< Previous20 MARCH 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYbuilt copper, PVC, electrical, and gas fitting bins, so every installation team has what they need. This keeps them from running to the supply house to chase down missing items. Next, we added parking lanes to our warehouse floor. These help us physically organize materials. We use a whiteboard to list job essentials that must be pulled before it can go out. The parking lanes have all the compo-nents pulled and waiting so each team can go straight to their lane and get what they need for the job. This reduced our wasted shop time by 30 minutes per team per job. Our supply house delivers the materials and places them in the appropriate lane based on the job number. I don’t have to do any extra work, all I do is communicate the proper job and ma-terials to our distributor.The last action we took was to pre-pare duct renovation kits. The kits address the most frequent return and supply repairs we make in our market. They are: z8” Basement Return Kit z10” Basement Return Kit zSupply Plenum Kit zReturn Air Drop Elbow Kit.With these kits, we have all the mate-rials pulled and ready to go if the sales-person notes that renovation is needed.THE RESULTS : SUCCESS AND PROFITSince we addressed the brutal facts behind our duct renovation issues, our test-out numbers have improved. like the quarterback huddling with his receivers. They leave the huddle knowing what route to run and who is fulfilling each role. There is no confu-sion on who is doing what.The final communication protocol we established was reviewing the job to ensure it is going as planned. This review happens at the end of each day. We go over that day’s work and if issues come up we decide, as a group, how to correct things, instead of let-ting them go or making assumptions.To assure our systems perform as sold, the installation teams verify their work. If something is missed, they see it and take care of it before the cus-tomer knows. One great result of doing this is our installers get totally stoked to see the awesome job they did. This complete-ly changes everything. They now own the results instead of being told what they were.ORGANIZATIONTo address our brutal facts, one of our first actions was to provide install-ers with consistent supplies. We put together furnace bins so the prop-er materials for each furnace installa-tion are already pulled and accounted for. In addition to these bins, we also PROCESS MANAGEMENTStock contained inside one of GV Heating’s standardized installation bin.Advanced duct renovations often require more than pictures and quick descriptions. They require coordination and being onsite to show and explain needed repairs.Equipment is organized each morning in new “parking lanes.” This reduces 30 minutes of wasted time per crew per job.MARCH 2019 21HVACTODAY.COMwe never would have known about un-less we had that original problem. Remember, mistakes happen – how we address them is a choice each of us must make. dropped by 80%. This has helped us achieve our goal of increased duct renovation success and profit. Small changes and adjustments in our operations yielded big results that While it was uncomfortable at the time, we’ve grown from the experi-ence. We had a choice to ignore the problem or confront it. I’m happy to say we took it on and made our duct renovations more suc-cessful and profitable. As a result of these changes, we are now finishing jobs on time or early, with our installers never needing to make runs to distributors for supplies. Our installers are now spiffed for their performance as we measure and verify. They are compensated just like our service technicians and rewarded for awesome results. Last year we had 156 hours of supply house time before we made these changes. Once we improved our communica-tion and organization, these numbers Meet Dawn Mroczek at NCI Summit 2019High-Performance HVAC Summit 2019 is happening April 15-18 in Orlando, FL. Dawn Vickers-Mroczek is one of five Performance-Based Contractors™ presenting how they bring High-Performance into their companies and their marketplace. She is a comfort consultant for GV’s Heating and Cooling, Inc. in Glenview, IL. Dawn will share how to create a well-oiled process for handing sold jobs off to installers. This process not only improves installation quality, but can make it more profitable as well.Come meet Dawn and network with your peers in Orlando. Learn more about the Summit 2019 program at GoToSummit.com.After Summit, stick around for our Post Show Training classes. Go to ncilink.com/PostShow for details.Register today. Questions? No problem. Call 800-633-1850 and talk to your customer care representative.22 MARCH 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYThese and other limitations persisted for more than 120 years, relegating the Pitot tube to “little more than a scientific toy” until another French engineer, Henry Darcy, systematically improved its design. Because of the extent of those improvements, some have proposed calling the device a “Pi-tot-Darcy” tube. Both Pitot and Darcy used this instrument for measuring liquid flows, but it is most often used to measure airflow. Today, we enjoy further