hvactoday.comMAY 2023 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™ GOING DIGITAL with High-Performance HVAC ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Shortening the Learning Curve in the Digital Age • Upgrade Duct Testing with State-of-the-Art Software and Tools • Manometers: Pick the Right Accuracy for the JobMAY 2023 VOLUME 7 NUMBER 5 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM TRAINING: Shorten the Learning Curve in the Digital Age Read how Alana Ward at Baggett Heating is “building” her own techs in less time than ever. She says you can too! DEPARTMENTS MAY 2023 3HVACTODAY.COM Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Product Review ...............................................5 NCI Update .........................................................................................23 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................24 Ad Index ................................................................................................25 One More Thing ................................................................................26 06 TECHNICAL: Upgrade Duct Testing with Latest Software/Tools Testing/measurement instruments are better than ever. Isn’t it time to upgrade yours and get on with Air Upgrades? 10 15 MANAGEMENT: Smart Tech and the High-Performance HVAC Contractor Smart home technology is everywhere. Will it change how you provide HVAC service? Eddie McFarlane thinks so. TECHNICAL: Manometers: Pick the Right Accuracy for the Job How to understand a manom- eter’s specifications and the impact of static pressure will help you choose the best tool. 19TODAY’S WORD By Mike Weil ing, measuring, and diagnosing based on real in- formation as the philosophy of the high-perfor- mance professional. He says that it’s not a far stretch to add to the data collection in terms of monitoring so contractors can predict issues, and use that knowledge to correct them before they even come to the customer’s attention. Also, in this issue, NCI’s David Richardson talks about using digital instruments to help col- lect data on your service and install calls. Check out his article, “Upgrade Your Duct Testing with State-of-the-Art Software and Tools,” to learn more. The common thread is training. Alana Ward, owner of Baggett Heating and Cooling in Clarks- ville, TN, shares how virtual training helps keep her technicians sharp in the High-Performance HVAC world. Read her article in this issue, “Short- ening the Learning Curve in the Digital Age.” What does it require for you to take advantage of these smart opportunities? Start with what you know: Smart temperature controls. Manufac- turers have onboarded sensors into their HVAC equipment and components for years, and ther- mostat technology today makes better use of them to run continuous diagnostics helping homeown- ers save energy and money on their utility bills. This includes zone management, carbon mon- oxide detection, remote control through mobile apps, and so much more. With built-in Wi-Fi, smart technology can also send you alerts when it’s time for annual or rou- tine maintenance so homeowners’ systems run smoothly and last longer. So, do you think smart tech is ready for prime time? Are you considering whether to make it part of your high-performance offerings? I’d love to know your thoughts on this. Drop me a note at ncilink.com/ContactMe. T his month, we focus on the impact of smart technology on the High-Perfor- mance HVAC Industry. Yes, smart tech- nology, or smart tech, has been around for a long time. Once considered a fad, this tech- nology makes deeper inroads into the psyche of the American consumer and the HVAC business owner each year. It started with smart control of lighting, kitch- en appliances, and even residential security sys- tems. But with the 21st Century push on better environmental management and reducing the energy load of a home’s largest energy consumer – the HVAC system – smart tech is more import- ant than ever to homeowners. In a study posted on the Statista website, the total number of smart homes in the U.S. could go beyond the 78 million mark by 2024! Controlling consumer electronics has led the way in this phe- nomenon, but with the introduction of smart thermostats, companies like Nest, Amazon, Goo- gle, and others entered the HVAC arena. So, what does this mean for the average HVAC service and installation technician? First, most smart tech can alert homeowners in advance of problems. In the case of smart HVAC systems, the tech- nology can add to the complexity of equipment, requiring technicians to be trained to use and in- terpret the information generated by it. In his article, “Smart Technology and the High-Performance HVAC Professional,” con- tractor Eddie McFarlane explains what this could mean for today’s HVAC technicians and the com- panies they work for. He outlines some key ad- vantages, especially for High-Performance HVAC contractors, regarding smart monitoring oppor- tunities, predictive maintenance, and more. McFarlane talks about the importance of test- 4 MAY 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Is Smart Tech Ready for Prime Time? Mike Weil is editor- in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. Contact him at ncilink. com/ContactMe.HVACTODAY.COMMAY 2023 5 proving. The included static pressure tips are the same as always – there is no rea- son to reinvent the wheel