HIGH-PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMIf You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing!™hvactoday.comOCTOBER 2019Are Your Customers Safe? The Real Truth About Carbon MonoxideGet Past Not Knowing What You Don't KnowPerspectives on Performance: The Contractor ExperienceCarbon Monoxide & CombustionOCTOBER 2019 3HVACTODAY.COMOCTOBER 2019 VOLUME 3 NUMBER 10HIGH-PERFORMANCEHVAC TODAY TMMANAGEMENT:CO: Get Past Not Knowing What You Don’t KnowContractor Steve Miles says you should “become the expert in your area. It is good for your customers, your community, and your business.”TECHNICAL:Carbon Monoxide: The Real TruthContractor Tom Johnson dispels seven pervading consumer myths about carbon monoxide.LEADERSHIP:Perspectives on Performance: The Contractor ExperienceWe spoke to four HVAC contractors who are committed to High-Performance and asked them why and what it means to them, their companies, and their customers.171411 DEPARTMENTSToday’s Word .........................................................................................5High-Performance Product Reviews .............................................6Contractor Spotlight: Dean Heating and AC ...........................8Photo of the Month .........................................................................19Member Update ...............................................................................20HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................21Ad Index ................................................................................................21One More Thing ................................................................................22OCTOBER 2019 5HVACTODAY.COMTODAY’S WORDBy Mike WeilMike Weil is editor- in-chief and associate publisher of HVAC Today as well as the director of communi-cations for NCI. He can be reached at MikeW@ncihvac.com.THE TERM ‘CARBON MONOXIDE’ IS JUST TWO WORDS. BUT THEY ARE TWO VERY POWERFUL WORDS. ARE YOU PREPARED TO DEFEND YOUR CUSTOMERS AGAINST THEM?Today’s Word is actually two words: Carbon Monoxide. These are two words that no one wants to hear, especially when it involves harm to consumers and to technicians.Let’s face it, we know that CO-related incidents occur during the fall and winter months when gas-fired appliances run at longer intervals and homes are closed tightly against the cold weather. But CO issues also happen ALL YEAR long.For example, in July of this year, Fox News re-ported that 46 people were hospitalized with 15 in critical condition after being exposed to car-bon monoxide at a motel in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The local fire and paramedic chief told reporters that a CO alarm went off in the motel’s boiler room and levels in some areas of the build-ing were as high as 385 parts per million. The article reports the chief comparing that to what he called a safe level of between 20 and 30 parts per million (PPM).A safe level? Really?It is painfully obvious that even to-day, knowledge about this deadly gas is still woefully lacking, even among safety professionals. The World Health Organiza-tion says that 15 to 20 PPM can cause ill effects on human health. At 27 PPM there is a 21% increase in cardio-respiratory complaints. At 30% you’ll see the earliest onset of angina.In the world of High-Performance Contracting, HVAC contractors are well trained in how to ana-lyze and understand the combustion process and what happens that can lead to creating CO. ALL HVAC contractors should be so trained.Furthermore, ALL public safety officials should be so trained. When you search the Internet for CO-related news stories, the number you find are over-whelming and the “facts” presented in them are all over the place. Here is the most important fact: NO level of CO from vented combustion ap-pliances is acceptable in the living space. But we know that CO happens. That’s why knowing how to test for the issue, diagnose the cause, and find the right solutions is so very important.That begins with education.In this issue, Tom Johnson of TM Johnson Brothers in Cambridge, MN, dispels seven com-mon consumer myths about carbon monox-ide and what it takes to address this potential deadly issue. You can find his article on page 11 or online at ncilink.com/CO-Myths.In addition, Steve Miles, president of Jerry Kel-ly Heating in St. Charles, MO, shares how his company has become one of the go-to ex-perts in his marketplace when it comes to carbon monoxide. Read about it on page 14 or online at ncilink.com/KnowCO.Finally, this month we examine two CO instru-ments. David Richardson reviews the Fieldpiece STA2 In-Duct Hot-Wire Anemometer (page 6) and Jim Davis shares his thoughts on Bacharach’s InTech combustion analyzers (page 7). Online they are at ncilink.com/1019Reviews.Yes, the term carbon monoxide is just two words. But they may be the most important two words that can impact your customers. The question is, are you prepared to defend your customers against them? Are you properly trained? Carbon Monoxide and the High-Performance HVAC Contractor6 OCTOBER 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT REVIEWSWritten By HVAC Professionals for HVAC Professionals z Fieldpiece STA2 Hot-Wire Anemometer and a 9V battery z Replaceable probe with protective shroud z