High-Performance HVAC Today

< PreviousHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY10 JULY 2021 David Small conducting an in-house training session with Crossway technicians. MANAGEMENT NON-CONFORMANCE AND THE PRICE YOU PAY So, what does non-conformance cost? With our “shoe’s untied” ex- ample, we might fall ﬂat on our face, right in front of our paying custom- er who just spent good money for a properly installed comfort system. Is that what we want? No! We want to come oﬀ as polished, competent, and professional experts. Non-conformance causes us to lose money because of costly warranty callback visits at company expense. Callbacks include all overhead costs (employee pay, vehicle wear-and-tear, gas, tolls, and the list goes on). I saw the following quote posted at a dealer in South Texas a long time ago: “IF YOU THINK YOU DON’T HAVE THE (TIME) TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, THEN HOW CAN YOU POS- SIBLY HAVE (TIME) TO DO IT OVER?” Non-conformance also has a cost in terms of valuable customer relationships. Callbacks and other non-confor- mance issues create customer incon- venience. Ask yourself whether cus- tomers like service personnel in their homes more than planned, and possi- bly at inconvenient hours. Inconvenient callbacks also lead to negative “word of mouth” reputation issues. You see that cost in terms of poor online reviews with the BBB, the neighborhood blog, social media, etc. Finally, the cost of non-confor- mance impacts em- ployee morale. Having to return to ﬁx mistakes is a source of embar- rassment to employ- ees. What if we have to send them back on their own time? That hurts every- body! VARIATION IS THE ENEMY If we do not learn, grow, and strive for excellence, we will get left behind! Think about it like this: when you get up in the morning, you typically have routines for good personal hy- giene, proper dress, and grooming af- ter having a good night’s sleep (shoes tied). By following such a routine, you will most certainly arrive at work on time, with your “head in the game.” Do you also have a good routine for your HVAC business? Are the pro- cesses used in your business clear- ly deﬁned? Do you have roles and re- sponsibilities assigned? Are there performance standards? No? Not Yet? Well, you need to get that squared away. HOW TO GET STARTED First — think about each task — whether it’s parking, walking up to the door, or changing a compressor. What steps are involved in completing each task? What elements are critical to 1) SAFETY, 2) QUALITY, 3) PROCESS EFFICIENCY (in that order). Next, document those elements in a logical sequence. Here is where collab- oration comes in. With more than one mind at work, the team can better de- cide which step comes before anoth- er and if there is a potential problem when actions are done out of order. Compare and align your quality met- rics with industry best practices and current standards. There are current- ly six ACCA/ANSI standards related to the Quality Installation of a Refriger- ation or HVAC system. This includes a new one introduced in late 2020 on “grading” an installed system’s per- formance. These can be found on the ACCA website at the link, acca.org/ standards/quality. In addition, there is a new ASHRAE/ ANSI Standard (Test Method to Field-Measure and Score the Cooling and Heating Performance of an In- stalled Unitary HVAC System) which has a large impact on installation and service technicians. Check it out here: ncilink.com/Std221. You need to ensure everyone has a clear process for their job responsibil- ities and understands it. That means training and reviewing. It’s a good idea to let your employees take turns training because “to teach something means to learn it twice.” Finally, measure the success of your process control methods and adjust as needed. Did I mention that we are HVAC “practitioners?” That means we are constantly learning and improv- ing. It’s no surprise that the ACCA/HVACTODAY.COMJULY 2021 11 David Small is the manager of Quality Assurance and Technical Excellence at Houston-based Crossway Mechanical LLC (cross- waymechanical.com). You can contact him by email ncilink.com/ContactMe. ANSI standards refer to HVAC con- tractors as “practitioners.” Think of this the way we think about doctors and lawyers. Don’t doctors practice medicine? Don’t lawyers practice law? What do you do if not everybody in your company is 100% on board? You can put everything on paper and con- duct training, but can you run around behind every employee and check ev- erything they do? Well, you shouldn’t have to, even when mistakes are made. In comes another key phrase that has applica- tion in just about every area of life: “Where there is no consequence or re- ward, there is no motivation.” So, focusing on the positive, there’s a price to pay FOR conformance too — and that is the investment you make rewarding good behavior. Are your techs NCI certiﬁed? Are you? Will you pay for that? Does it mean anything (Pay, Position, Self-Esteem)? THE REWARD! If the cost for conformance is how you reward good behavior, just what does that entail. Below are a few points: ● A better bottom line due to re- duced warranty expense and im- proved sales ● Great reviews ● Happy