HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYHVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™ hvactoday.comJANUARY 2021 How COVID-19 Changed Training Forever ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: The Dangers of Improperly Positioned Ribbon Burners Walking the PATH to Performance: Part Six Partner Spotlight on Arzel Zoning Technologies, Inc.JANUARY 2021 3HVACTODAY.COM JANUARY 2021 VOLUME 5 NUMBER 1 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYHVAC TODAY TM TECHNICAL: The Dangers of Improperly Positioned Ribbon Burners Jim Davis shares insights into potential dangers posed by ribbon burners that aren’t installed and positioned correctly. TRAINING: How COVID Changed Training for Performance-Based Contractors Learn how the pandemic impacted these contractors’ abilities to stay current in their training and certifications. MANAGEMENT: Walking the PATH to Performance In wrapping up his six-part series on airside performance, NCI’s David Richardson summarizes the PATH and shares his rationale for you to plan on finishing your performance journey. 16 13 10 DEPARTMENTS Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Product Review ...............................................5 Partner Spotlight: Arzel Zoning Technologies .........................6 Photo of the Year .............................................................................19 Member Update ...............................................................................20 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................21 Ad Index ................................................................................................21 One More Thing ................................................................................224 JANUARY 2021HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY focus on his own well being and education. Jason Nikkels of JN Electrical Tempera- ture Control took the time to decide to move to a more open-book style of management. Ken Dean of Dean Heating began exploring industry podcasts to help figure out how to im- prove his company’s sales process. It was a time when contractors also began looking to fill needed positions so when things started getting back to normal, they could launch forward and grow. LIFE LESSONS AND MORE Here are some of my personal takeaways from 2020: ■ Self-care is a priority, not a privilege. COVID made it more clear than ever that life spares no one. Our health is the only thing we have to make the most of the life we have ■ Mental health is vital. Also, always have something to look forward to ■ Time is a limited resource. Don’t waste it on people or things that don’t add value to your life ■ Change is inevitable. This is another old maxim that was proven big time in 2020 ■ Pivot when you must. Setting smart goals is outstanding, but being able to pivot them is even better. Be flexible and responsive ■ Decision making. When it comes to mak- ing decisions, this maxim especially rang loud and clear in 2020: Deciding NOT to decide is still a decision. We all choose to live our lives moment by moment. We should always remember that ■ Knowledge is gold. Your knowledge is your most valuable asset. Investing in it is the best investment you can make. Why? Because your future depends on it. W elcome to Volume 5 Issue 1 of the year 2021. Yes, we have closed the door on 2020 and can I get a hal- lelujah and amen to that? While a lot of writers typically pause and look forward with predictions for the upcoming year, I feel a lessons-learned look at 2020 is more appropriate. As an industry, we’ve faced serious challenges and it looks like we fared reasonably well. There is a lot to be thankful for. So here are a few “sil- ver-lining” items I think we should learn from for the new year and beyond, and even be grateful for. WE PLAN, GOD LAUGHS Pulitzer-Prize winning author Michael Chabon is credited with having come up with the quote, “Man makes plans … and God laughs.” And wasn’t last year living proof of this? The first quar- ter held so much promise as Performance-Based contractors and the HVAC Industry set goals and began working on their plans to get there. As the pandemic unfurled, we were all faced with surrendering those plans or rolling with the punches. I like to think that most of the HVAC In- dustry opted for the latter. From an NCI perspective, March was insane as our team completely turned our business model on its head to accommodate a world turned up- side down. Many contractors that I’ve talked to over the months also had to change almost every- thing to secure the safety and well-being of their co-workers and clients. SLOW IT DOWN AND REFLECT For many, the shutdowns were disastrous. But for others, it gave them a chance to use that time to slow things down, do some deep thinking about how to learn from these events, and thrive. For example, Mike Greany of All Pro Heat- ing and Plumbing decided to set new goals – to Silver Linings Brighten the End of a Dark Year Mike Weil is