advancements in the design of the Pitot tube as well as the development of accurate digital manometers which make them among the most accurate tools to measure airflow inside ducts. They are also convenient and robust enough to use in the field.The Pitot tube does have its limitations. ASHRAE 111 states that a Pitot-static tube traverse is not practical below a 600 fpm (feet per minute) ve-locity, and manufacturers of digital manometers intended for the purpose generally don’t recom-mend using Pitot tubes below 1,000 fpm. With a typical high-end “field-grade” digital manometer, accuracy at 600 fpm is about +/-10% and accuracy at 1,000 fpm is +/-4%. This puts the Pitot-tube out of range for most residential and light commercial airflow measurement applica-tions, where velocities are almost always below 1,000 fpm, and are often below 600 fpm.An alternative to the standard bent-tube Pitot is a “straight Pitot” or “airfoil” type probe, which doesn’t have the 90-degree bend and is easier to insert into ducts through pressure ports. These types of probes also have pressure orifices oriented directly into and directly away from the airflow. This amplifies the pressure signal, so you can use them with slightly lower airflows than a standard Pitot tube. Performing a duct traverse is a fundamen-tal skill that air balancers need to master. It’s also a key skill for HVAC technicians who want to measure and improve sys-tem performance for their customers. With the different instruments available for performing a traverse, it can be confusing to know when to use which instrument. If you’re just starting out with duct traverses, you might be struggling to decide which instru-ment to buy. This in-depth article covers instru-ment selection for duct traverses and provides you with clear recommendations on what to buy first, and what to use when.THE PITOT TUBEThe classic tool for performing a traverse is the Pi-tot-static tube (or simply Pitot tube for short) with an inclined or u-tube fluid-filled manometer. The Pitot tube was invented in 1732 by French hydrau-lic engineer Henri Pitot, who originally developed the concept to measure waterflow in the Seine river. Henri’s original Pitot tube had some design is-sues that limited its practical use and accuracy. Duct Traverse: The Right Tool for the Right JobBy Ben Lipscomb, P.E.TECHNICALFigure 1: A modern Pitot-static tube design for airflow measurements. An inner tube with an orifice that faces into the flow measures total pressure. Orifices arranged around an outer tube are oriented perpendicular to flow to measure static pressure. Total Pressure minus Static Pressure equals Velocity Pressure, which can be converted to air velocity.MARCH 2019 23HVACTODAY.COMairflows than an instrument with the same accuracy and a range of 0 to 20 in. w.c. A manometer with a 0 to 1 in. w.c. range will work well up to about 4,000 fpm. These are often marketed as “micromanometers.”That said, there are some instru-ments on the market that have a wider range (e.g. -15 to 15 in. w.c.) and specify accuracy as a percentage of the reading with an additional absolute accuracy term to account for the fact that accu-racy is lower at lower flow rates. Some of these instruments have accuracy throughout the measurement range that’s comparable to a quality 0 to 1 in. w.c. manometer.Sometimes manometers specifically intended or marketed for air velocity measurement specify percent accura-cy at a specific velocity. Remember, the velocity used is of-ten much higher than typical HVAC duct velocities, and accuracy deterio-rates as velocities decrease. THE THERMAL “HOT-WIRE” ANEMOMETER A “Hot-Wire” or Thermal Anemom-eter measures electrical resistance through a heated element. The resis-tance changes depending on airflow over the element. Thermal anemometers have come a long way in terms of their accuracy, measurement range, and robustness for use in the field. For example, ASHRAE 111 cites ac-curacies of +/-10% and maximum ranges of 600 fpm. However, modern instruments claim accuracy as low as +/-3% with a measurement range up to 6,000 fpm. With these specifications, it makes them the clear choice if most of your measurements will be in velocities less than 1,000 fpm. If you regularly test systems with velocities above 1,000 fpm, a thermal anemometer can still be a good choice for convenience. Most thermal ane-mometers also measure temperature, and some higher-end models also in-corporate relative humidity and baro-metric pressure sensors. These sensors turn the instrument into a multi-function tool, but more im-portantly they allow the instrument to automatically compensate for air den-sity and display your measurement in either actual or standard CFM. That’s something you must do manually with a Pitot tube measurement.One aspect to be aware of when us-Be aware that the same effect limits the upper velocity ranges that can be measured depending on your manom-eter selection. Specific equations sup-plied by the manufacturer must be used with straight Pitot or airfoil probes.DIGITAL MANOMETERS FOR PITOT TUBE MEASUREMENTSWhen you select a digital manom-eter for Pitot tube measurements, it is extremely important to pay atten-tion to the instrument’s accuracy and range specifications. Digital manometers are often spec-ified with accuracy as a percent of the full scale of the instrument. Because of this, an instrument with a range of 0 to 1 in. w.c. (inches of water column) will be far more accurate for typical HVAC Figure 2: Straight Pitot and Standard Pitot Tubes.Table 1: Minimum velocities for 10% and 4% accuracy for Standard vs. Straight Pitot tubes with a typical digital manometer (+/-0.5% of full scale; 0 to 1 in.