, GA, Rheem Pres-ident and CEO Chris Peel announced the company’s commitment to achiev-ing zero waste in its manufacturing processes. Peel told a group of show attendees that this new Global Sustain-ability Initiative was called “A Greater Degree of Good.” “The intent is to cut Rheem’s green-house footprint by 50% by 2025,” he explained.This means the company is focusing on attaining zero waste and zero landfill impact.“In addition,” Peel said, “ we have the goal of training 250,000 plumbing and HVAC contractors on sustainability best practices.Besides making its manufacturing pro-cesses and locations more sustainable, Rheem is focused on developing prod-ucts to help consumers be more energy efficient and reduce their own environ-mental impact.Peel explained that the company’s vi-sion had a three-tier approach: Degree of Innovation Degree of Efficiency Degree of Leadership.The Innovation approach focuses on HIGH-PERFORMANCE NEWSInitiatives and Announcements from Across the IndustryChris PeelJohn GalyenFEBRUARY 2019 9HVACTODAY.COMfourth recipient of this award and, according to John Hazen White, Jr., “is recognized for his uncompromising commitment to the quality, comfort, ef-ficiency, and capability provided by hy-dronic systems. “Foley Mechanical was founded in 2002 in Washington D.C. REES FOUNDATION AWARDS $65,000 TO ASPIRING HVACR TECHNICIANSThe Clifford H. “Ted” Rees, Jr. Schol-arship Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charita-ble foundation of the Air-Condition-ing, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), and the Air Conditioning Con-tractors of America (ACCA), announced scholarship awards totaling $65,000 to 39 students, including five military veter-presented the Dan Holohan Lifetime Contribution to Comfort Award during the Taco Comfort Solutions’® press con-ference. The award was presented by John Hazen White, Jr., executive chair-man and CEO of Taco, Inc.The annual award is given to an HVAC professional or company that makes substantial contributions to com-fort technology, advancement, or training while dis-playing the ex-ceptional good humor and love of people exhib-ited by Dan Holo-han throughout his long career.Foley is the form of commercial customer collabo-ration with regard to refrigerants and sustained efficiency.Furthermore, because of the current administration which has effective-ly stripped the EPA’s powers, refriger-ant development is in danger of falling under a patchwork of regulations from individual states and cities, Galyen pointed out. “That puts a huge burden on HVAC contractors who still service legacy sys-tems,” he says.TACO PRESENTS 2019 DAN HOLOHAN AWARD On Monday, January 21st, the first day of the AHR Expo in Atlanta, GA, Contractor Dan Foley, owner of Foley Mechanical Inc. in Lorton, Virginia, was Dan FoleyNext >