editor-in- chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at ncilink.com/ContactMe TODAY’S WORD By Mike Weil Read the rest of my editorial on the HVACToday.com website: ncilink.com/0121TodaysWordJANUARY 2021 5HVACTODAY.COM new experienced or non-experienced maintenance techs, this is an easy way to properly bring them up to speed. Furthermore, if you have technicians who may be shy about asking for help, or you think they need additional train- ing, this is an easy and inexpensive way to get them caught up. The Online University also offers busi- ness and customer service training. The HVAC for Rookies class, for example, takes what can be a very complex busi- ness and breaks it down to manageable chunks of information. This gives the office staff an idea of the big picture of what HVAC companies do. These classes can be re- peated as often as need- ed, unlike a live class. Training is one of the ways we invest in our employees and is also an important part of our company’s culture. NCI has allowed us to pivot our training to con- tinue providing technical training to our employees without exposing them to a potentially unsafe environment this year. For more information or to sign up for any of NCI’s Online University classes, go to ncilink.com/OnlineU. You can also call 800-633-7058 and ask to speak to a Customer Care Specialist. — By Greg Wallace, Progressive Heating, Air and Plumbing A LOOK AT NCI’S ONLINE UNIVERSITY National Comfort Institute’s (NCI) On- line University is a group of 30-minute or longer video classes provided to sup- plement the live, in-person classes that NCI taught pre-Covid. We use them as refresher courses for our trained techni- cians and as a perfect starter kit to help train new employees. As soon as the university was avail- able, we began weekly 45-minute ses- sions for our NCI-trained technicians that also included new employees. If you hire HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT REVIEW Written By HVAC Professionals for HVAC Professionals6 JANUARY 2021HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY had an “Ah Ha!” moment. You see, he was having comfort is- sues involving uneven temperatures throughout his home. During that time, very few HVAC contractors knew much about zoning, and the compa- nies he had out to his house couldn’t propose an easy solution. They all quoted him multiple system solutions, which were expensive and not cost-ef- fective to operate. He couldn’t understand why some- thing couldn’t be retrofitted into the existing ductwork to control airflow. Of course, at that time, there was nothing like that. So, he set out to re- solve the issue on his own. It takes a lot of courage, or as they say in Yiddish, ‘Chutzpa’ to go from baker to contractor to designer and manufacturer, but that is exactly what Al Zelczer did. In 1983 his design be- came a reality, and Arzel Zoning was born. According to Ken Bar- ton, vice pres- ident of tech- nical sales at Arzel, that original prod- uct was a pneumatic system, un- heard of in a world where zoning used electro-mechanical motorized damp- er systems. The original Arzel design needed to be different and easily retro- fittable into existing ductwork. “Al wanted to eliminate the motor, springs, and gears. By making his sys- tem pneumatic, he did just that,” Bar- ton says. “His first design was a blow- up bag-style damper. Once it inflated and squeezed against the side of the duct, it stopped airflow. It was a zone damper. Today’s version is more con- ventional-looking.” FROM CONTRACTING TO MANUFACTURING Al Zelczer isn’t the only member of the Arzel team who moved from one side of the industry to another. Ken Barton began his career working for an HVAC contractor in the Greater Cleveland area. He was a technician who fell in love with zoning technolo- gy because it helped him solve his cus- tomers’ comfort issues. “It just worked,” Barton says. For as long as I worked with the Arzel zon- ing product, I just installed it and nev- er had to come back out to fix it. It just never broke.” Over the years, Barton worked his way up in the contracting business, eventually becoming an operations manager who was responsible for the recruiting and hiring of new techs. “I knew someone who was working at Arzel at the time, and I called him to see if he could help me find some folks. He told me that Arzel was in the same boat – looking for someone to join their tech team. It sounded ideal T his month’s spotlight shines on Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc., a Cleveland, OH-based manufacturer of HVAC zon- ing systems. Founded in 1983 by Al and Ruth Zelczer, this 37-year-old compa- ny has always been driven by a passion for innovative solutions to HVAC com- fort and energy saving issues. Their zoning solutions are designed for new construction and retrofit, resi- dential, and light commercial applica- tions. From its very beginning, Zelczer and his team were committed to sim- plicity as an integral part of their prod- uct design. In fact, because Al understood