-w.c. range)Figure 3: A digital manometer connected with flexible tubing to a Pitot tube. This is a good choice for air velocities over 1,000 fpm. Generally these velocities are found in high-volume commercial systems. Probe TypeMinimum Air Velocity for +/- 10% AccuracyMinimum Air Velocity for +/- 4% AccuracyUpper Limit of Measurement Velocity with 0 to 1 in. w.c. ManometerStandard Pilot600 fpm1000 fpm4000 fpmStraight Pilot500 fpm800 fpm3200 fpmFigure 4: Two different thermal anemometers24 MARCH 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY zProbes can be fragile, and may be-come fouled when used in dirty envi-ronments zThe heated probe can ignite com-bustible gases. Do not use in flamma-ble environments.THE RIGHT TOOL FOR YOUR JOBObviously, you can put a lot of thought into selecting instruments for doing a duct traverse. The good news is, the selection can be really simple if you don’t care to dig in. Here are a few simple rules to follow if you’re thinking about buying your first instrument for duct traverses or adding to your stable: zIf you’ll be working on residen-tial or light commercial work ex-clusively, you’ll probably want a ther-mal anemometer. You’ll also want a manometer for checking static pres-sures, but you won’t need the high ac-curacy or the limited range that some-ing a thermal anemometer is that it won’t indicate flow direction. With a Pitot tube you can rotate the probe to find where the reading is highest, and the position of the probe indicates the direction of the flow. This can help you identify areas with swirl, eddies, or re-verse flow that you will want to avoid when performing a traverse. A straight Pitot or airfoil probe can also measure flow in both directions, so you’ll know if your measuring a flow profile that isn’t developed enough for an accurate measurement. Thermal anemometers can’t be used for diag-nosing your measurements like this.Other issues to be aware of with thermal anemometers include: zHigh sensitivity to wind, turbu-lence, changes in building pressure, and other airflow disturbances zPossible reduced accuracy at low or high temperature and humidity ex-tremesTECHNICALFigure 5: Accuracy of several manometers with Pitot tube and Thermal Anemometer options. Thermal anemometers are generally best below about 1,200 fpm. Above 1,200 fpm a Pitot tube with an appropriate digital manometer is more accurate, but thermal anemometers have some attractive features and are good to between 4,000 and 6,000 fpm.Ben Lipscomb is a registered Professional Engineer with over 14 years of experience in the HVAC industry including laboratory and field research, Design/Build contracting, and utility energy efficiency pro-gram design. He is National Comfort Institute’s engineering manager, and may be contacted at benl@ncihvac.com. times come with that accuracy for your purposes. zIf you work on larger commer-cial equipment but don’t require the absolute highest accuracy, and you only measure airflow in ducts with ve-locities under 6,000 fpm, a thermal anemometer is probably still a great choice for versatility and convenience. zIf you’re a professional bal-ancer working on a wide vari-ety of systems, you’ll probably want to have both a Pitot tube setup and a thermal anemometer. This will allow you to tailor your tool to your specif-ic measurement application, always selecting the instrument that will pro-vide the best outcome. You’ll probably also want several Pi-tot probe lengths in addition to some Straight Pitot probes to further in-crease your options and versatility. As is always the case with field mea-surement, it’s good practice to double check your measurements if you sus-pect an issue with accuracy. Always re-member to use your knowledge of the entire system to evaluate the plausibil-ity of each measurement. Ask yourself “given what I know about this system, does this measure-ment make sense?” By taking this approach and applying the information presented in this arti-cle, you can always be sure you’re using the right tool for your job. HVAC SUMMIT 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCEIf You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!