Magnetic rubber boot with hanging strap.The most common use for this instrument is in a duct traverse. Before mea-suring, install your test ports in the proper location of the duct you plan on test-ing. You take readings in a grid pattern inside the duct to determine average velocity and airflow. You can use a timed or point-by-point traverse. I recommend a point-by-point traverse for simplicity.This anemometer is a great way to verify fan airflow when a blower wheel is dirty and you need an accurate measurement. You can also use it to check the air speed moving across registers and grilles when customers com-plain of noise. Furthermore, it helps you discover turbulence inside a duct system and verify face velocity of air filters to assure they capture particulate.If you’re interested in learning more about the Fieldpiece STA2, go to the National Comfort Institute store at ncilink.com/FieldpieceSTA2.— by David Richardson, NCI Curriculum Developer and InstructorFIELDPIECE STA2 IN-DUCT HOT-WIRE ANEMOMETERIf you have ever questioned how much air is moving through a duct, the Fieldpiece STA2 Hot-Wire Anemometer can help you figure it out. It is an inex-pensive test instrument that allows you to quickly and accurately measure ve-locity, temperature, and airflow inside a duct system. The Fieldpiece STA2 has a backlit dual display that allows you to measure ve-locity in fpm (feet per minute) and cal-culate airflow in cfm (cubic feet per minute) with the appropriate duct di-mensions entered on the same screen. With the push of a button, it also shows the dry bulb (db) temperature in the duct. The Fieldpiece STA2 includes the following: OCTOBER 2019 7HVACTODAY.COM zCO Range: 0 - 2000 ppm zStack T: - 4 to +1202 degrees zComb Air T: - 4 to + 212 degrees zDraft P: N/A zAmbient Use: 23 to 113 degrees zReporting App: Yes zWarranty: 2 years zBuilt-in Diagnostics: N/A.These specs are for the Insight Plus: zO2 Range: 0% - 20.9% zCO Range: 0 – 4000 ppm zStack T: - 4 to +1202 degrees zComb Air T: - 4 to + 600 degrees zDraft P: +/- 40-in.w.c. zAmbient Use: 23 to 113 degrees zReporting App: Yes zWarranty: 2 years zBuilt-in Diagnostics: Yes.Field serviceability is a major factor in the overall operating expense of com-bustion analyzers. Bacharach is the eas-iest to verify sensor operation. Changing both sensors when necessary is easy. The CO sensor can be field-calibrated, or you can buy calibrated CO sensors. CO sensors normally last more than five to eight years. Based on 30-plus years of using Bacha-rach analyzers, I found that most CO sen-sors rarely need to be calibrated more than every two years. They can always be checked by comparing their CO reading with another analyzer. Learn more about the Intech Analyz-er or to purchase it, go to ncilink.com/IntechPlus.For more information or to buy the In-sight, go to ncilink.com/InsightPlus. — by Jim Davis, National Comfort Institute Senior InstructorBACHARACH COMBUSTION ANALYZERSWhen performing combustion testing in the field, it is important that you can depend on your combustion analyzer. I have found that the Bacharach Intech and Insight Plus combustion analyzers are the leaders in these areas.Let’s look at both devices’ specifica-tions and compare them. These specs are for Intech Analyzer: zO2 Range: 0% - 20.9%8 OCTOBER 2019HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYDOING IT RIGHTDean Heating focuses on residen-tial retrofits. Ken says that from the beginning he understood the impor-tance of doing things right the first time as well as how airflow is key to the successful and efficient operation of HVAC systems. This attitude, combined with his very positive and outgoing personali-ty, helped his small company build a great reputation in his marketplace.As a result, he found himself in the position of going into homes serviced by other firms and fixing problems that the competitors didn’t even know existed.Dean says, “The manager at my supply house told me after we’d been in business for a while that in his 20 years he’d seen many men go out on their own, but I was the only one who had work every day of every week. Dean says the Athens communi-ty has a population of about 30,000 people and it wasn’t long before rental property owners saw the value in hav-ing his company service their systems.“We began working for a couple of the larger ones in town. Then building owners sought our services for their small commercial properties.“Our reputation and word-of-mouth drove more business to our doorstep.”In 2012, Ken Dean was introduced to National Comfort Institute and he began taking classes. He learned that his airflow ideas were mostly right, but he also realized that he had much more to learn.IT IS ALL ABOUT AIRKen Dean has a vision, one where his company becomes THE de facto expert in his market in the operation and maintenance of “systems.” “To do that,” he says, “to view the Athens is a small city in Southeastern Ohio, nes-tled snuggly at the foot of the Appalachian foothills along the Hocking River. It is home to 115-year-old Ohio University, once known as Harvard on the Hocking. It is also home to a small upstart HVAC firm known as Dean Heating and Air Conditioning.The company was formed in 1996 by Ken Dean, a local tradesmen whose experience – from the time he was in high school – was in carpentry and residential electrical work. “I started in the field in 1981,” Dean says, “first as an installer, then as a service technician. I worked for two companies for 15 years when I decid-ed it was time to set up my own shop.”In 1996, Bill Clinton was president, Great Britain discovered Mad Cow disease, and Israel just elected Benja-min Netanyahu as prime minister for the first time. It was also the year that the first sheep was cloned from adult cells (Hello Dolly)!Meanwhile in Athens, Dean Heating was off to a fast start. Ken Dean says they had so much business that he soon realized he needed a helper and so hired his son. Jared Dean became Ken’s business partner in 2010.