customers ● Team members who take pride in their work because they are growing and getting rewarded by your invest- ment in them ● Better employee retention be- cause people who enjoy doing what they are good at doing will stay. To the team at Crossway Mechani- cal, the cost of conformance is much less than the cost for non-confor- mance. The result is better success, job satisfaction, and a scalable pro- cess that can be easily taught and passed on. If you would like more information on how we make this work in our com- pany, please feel free to call me.HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY12 JULY 2021 Indoor Humidity Problems and Solutions (Part 2) By Ben Lipscomb, P.E. and Dennis Mondul TECHNICAL Figure 4 . High Humidity Operation: 81°F, 88% RH Outside; 75°F Thermostat Set- point, 50% RH Humidity Setpoint, Variable Capacity down to 35%. The system runs almost the full two hours at an average of 42% of its full capacity. Humidity is main- tained at an average of 49% RH, and both temperature and humidity are controlled much more tightly than with the single-speed system. HOW CAN YOU HELP A CUSTOMER MANAGE HUMIDITY? Oﬀer them a two-stage system with a multi-speed blower as an option. Many of these systems run at around 60% of capacity for a portion of the on-cy- cle, so they tend to run longer, and more dehumidi- ﬁcation takes place. While two-stage systems can help to some de- gree, that often won’t be enough to truly maintain optimal humidity levels. That said, an improvement is an improvement, and if that’s what the customer can aﬀord, then it’s your job to make it happen. The more exciting option for customers like Suzy may be the fully modulating variable capacity or “inverter” system. These systems can reduce capacity even fur- ther, resulting in very low cost, longer runtimes, and much better dehumidiﬁcation over a wide range of conditions. They can also help maintain a humidity setpoint that will allow the system to run for dehumidiﬁca- tion, as long as the temperature is above the lower limit set-up at the thermostat. Let’s address the issue this way. By design, an in- verter system adjusts capacity base on the load. Therefore, when outside conditions require the removal of 18,000 Btus per hour, the three-ton sys- tem adjusts the compressor and blower to operate more like a 1.5-ton system. This allows the removal of heat and removes the proper amount of moisture due to the longer run time. In fact, Suzy can now set the system to provide a stable 50% RH along with a 75°F temperature set point. Once Frank and Suzy understand why she is un- comfortable in her home and understand that an option is available that resolves the issue, they may not allow anything but a variable capacity system to be installed. This occurs far more often than experienced con- tractors might suspect. LOW HUMIDITY IN HEATING SEASON The obvious solution for adding humidity in the winter is to add humidiﬁers. Many folks do this by buying a cheap standalone humidiﬁer. In Northern Montana, Ben doesn’t need central air in his home, so he has gone with standalone humidiﬁers. At ﬁrst, he and his wife bought a sin- gle humidiﬁer from a box store for around $30. It turns out that these humidiﬁers are only de- signed for a single small room, such as a bedroom. These devices also run out of water and need to be re- ﬁlled at least once or twice every day. After dealing with dry air in every room for years, he bought another similar unit for his bedroom and a larger one for the main living area. With these three humidiﬁers he can keep the indoor humidity be- tween 35% and 45% RH all winter. but they must re- member to ﬁll them at least once a day. If you missed Part 1 of this article, got to ncilink.com/Humid- Issues1.HVACTODAY.COMJULY 2021 13 Ben Lipscomb is a regis- tered Professional Engineer with over 14 years of expe- rience in the HVAC industry including laboratory and ﬁeld research, Design/Build contracting, and utility en- ergy eﬃciency program design. He is National Comfort Institute’s engineering manager, and may be contacted at ncilink.com/ContactMe. Dennis Mondul from HVAC Contractor Solutions (HCS), has been doing consulting and training for HVAC con- tractors in North America since 1992. For answers to any questions regarding this article, contact him at 561/202-4371. You can also reach him at dennism@hvaccsllc. com or submit a question at hvaccsllc.com . Furthermore, standalone humidiﬁ- ers need to be cleaned regularly to pre- vent build-up of hard water deposits and bacteria. To be honest, it’s quite a hassle to regularly ﬁll and clean three humidiﬁers! For those who are tired of dealing with dry air or the day-to-day hassle of the cheap units, whole-house humidi- ﬁers can be integrated into the central heating system and plumbed with wa- ter. This is where HVAC contractors come in. As a contractor you can of- fer to solve the problem of dry air and minimize hassle when you’re replac- ing their central heating or cooling by adding this into the package with your higher tier options. This can be that little touch that diﬀerentiates you from the other guys the homeowner is getting bids from. The addition of a whole-home hu- midiﬁer is also a great talking point for