™APRIL 15-18, 2019 • ORLANDO, FLThe High-PerformanceSales CycleThe High-PerformanceSales CycleLead GenerationLead TurnoverSales Call/ProcessesHandoff to InstallationService AgreementsSummit Week 2019 NCI’s High-Performance HVAC Summit has become the gathering place for Performance-Based ContractorsTM from across North America. It’s the only event of its kind completely focused on selling and delivering High-Performance HVAC systems. This conference is open to the entire industry. Summit is a welcoming gathering of like-minded people who are open and willing to share with their fellow performance-based professionals.This year we feature a special focus on the entire High-Performance sales and delivery cycle, both in our General Sessions, and in our Breakout Workshops. Each workshop will concentrate on one of the key elements of the process: Lead Generation, Lead Turnover and Setting The Appoint-ment, The Sales Process, Handoff to Your Installation Team, and Selling High-Performance Service Agreements.This year’s breakout sessions have been extended to an hour and a half long to allow for more interactive learning. Some of the workshops even feature hands-on learning with live equipment and test instruments. And You Won’t Miss A Beat!Summit’s unique format is designed to make sure you are able to take in every single session without missing anything. Also, when you register multiple team members from your company, you can request to attend sessions as a group, or split up for maximum interaction with your fellow performance-based contractors – it’s your choice!Visit the Summit Week Website at GoToSummit.com to reserve your seats for what is shaping up to be the best Summit yet. Seats are limited this year and going fast, so don’t delay, register for Summit 2019 today - and take your High-Performance HVAC business to the next level!Reserve Your Seat Today! Visit GoToSummit.com to find out more and to register, or call NCI Customer Care at 800-633-7058The High-PerformanceSales CycleThe High-PerformanceSales CycleLead GenerationLead TurnoverSales Call/ProcessesHandoff to InstallationService AgreementsHVAC SUMMIT 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCENCI Partners Reception and Tradeshow: Our Partners help make this conference possible. Show your appreciation by attending the trade show events. Who knows? You might find that next great product or idea!Idea Meeting: All attendees are invited to this 2-part event where each participant can propose one or more ideas in the areas of lead generation and sales. Don’t forget to bring your ideas and $20 entrance fee. The best ideas split the pot for great cash prizes!Awards Banquet: This long-standing tradition is one of the highlights of every Summit. Join us in honoring the best of the best Performance-Based HVAC contractors. You may be one of them!MEMBERREWARDSSPECIAL EVENTSHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC LIVERegister today at GoToSummit.com or call 800.633.7058Breakout Sessions & SpeakersGenerate High Quality Leads With Performance TestingSpeakers: Mike Hartman and David RichardsonMost homeowners (and competitors), are unaware that the average HVAC system performs at 57% efficiency. Static pressure testing and a few other quick measurements during service and maintenance visits are the best way to expose these poorly performing systems. Learn how to share this critical information with your customers to help them discover and understand the hidden problems that rob them of the comfort and efficiency they should be getting!Done right, a few simple tests will generate high quality leads with virtually no competition and very high conversion rates. In this highly interactive hands-on session, Mike and David will demonstrate proper testing techniques and how to explain test results, gain customer interest, and hand-off the lead.Turn High-Performance Leads Into AppointmentsSpeakers: Nancy McKeraghan and David HoltWhile it’s true that “nothing happens until someone sells something”, no HVAC service or installation sale is ever made without first setting an appointment. When the customer has been handled well and properly prepared by the office staff, your sales and service team are better positioned to hit a home run during each appointment.In this session, Nancy and David will share methods high-performance contractors use to ensure their front-line office team consistently creates "wow” experiences for customers that result in more appointments and increased sales.Performance-Based Selling in 12 Steps: From Test to ProposalSpeakers: Michael Hyde and Rob FalkeA Performance-Based sales call is quite different from the typical industry sales processes that focus on just selling “boxes.” When executed correctly, it can be highly effective in closing more sales and delighting your customers. The key is doing the right things at the right time.In this interactive, hands-on session, you’ll learn the 12 essential steps to guide your customer through a performance-based sales visit, from efficient, high-impact testing and diagnostics, to customer engagement, to preparing and presenting a winning proposal.The Handoff Can Make All the DifferenceSpeakers: Dawn Vickers-Mroczek and John PuryearWhen sales closes a job, the next step is to get it installed. Do your install guys “roll their eyes” when they get the “work order”? Are they getting the right information to ensure a successful and profitable completion? The handoff can make or break the quality and profitability of your installations.Dawn and John will take you through each step of a well-oiled process to minimize frustration, reduce mis-steps, and ensure success for all. Discover how a sales team and installation team can better communicate and work together to produce amazing High-Performance System