that his product line would serve a univer- sal need for consumers, his product design, from the very beginning, had built-in flexibility and universal appli- cation. In this light, Arzel was the very first to develop retrofit zoning technol- ogy in the HVAC marketplace. A LITTLE HISTORY AND A LOT OF CHUTZPA Originally an immigrant to the U.S. who worked as a baker, Al Zelczer found his way into working for an electrical contracting firm and real- ized he had a knack for it. Eventually, he struck out on his own and opened an electrical contracting firm in the Cleveland, OH area. Sometime in the early 1980s, when he began thinking about retiring from the electrical contracting business, he PARTNER SPOTLIGHT By Mike Weil Arzel Zoning: The Evolution of Comfort Technology and Training Ken Barton, vice president, technical sales.JANUARY 2021 7HVACTODAY.COM tractors receive product training, zon- ing installation techniques, and design concepts. Arzel has a strong commit- ment to the industry through its alli- ance with NATE to provide attendees with accreditation towards NATE re- certification in all installation and ser- vice areas (except refrigeration). Like everywhere else, things had to change in terms of in-person training, and Arzel’s Comfort College was no different. Remote learning became so much more important. Plus, according to Barton, some pre- COVID expansion and renovation of the in-person classroom area now al- lows for students’ social distancing in a comfortable environment. “We are also in the process of updat- ing our lab area where students get to see first-hand operational HVAC equip- ment paired with Arzel zoning controls. This part of our training and education- al programming allows students to get hands-on with installations where they can physically get in there and install dampers, run tubing, and so on. “Also, we conduct airflow dynam- ics training in those labs,” Barton says. “This is where students use airflow hoods and pressure instruments to take readings. It all comes together with our bypass and Airflow Dynamics training. It’s during this segment of our program where we often see contractors have that “Ah ha!” moment where they sud- denly can see how it all makes sense. “In other words, they not only come to understand why zoning can be so beneficial, but they also see how it pro- vides them a great tool to resolve cus- tomer comfort issues.” Barton emphasizes that training has always been a critical part of the Ar- zel approach to business. “We have always tried to improve and reinvent ourselves,” he explains, “and that’s never been more evident than in 2020 with the pandemic.” From the aspect of conducting on- line and webinar-based training, this isn’t anything new to Arzel. Barton says the company has used such tools for training for years. “However, once the pandemic swept the nation, we needed to up our game and find even more ways to get our con- tractors what they need and what they want. That process is still underway for me, especially since I was so pas- sionate about their product and had been using it for so long. I asked if I could apply. The next thing I know, I was hired!” That was 13 years ago. Today the company is preparing it- self for what Barton says is a potential resurgence of demand after the COVID pandemic comes under control and orders begin to climb to pre-pandemic levels and beyond. He says that Arzel, like every other business in America, felt the impact of people becoming ill and being forced to social distance. Though the com- pany remained strong in 2020, it did see shipments fall off, and some team members became sick with the virus. Barton adds that the secret to keep- ing things going was taking the time to prepare for the resurgence of business by upping their game in terms of edu- cation – the cornerstone of Arzel’s re- lationship-building with contractors since its founding. IT IS ALL ABOUT TRAINING He says, “Arzel has always provid- ed training and support for its prod- ucts and services – from system design to troubleshooting. We’re proud of our training facility. It’s home of our on-go- ing Comfort College (ncilink.com/ ComfortCollege) program.” Since its inauguration, Arzel’s Com- fort College has offered hands-on lab training sessions where HVAC con- Joel Rosier facilitates one of Arzel’s webinar offerings. Arzel EzySlide Dampers are lined up and ready for shipping in the company’s warehouse.8 JANUARY 2021HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY example, to provide targeted training to a salesperson who wants a better understanding of the product and how to sell or design it. He or she can set up a course at their con- venience and even from home. “We can also focus on a company where the contractor can have their entire crew take a deep technical dive into zoning and airflow. “There’s no reason we can’t facilitate that from our facility and broadcast to their facility. Live online training is in- teractive, and the technicians can ask questions and get answers. “It’s all about