selling maintenance agreements. Whole-house systems are great, but being out of sight and out of mind, se- rious maintenance issues can arise. If you don’t clean the system and replace ﬁlters at least once a year, bacteria will grow, and the system might become clogged and stop working. Mainte- nance is a must with these systems and it can be the tipping point that convinces customers that they need your services. SYSTEM SIZING, INSTALLATION, AND MAINTENANCE Beyond equipment-based solutions, it’s also important to properly size, in- stall, and maintain the complete sys- tem for optimal humidity manage- ment in both the heating and cooling seasons. Here are three actions every contractor should do: ● Perform a load calculation and right-size the system. Oversized systems result in higher indoor hu- midity levels during cooling season because runtimes are shorter. ● Ensure ducts are properly sized, insulated, and sealed. Leaky return ducts draw in humid air during summer and dry air in winter. Leaky supply ducts create negative building pressure and cause humid or dry air to inﬁltrate through the building shell. ● Beyond the HVAC system itself, it’s also important to consider the “building side of the duct system.” A leaky building shell will result in high- er humidity in the cooling season and lower humidity in heating season. By installing properly sized and high- performing systems, you give today’s advanced equipment the best chance of keeping customers comfortable and healthy, and their utility bills low. KEEPING CUSTOMERS COMFORT- ABLE, HEALTHY, AND HAPPY The key is explaining humidity and comfort issues to customers, then of- fer potential solutions. This approach provides them options. But under- stand that too many options can over- whelm a customer. Three options seem to be about right. It’s important to deﬁne the options in terms that relate to the eﬀect on the homeowner’s family (not the technical terms), and always provide a ﬁnanc- ing strategy that makes all the options equally aﬀordable from a monthly budget perspective. This may sound odd, but to experience the most suc- cess, don’t try to up-sell a customer. Just educate them and provide under- standable options. For more information on eﬀective customer-focused sales, contact Dennis Mondul to schedule a High-Eﬃciency Sales workshop. When it comes to en- suring the entire installed system per- forms to design, NCI and others oﬀer classes on how to measure and improve system performance using real data. In the meantime, if you want to take the ﬁrst simple step in upping your game by serving your custom- er like no other contractor, there is a way. Diﬀerentiate your company from box-swapping competitors by show- ing the customer how to aﬀordably solve problems that had previously been perceived as unresolvable. Hu- midity might be at the heart of your customer’s problems, and your com- petition isn’t even mentioning it! At this point we would like to make a prediction: The next generation of cutting-edge HVAC contractors will be known as the best because they af- fordably manage temperature, humid- ity, and airﬂow when they work for a customer. Ask yourself this: if you’re not thinking about humidity when you talk to customers, what are you (and they) missing out on? NCI’s ALL-NEW conference design let’s you personalize your experience based on your knowledge and comfort level with each topic! THIS TIME High- Performance HVAC Summit 2021 BUSINESS PERFORMANCEPersonalize your summit experience! NCI’s High-Performance HVAC Summit has become the gathering place for Performance-Based Contractors 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 decided to do things a little differently. We created a breakout session approach where each topic area will have three options: Novice – Choose this level if you’re just beginning to learn the specific discipline. Practitioner – This stage is for attendees who have begun practicing these skills, and want to take it up a notch – or just need a refresher Mastery – Choose this option if you’re already proficient in the specific area, and are ready for the next level This new conference design lets you choose sessions based on where you are today. You may need a Novice session in some areas, while in others you may be ready for Practitioner or even Mastery level training – you choose! Be Sure to Bring Your Key People With the 3 different levels of sessions available there will be 18 different break-out workshops to choose from! With so many breakouts we recommend you bring at least 3 people this year. Be sure to check out our special 3-Pack offer! Visit the Summit Week website at GoToSummit.com to reserve your seats for what is shaping up to be the best Summit ever. Seats are limited this year and going fast, so don’t delay, register for Summit 2021 today—and take your High-Performance HVAC business to the next level! SPECIAL EVENTS Welcome Reception & Celebration: Meet up with old friends and make new ones at this Welcome Extravaganza. Join your fellow Contrac- tors from across North America to celebrate our industry’s resilience during the tough times of the past year. NCI Partners Reception and Trade Show: Our Partners help make this conference possible. Show your