installations.Sell High-Performance Maintenance AgreementsSpeakers: Jim Ball and Tom JohnsonMaintenance agreements are the lifeblood of every HVAC service and replacement business. The long-term relationship established with your customers provides a steady income stream that leads to greater business stability and future value.In this workshop, Jim and Tom will share ways that they have turned their service teams into cash-generating machines through the implementation of strong performance-based maintenance agreement programs.Mike Hartman, Thomas E. Clark, Inc.Nancy McKeraghan, Canco ClimateCareJim Ball, Ball Heating & Air ConditioningMichael Hyde,Hyde’s Air ConditioningDawn Vickers-Mroczek,GV’s Heating & Cooling, Inc.Special Sessions & SpeakersKeynote SpeakerJennifer Bagley is a highly sought after professional speaker, the founder of the 12 Step Roadmap to Achieve Accelerated Results, and the CEO of CI Web Group, the preferred HVAC Digital Marketing Agency in US and Canada.Jennifer’s methodology will help you get clear, stay focused, and efficiently execute relevant High Leverage Activities (HLAs), getting you the results and success you really want… Faster! Her thinking is sought and used by the the world’s top companies such as Goodman, Amana, Ferguson and many more. For the last several years, Jennifer and her team have implemented the Accelerated Results Roadmap time and again with clients to produce extraordinary results.Topic: How to Achieve Accelerated Results & Become the Market LeaderPeople are hungry for ways to get ahead, win, and accelerate results, both personally and professionally. When Accelerated Results becomes a reality, communication skills and abilities are elevated at every level. This is achieved with the presence of a system that produces clarity and focus and the ability to execute. When people have clarity, focus and execution, they are confident. When they have tools and processes that facilitate their communication objectives, they become better communicators. When a system of communication is established, the ability of the team is elevated. A rising tide raises all boats and achieves accelerated results.Ask the CoachesBe sure to attend this one-hour session following our very popular Idea Meeting at 5 pm on Tuesday, April 16. This special Q&A with 5 top HVAC industry coaches will focus on customer-facing topics including sales, marketing, and customer service. This is a unique opportunity to interact directly with industry experts that can help make 2019 your best year ever.Don’t miss what is sure to be a spirited and highly informative session with some of the industry's best coaches at Summit 2019!Brigham Dickinson, President, Power-Selling ProsThe Coaching Team:Drew Cameron, Owner, HVAC SellutionsDavid Holt, Director of Business Training and Coaching, National Comfort InstituteBen Middleton, National Sales Training Manager, Goodman, Inc.Tom Piscitelli, President, TRUST Sales TrainingSponsored by:SPECIAL PARTNER SUMMIT WEEK EVENTSMONDAY, APRIL 15: Goodman Business Planning BootcampWhat if you could have the time, money and freedom that you’ve always wanted? Join us for an exclusive opportunity to dissect your unique business and create a roadmap to a higher quality of life! As a business owner, you deserve that!Special pricing for Summit Attendees, Goodman/Amana Dealers, and EGIA and NCI MembersTHURSDAY, APRIL 18: Breakthrough Business Leadership: Developing A Process- Driven Company This leadership workshop is about how to improve the execution and profitability within a contracting company. This is a powerful operators workshop designed to highlight how to lead well and drive execu-tion not just concepts, and all the tools to do so are included.Presented by Gary Elekes Special pricing for EGIA and NCI Members, and Summit Attendees.Special Sessions & SpeakersRegister today at GoToSummit.com or call 800.633.7058Trailblazer CoachingFor as little as $25 a month you can participate in 12 monthly High- Performance Trailblazer Coaching sessions with fellow HVAC contractors from across the country!This program is all about you. It was designed and tested by contractors who participated in the first program launched over the past year. Here’s How it Works:Each session is a highly interactive 45-minute web meeting, led by NCI coaches. Your first session includes a 40,000 foot overview of the entire coaching plan where you can ask questions and provide input on the areas you might need the most help with. In each of the next 12 sessions, your coaches will lead the group in a discussion on two of the steps on the Trailblazer Roadmap below. During the final session, just before Summit 2020, you will review where you’ve been, discuss successes and failures along the way, and map out your game plan for the next 12 months.Trailblazer RoadMapThe following map illustrates the 20 areas that will be covered in the online coaching sessions. Each area is a key element to successful implementation of High-Performance Contracting. Breaking the process down into these bitesize steps will help insure your success without overwhelming you and your team.To register for Trailblazer online coaching, go to: ncilink.com/TrailblazerNext >