putting ourselves out there and making sure that we are available when needed.” THE NATIONAL COMFORT INSTITUTE CONNECTION Historically, through their Contrac- tor College, National Comfort Insti- tute (NCI) and Arzel collaborated to understand better the dynamics of air- flow on the entire HVAC system. This includes the impact of static pressure. According to Barton, it is also where the two organizations took a deep dive into what happens inside a bypass on a zoned system. “With NCI’s knowledge and their help working with us in our lab, we developed the bypass sizing chart that we still use today,” he says. “We explored the actual velocities and CFMs going through a bypass and often found they were off the charts from what we thought they would be. It was NCI that opened our eyes to all of this.” Another connecting point is what Barton calls NCI’s laser focus on high-performance contractors and their teams. He says, “We love this group of customers because they strive to be the absolute best they can be. We’ve seen this first-hand at NCI events like Summit, where contractors share knowledge and network togeth- er to help each other understand and use performance to better their cus- tomers and their companies.” Barton continues, “It’s obvious they don’t want to be a typical heating and air conditioning company. They want to differentiate themselves. They want to be educated and do things the right way. They are the exact people we want to partner and work with.” ARZEL TODAY AND TOMORROW The Arzel Zoning Technologies workforce is divided into several work- ing groups that include their techni- cal/engineering department (prod- uct development), the manufacturing team (production and assembly), and their sales/marketing group. All production and assembly, ware- housing, and shipping are done in- house. They bring their products to market through a close-knit wholesale distribution network but work very hard to maintain strong bonds with their contractor customers through training. Today there are several other zoning product manufacturers on the mar- ket. According to Barton, Arzel stands out in how accessible they make them- Left: Arzel engineers assemble and test zoning equipment in stations like the one pictured here. Below : Comfort College, since its inception, has offered contractors training on the use, design, and troubleshooting of Arzel Zoning systems. Here they can test airflow, static pressure, and see the impact of dampers on a live furnace. PARTNER SPOTLIGHT now. We began developing new and more diversified content. We also put together a pre-recorded library of we- binars and have them available on our website through our contractor portal.” Furthermore, Arzel is using this time to dedicate a separate room with- in their building focused only on we- binars. Barton adds that the next phase is bringing their content into pod- casts, live streams, as well as online live guest speakers who can be inter- viewed and who can interact with their contractor customers. OTHER TRAINING OPTIONS Also, any contractor or distribu- tor can sign up for their own person- alized, one-on-one Arzel webinar on the date and time of their choice. Bar- ton explains that this enables them, for JANUARY 2021 9HVACTODAY.COM about zoning in general and the Arzel product in particular. “If the contractor doesn’t talk to consumers about zoning and its ben- efits, the customer doesn’t know what they don’t know,” he says. “They can’t ask intelligent questions. If I could change one thing, I would like every homeowner to know what zoning is. For that to happen, I’d like contractors to learn more about it themselves and then talk about it.” That is the Arzel Zoning Technolo- gies focus. For these and many more reasons, we cast our spotlight this month on Arzel Zoning Technologies. Congratulations to the entire team. nical services, as well as video “virtual” technical support (using cell phones on the jobsite if necessary). He says they feel that HVAC techni- cians in the field are the guys who sup- port Arzel the most. “So it’s essential that we are here to support them when they need it. You can’t put a price on that kind of value, and I think contrac- tors recognize that,” he adds. KEY ISSUES FACING ARZEL TODAY One of the critical issues Barton sees today is finding ways to help contrac- tors become more comfortable talking selves to contractor customers. “Those contractor relationships were key to our prior success as well as our success going forward,” he says. “Our success also stems from all our excellent technical development and support. Everyone in our tech depart- ment came from the field, so they un- derstand what the technicians need. “They can talk intelligently to con- tractors. They make it easy for con- tractors because they quickly get them the answers they need.” Another service is what Barton calls Arzel’s after-hours and weekend tech- The Arzel management team includes, from left to right: Joel Rosier, Matt Hoffman, David Domanick, Beth Wood, Ken Barton, Lenny Roth.Next >