when you’ve hit perfection. These puppies have a 1,000-foot range, that’s 305 meters for those of you out of the States. The only caveat is that range is based on line of sight. Obstructions will affect the connectivity. JL3MN manometers require two AAA batteries which will provide around 150 hours of use. When the batteries ap- proach their end of life, the green indica- tor light will flash red to remind you that it’s time to change them. On the back of the manometer, in- dicator switches enable the technician to designate what side of the system they’re testing: return or supply. The JL3MN manometers are great for anything and everything involving stat- ic pressure. If you don’t have your own set, you need it. This manometer is a per- fect instrument for the HVAC air upgrade technician. For more information, visit ncilink. com/jl3mn . — by Casey Contreras, NCI Instructor FIELDPIECE JL3MN WIRELESS MANOMETER “Start working the way you want to.” That’s the Fieldpiece motto. The JL3MN wireless manometer is easy to work however you want. As always, this ma- nometer’s very durable and compact de- sign is fantastic. Measuring in at 5-in. long and 1.25-in. in circumference, it is ideal for most tech- nicians, unless you have bear paws for hands — then it may be a little tiny. The JL3MN is magnetized for hands-free test- ing and comes with short static-pressure tubing for a tangle-free setup. These in- struments do not have a display screen because the JL3MN communicates di- rectly with the Fieldpiece Joblink™ app and with the MeasureQuick™ app. Fieldpiece’s connectivity keeps im- HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT Written by HVAC Contractors, for HVAC ContractorsFor example, now you can have measurement and testing processes in the palm of your hand, which simplifies adding a duct system to your maintenance agreement. Let’s look at how these changes can offer additional benefits when you upgrade your duct testing tools and software. BUILDING ON STATIC PRESSURE AND AIRFLOW MEASUREMENTS Static pressure and airflow are cornerstones of airside performance. If they are wrong, the entire system is as well. Static pressure is the blood pres- sure of the HVAC system and can help identify overall health problems. It is a test that “screens” the airside of an HVAC system. To measure and diagnose static pressures and airflow, a technician needs a manometer kit, stat- ic pressure budgets, and manufacturer data. They also must install test ports in the proper location and communicate measurement results to the customer and back to their company. When the hand-off to the salesperson occurs, they must inform the customer of the test results and then choose a path of action to tackle air- flow-related issues. These skills are an art form that will remain with our industry and never disappear. But with all the other responsibilities most technicians and salespeople have, it’s easy to leave static pressure and airflow testing out. Unfortunately, to some, it looks like just one more thing to do while on a call. One way to address overwhelming techs and salespeople is to find ways to automate their tasks. Wireless instruments from companies like The Energy Conservatory (TEC) and Fieldpiece, combined with software like MeasureQuick, are a powerful combination that simplifies many T wenty-five years ago, I read an article by Rob Falke that changed my life. It was about how to add the duct system to your maintenance agreements. That single article changed how our family compa- ny did business and caused us to look past the equipment to the entire HVAC system. This shift helped us to realize the “box” was not the system. We started with a Magnehelic and eventual- ly adopted digital manometers to measure static pressure. Then we began estimating fan airflow using manufacturer fan tables or NCI Generic Fan Tables. Both tests helped us see the HVAC system differently than ever before. Since then, instruments have improved, and software has made these tests and measurements much easier and faster. Because of this, there are new possibilities that didn’t exist a few years ago. 6 MAY 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Upgrade Your Duct Testing with State-of-the-Art Software and Tools By David Richardson TECHNICALThey can livestream their data to a senior tech or service manager if there’s a problem. Everyone can see and diagnose TESP, airflow, filter pressure drop, coil pressure drop, and duct pressures simultaneously. Finally, the technician can email the visual PDF report to the customer and the office to share the results and en- sure everyone understands. Techni- cians don’t have to interpret the re- sults and discuss anything with the customer if they don’t want to. This method sure beats losing the paper- work or writing your readings in a notepad in your shirt’s front pocket, never to see them again. The Duct System Screening test is ideal for helping techs diagnose airside issues and generate leads for poorly performing duct systems on mainte- nance or emergency service calls. DUCT SYSTEM ANALYSIS While the Duct System Screening test serves as a tool to help a techni- cian identify poorly performing air- side issues, the Duct System Analysis test takes the testing principles one step further and looks at measured airflow. A salesperson can use it to gather additional information with simple steps that don’t require a lot of technical ability. One