appreciation by attend- ing the trade show events. You might find that next great product or idea! Idea Meeting: All contractor 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! NCI Partners Educational Sessions: Pick from several special sessions hosted by NCI Member Rewards Partners. Topics will range from new HVAC technologies, to software, to business improvement seminars. Awards Banquet: This long-standing tradition is one of the highlights of every Summit. Join us in honoring the best of the best High-Performance HVAC contractors. You may be one of them!Breakout Sessions SESSION ONE: Airﬂow Diagnostics and Air Upgrade Workshops NOVICE: Use AirMaxx Lite™ To Educate Your Customer How A Simple App Can Help Customers Understand Static Pressure And Airflow Workshop Leader: David Holt Properly measuring and understanding Total External Static Pressure (TESP), provides clues as to why your customer’s heating and cooling system is not operating as well as it should. Poor airflow resulting from excessive static pressure at the fan can result in uncomfortable rooms and inefficient operation. Identifying and solving static pressure issues leads to happier customers and profitable sales. PRACTITIONER: Airﬂow Hoods: The Go-To Test Instrument For Air Upgrades Get The Most From Your Airflow Hood Investment! Workshop Leader: Rob Falke One of the key factors in designing an Air Upgrade is knowing delivered airflows at the registers and grilles. A flow hood or air capture hood is an essential tool for quick- ly identifying poor airflow. In this workshop NCI’s own “Doc” Falke will show you the different types of hoods, and what works best for residential diagnostics. MASTERY: Identify Duct Insulation Defects In Three Easy Steps Sharpen Your Duct System Diagnostic Skills Workshop Leader: David Richardson When ducts aren’t properly sized, sealed, and insulated they can cause long runtimes, discomfort, and wasted energy use. Learn how to quickly identify duct insulation defects in three simple steps. You will also learn how system temperatures are so important to overall comfort and system performance. SESSION TWO: High-Performance Sales Workshops NOVICE: Generate Leads For Proﬁtable Air Upgrades Help Your Customers Understand What An Air Upgrade Can Do For Them Workshop Leader: John Puryear It’s not enough to measure static pressure on your service and sales calls. To convince your customer to take action, you need to be able to communicate your findings and what the readings mean in terms they can understand. PRACTITIONER: So You Have A Diagnostics-Generated Lead. Now What? How To Build An Air Upgrade & Renovation Sales Machine Workshop Leader: Rob Falke Each of your company’s customers is already an Air Upgrade lead. In fact, they already want it, but don’t yet know what it is, what it can do for them, or where to get it. When you perform static pressure testing on every service call, your company already has what it takes to generate these valuable leads. MASTERY: How To Price Proﬁtable Air Upgrades & Renovations Price Air Upgrades And Duct System Renovations Based On Their Worth Workshop Leader: David Holt When pricing high-performance system upgrades and renovations, you must focus more on the lifetime value delivered and less on the estimated job cost. When you only consider raw costs, you minimize the craftsmanship involved in creating the high-performance results associated with your customer-built solutions. SESSION THREE: High-Performance Implementation NOVICE: Build Craftsmen, Not Laborers How To Overcome Flawed Perceptions With Your Installers Workshop Leader: Casey Contreras Craftsmanship is no easy task. It’s not something you’re born with, rather it devel- ops over time with mentorship.The truth is, to make a great system design work re- quires a craftsman to install it correctly. Unfortunately, most installers don’t under- stand the important role that they play in delivering high-performance systems. PRACTITIONER: How to Create Custom Air Upgrades Make Air Upgrades The Center of Your High-Performance Strategy Workshop Leader: David Richardson Air Upgrades are the perfect starting point for improving equipment performance as well as improved comfort and energy efficiency. In this session you will learn how to assemble customized Air Upgrade kits based on the install conditions you see most. MASTERY: Are You Losing Money Due To Poor Inventory Management? Minimize Job Cost With Better Inventory Management Workshop Leader: David Holt Your sales team can make a profitable sale on paper, only to have the profits evaporate due to ineffective inventory management processes. From truck stock to installation and Air Upgrade kits, this workshop will help you learn ways to be more profitable through a well-designed and executed inventory management plan. SESSION FOUR: Take it to the Next Level With High-Performance Software NOVICE: Use ComfortMaxx Air™ On Every System You Test! How To Make ComfortMaxx Air The Most Valuable Tool In Your Arsenal Workshop Leader: John Puryear Discover how NCI’s ComfortMaxx Air™ software can help you win over more customers and sell more Air Upgrades by demonstrating third party validation of your findings. PRACTITIONER: ComfortMaxx Pulse™ System