< PreviousHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY20 NOVEMBER 2021 HVAC SMART MARTHVACTODAY.COMNOVEMBER 2021 21 Advertiser Index AD INDEX To Subscribe to High-Performance HVAC Today: ONLINE: Visit HVACToday.com/subscribe for a FREE digital subscription. PRINT: 1 year/$72; single copy $7. Canada: 1 year/$92; single copy $9. Payable in advance with U.S. funds. Prepaid subscriptions may be sent to: High-Performance HVAC Today, PO Box 147, Avon Lake, OH 44012. Phone: 440-949-1850; toll free 800-633-7058; or visit HVACToday.com/subscribe to order online. Publisher Dominick Guarino Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Mike Weil Art Director Judy Marquardt Online Development Director Brian Roseman Circulation Manager Andrea Begany-Garsed Go to ncilink.com/ContactMe with your comments and questions. Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc. | www.ArzelZoning.com .................................................... 11 Baker Distributing Company | www.BakerDist.com ........................................................... 18 Duct Saddles | www.DuctSaddles.com ....................................................................................... 8 Goodman Manufacturing | www.GoodmanMfg.com ........................................................ 2 Lazco Corp. | www.LazcoCorp.com ............................................................................................ 21 Pearl Certification | www.pearlcertification.com/contractors .......................................... 5 R.E. Michel Company | www.REMichel.com .......................................................................... 17 The New Flat Rate | www.TheNewFlatRate.com ................................................................ 20 To Your Success | www.ToYourSuccess.com .......................................................................... 20 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TMHIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY air distribution improvements for an additional $3,000. The net effect is a high-performing sys- tem that will deliver a higher effective efficiency at the registers. The bonus is your customer experiences im- proved comfort with an upgraded delivery sys- tem, their equipment will last longer, and you can achieve higher margins on the additional work. What’s great about this short-term strategy is it sets the stage for the longer-term, once high- er efficiency equipment is more readily avail- able. By continuing to include Air Upgrades and duct renovations, your average prices can contin- ue to increase along with significantly higher net profits — and you are adding real value for your customers! HOW CAN DISTRIBUTORS HELP? Distributors can support their contractor cus- tomers by offering training that focuses on im- proving installation quality and delivered system efficiency. Contractors need your support more than ever during these trying times. Rather than shying away from talking to your customers because you don’t want to get beat up on equipment shortag- es, be part of the solution. Show them ways they can make any system they install better. By being proactive now and working closely with contractors to offer them great support and training, they will be more forgiving. They’ll see you as a valuable long-term partner. It’s more important than ever that manufactur- ers, distributors, and contractors work together to make the most of the products that are available. I’m excited to see several distributors and man- ufacturers stepping up to help contractors get through these challenges with training and cre- ative approaches to selling products that are available right now. This investment will create lasting dividends for years to come. A common topic that comes up in my con- versations with contractors and distrib- utors this year is the ever-increasing product shortages. This has been especially true with higher efficien- cy equipment, as these products typically use more sophisticated electronics that depend on a shrink- ing supply of microchips from the Pacific Rim. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably seen the daily news broadcasts about container ships backed up at ports — especially on the west coast. These ongoing disruptions to the supply chain have impacted HVAC equipment manufacturers for many months, and they don’t seem to be going away any time soon. Eventually things will catch up, but it’s anybody’s guess when that will happen. In the meantime, how can distributors help con- tractors get through this difficult time, and what can contractors do to keep customers happy and provide the best possible products and services? SHORT AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIES When you can’t get higher efficiency equipment, a good short-term solution is to couple more readi- ly available lower efficiency equipment with air dis- tribution system improvements. National statistics show the typical HVAC system delivers less than 60% of its capacity at the regis- ters. This dramatically reduces the effective effi- ciency of any equipment. By upgrading air distribution systems to deliv- er 80-90% of equipment capacity you can achieve great savings and comfort improvements even without the highest efficiency equipment. When you couple an Air Upgrade with mid-efficiency equipment, you can achieve the same result at a similar price to their higher efficiency counterparts. If, for example, you typically sell an 18 SEER 95% AFUE replacement system for $9,000, you could price a lower efficiency system at $6,000 and add 22 NOVEMBER 2021HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY ONE MORE THING... By Dominick Guarino Dominick Guarino is publisher of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and CEO of National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at ncilink.com/ ContactMe How Our Industry Can Work Together During These Challenging TimesNext >