“The business grew partly from es-tablishing a reputation of doing our work right the first time (I hate call-backs) and my son’s efforts to promote and advertise,” Ken Dean says.CONTRACTOR SPOTLIGHTBy Mike WeilThe Performance Advantage:Seeing What Others CannotCompany owners, from left to right: Ken Dean, his daughter-in-law Marjorita Dean, and son Jared Dean.OCTOBER 2019 9HVACTODAY.COM“We get great feedback from this type of work,” he adds. “Customers say rooms that never were comfortable are so comfortable now.”Dean Heating isn’t the biggest or flashiest HVAC contractor serving the Athens area. But they talk plainly, they help customers understand the issues, and they deliver. That is the basis for the company’s growth.Ken explains that their biggest com-petitor spends a lot of money on pub-licity and really push super high-effi-ciency product installations.“When customers buy from them, often we find ourselves coming in af-ter the fact to fix comfort issues that bigger, more efficient boxes didn’t ad-dress,” he says.Could this be a contributor to Dean Heating’s amazing referrals and posi-tive reviews? Ken Dean thinks so. He also says that because the Internet now plays such a huge role in consum-er product and service research, his customers are much more savvy than when he first started the business.“That plays nicely with our approach to business,” he says.CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSESThe biggest challenges Dean Heating faces are the misconceptions custom-ers have about comfort conditioning. This is not unique to the Athens mar-ket as it is an issue we’ve written about for years with examples across the U.S.In a nutshell: consumers often tie comfort and efficiency into the type of equipment they have. Dean says his customers believe that if they change out an 80 AFUE furnace for a 95 AFUE furnace, they will be more comfortable and more energy efficient. They think they need to go from a 13 SEER air conditioner to a 17 SEER unit.“This means I spend a lot of time explaining about air and air delivery. I have to show them how without the delivery system, it doesn’t matter how efficient the equipment is.” Dean continues, “Many times I can demonstrate it to them using a ma-nometer. I have no problems asking a customer to come look at something with me. And frankly, I find the digital phone is my best friend. I can take a picture of the manometer on a unit in their attic and show them.“And they get it. They can visualize it. For the first time they can see what no one else can: The vital importance of air.”Another potential challenge was after Dean took combustion and air classes, he needed to introduce the concept of doing static pressure test-ing into the company. To avoid com-plications and resistance, Ken Dean says he began that introduction by simply showing his techs how static pressure testing benefits them while they are in the field.“I want them to know why it’s good entire system – both the ducts AND the equip-ment – my guys need to be trained on the air de-livery side. After all, air is the first word in air conditioning. If you can’t move the air through the delivery system, it doesn’t matter what the equipment is. The system just won’t perform.”National Comfort Institute is a key provider of training for the company. This $1.2 million company fields two service technicians, four installers, and has one person in the office. But Dean budgets a sizable amount of dol-lars into training and focuses on com-bustion analysis and certification.CUSTOMERS UNDERSTAND COMFORT, NOT TECH TALKKen Dean says he talks up the im-portance of airflow with his custom-ers. He talks to them in terms of what he calls, Comfort Delivery Systems.He says they seem to get that. “It turns on a light bulb for them. They often think in terms of price, not air. This helps them understand why a big-ger box won’t make their bonus room more comfortable. This is how we get over the price differential between our services and those of our competition.“We offer them options,” Dean con-tinues. “We can simply replace equip-ment, or we can fix their delivery system, or both. We help them under-stand the delivery system is often the root cause of their comfort problems.”Fixing comfort delivery systems can include installing turning vanes, replacing sections of ducts, fixing air leakage issues, correct for turbulence, and more. Dean Heating and Cooling has enjoyed steady success over the years and found itself outgrowing the small offices they are currently housed in. They are in the process of building a new headquarters, which is due for completion sometime in 2020.Next >