Performance Testing Help Turn Your Techs Into Diagnostic Machines Workshop Leader: Casey Contreras In this session, you will learn how NCI’s ComfortMaxx Pulse™ software can aid you in your diagnostics and customer participation. This tool will help make your tech- nicians diagnostic “machines.” The workshop will cover each of the steps needed to collect the right pressures and temperatures, and generate a Pulse report you can review with your customer. MASTERY: Total HVAC System Rating With ComfortMaxx Verify™ The Ultimate System Performance Verification Tool Workshop Leader: David Richardson Learn how to prove the performance of your field-installed systems with NCI’s ComfortMaxx Verify™ software. In this ground-breaking session, you’ll discover how system verification can provide your customers with the ultimate piece-of-mind — and how it sets you apart from your competition. Breakout Sessions SESSION FIVE: High-Performance Town Workshops NOVICE: Develop Good Static Pressure Habits Hands-on Workshop Leader: John Puryear Static pressure testing quickly opens the door to airflow diagnostics. This simple test can uncover unseen opportunities for technicians and salespeople, and help installers provide higher quality installations. PRACTITIONER: Master True Airﬂow Diagnostics Hands-on Workshop Leader: Casey Contreras When it comes to HVAC system diagnostics, our industry has been using rules of thumb for far too long. These practices continue to cause misleading diag- nosis and improper repairs—not to mention occupant discomfort, unhealthy homes, safety issues, and needless energy waste. MASTERY: Avoid The Top 10 Btu Measurement Mistakes Hands-on Workshop Leader: Rob Falke Btu measurement is a critical and exacting practice. Errors of just a few tenths of a degree can result in a major misdiagnosis and improper repairs. Discover Btu measurement mistakes that can easily be avoided in the field so you can accurate- ly provide correct equipment and system diagnostics. SESSION SIX: Carbon Monoxide and Combustion NOVICE: Two Must-Do Combustion Safety Tests Keep Your Customers Safe! Workshop Leader: Tom Johnson Ambient CO and building pressure testing are critical to help assure both techni- cian and customer safety. In this workshop you’ll learn how to measure ambient CO, what test equipment you need, the action levels your team needs to know, and how to discuss your findings with customers. PRACTITIONER: Vision Beyond Sight with Combustion Testing Give Your Customers The Value They Deserve Workshop Leader: Casey Contreras The right knowledge and test instruments can help give you X-ray vision when it comes to combustion testing. There are a lot of myths out there that can lead you astray. We will expose the most common ones and debunk many of these misconceptions. MASTERY: Advanced Venting And Combustion Air Solutions Solve Even The Toughest Combustion Issues Workshop Leader: Jim Davis In this session, Jim will focus on why proper combustion testing is crucial to identify the right repairs and how to determine the most effective solu- tions. You will discover why venting and combustion air repairs are important and ways to help your team understand and explain them. JULY 2021 19HVACTODAY.COM Casey Contreras NCI Field Coach and Instructor Session Three — Novice: Build Craftsmen, not Laborers Session Four — Practitioner: ComfortMaxx Pulse™ System Performance Testing Session Five — Practitioner: Master True Airflow Diagnostics Session Six — Practitioner: Vision Beyond Sight with Combustion Testing David Holt NCI Director of National Accounts Session One — Novice: Use AirMaxx Lite™ to Educate Your Customer Session Two — Mastery: How to Price Profitable Air Upgrades & Renovations Session Three — Mastery: Are you Losing Money Due to Poor Inventory Management? David Richardson NCI Curriculum Developer and Instructor Session One — Mastery: Identify Duct Insulation Defects in Three Easy Steps Session Three — Practitioner: How to Create Custom Air Upgrades Session Four — Mastery: Total HVAC System Rating with ComfortMaxx Verify™ Jim Davis NCI Senior Instructor Session Six — Mastery: Advanced Venting and Combustion Air Solutions John Puryear NCI Customer Care Representative and Instructor Session Two — Novice: Generate Leads For Profitable Air Upgrades Session Four — Novice: Use ComfortMaxx Air™ on Every System You Test! Session Five — Novice: Develop Good Static Pressure Habits Rob Falke NCI President Session One — Practitioner: Airflow Hoods: The Go-To Test Instrument for Air Upgrades Session Two — Practitioner: So You Have a Diagnostics-Generated Lead. Now What? Session Five — Mastery: Avoid the Top 10 BTU Measurement Mistakes Tom Johnson NCI Instructor Session Six — Novice: Two Must-Do Combustion Safety Tests Dominick Guarino Publisher of High-Performance HVAC Today and CEO of National Comfort Institute, Inc. General Sessions Award Banquest and Presentations Ceremony Mike Weil Editor-in-chief of High-Performance HVAC Today and Director of Communication at National Comfort Institute, Inc. General Sessions MC: Idea Session Winners To get the most from SUMMIT bring your whole team! Ask about our special Three-Pack Oﬀer Visit GoToSummit.com or call 800.633.7058 Session SpeakersNext >