hurdle many High-Perfor- mance HVAC contractors face is get- ting their salespeople to gather static pressure and airflow measurements. These tests and measurements are outside their comfort zone unless the salespeople have a technical back- ground. Suppose a technician has already performed a Duct System Screening test. In that case, the salesperson only needs to take one pressure measure- ment in the supply plenum through a pre-installed test port and then get a direct airflow measurement using a test instrument known as the Digi- tal TrueFlow Grid from The Energy Conservatory (TEC). To perform a Duct System Analysis test, you’ll need the Digital TrueFlow Grid and companion DG-8 micro- manometer. This micromanometer communi- cates via Bluetooth with the TrueFlow Grid and either the MeasureQuick™ app or TEC’s True Flow™ app (which also integrates with MeasureQuick). The testing principles, at a mini- mum, require a salesperson to mea- sure static pressure in the supply parts of the job, from data collection to diagnostics to communication. With the advances in these test in- struments and software, there are op- portunities to improve how our in- dustry handles airside testing and diagnostics. Two examples are the Duct System Screening and Duct Sys- tem Analysis tests. Using wireless test instruments and software, each test helps diagnose a duct system through static pres- sure and airflow measurements. Plus, these two examples can help convert measurements to simple concepts and reports that are easy for industry professionals and their customers to understand. DUCT SYSTEM SCREENING The Duct System Screening test uses wireless manometers, such as the TEC DG-8 or FieldpieceJL3MN, to communicate static pressure mea- surements from four locations to the MeasureQuick app. You can use a sin- gle wireless manometer and capture readings one at a time or four wireless manometers to profile the entire sys- tem with one click. Next, you need to assess fan airflow using total external static pressure (TESP), the fan speed, and a fan table. A tech uses these tools to estimate fan airflow moving through the air-han- dling equipment. Instead of a technician performing all the math, looking up static pres- sure budgets, and then calculating percentages, the Duct System Screen- ing test performs these tasks in a split second. By working smarter, a tech – who may have been intimidated by this process or didn’t grasp the princi- ples – can quickly look at the airside. MAY 2023 7HVACTODAY.COMTECHNICAL fed to an app like MeasureQuick or the TrueFlow app, generates a PDF report in customer-friendly language that ex- plains what you might have trouble translating. It used to be that a customer had to take your word for the test results. Now software gives the same informa- tion in an unbiased format. You have a digital assistant backing you up and giving you third-party credibility. USE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU If you’re hesitant about change, there’s nothing wrong with using the procedures and test instruments you’re used to, especially if you’re get- ting the desired results. There’s no sense in fixing what isn’t broken. However, if you are considering an upgrade, these tools and two duct testing options are worth consider- ing. Think about how these new tech- nologies can make your life easier and solve some of the most common prob- lems you’re trying to overcome. While the principles of adding a duct system to a maintenance agreement have not changed, the way we gather and share information has changed. Can wireless test instruments and soft- ware upgrade your duct testing to serve you and your customer better? Two of the most common are perfor- mance implementation and inconsis- tent reporting. The Duct System Screening and Duct System Analysis testing models may hold some answers. Implementation is probably the big- gest obstacle for many profession- als. Paper forms are hard to track and leave much room for interpretation and gray areas. It’s also easy for technicians and salespeople to do their own thing without oversight or systems to stan- dardize processes. Upgrading duct testing to use these tools automates standard workflows since they are built into the app. By the way, these tools also benefit new technicians learning how to mea- sure static pressure and airflow. The built-in workflows supplement their training and put what they’ve learned before them. They don’t have to rely on memory or handed down informa- tion that may have lost its context. Another feature of tools and soft- ware upgrades is improved reporting features. It’s sometimes challenging for a customer to make sense of writ- ten notes, even in a report form. Tak- ing the data, which is automatically plenum with the air filter installed. Next, they remove the air filter and re- place it with the Digital TrueFlow Grid in the filter rack or a filter grille. Then they turn the air-handling equipment back on, and the TrueFlow measures airflow directly. No interpreting a fan table or guessing how dirt on the blower wheel affects your measure- ment accuracy. The TrueFlow is a di- rect measurement device that isn’t af- fected by these conditions, whereas a static pressure measurement is. If the salesperson wants to take their testing one step further, the app can measure all four static pressure lo- cations like a Duct System Screening test and then add measured airflow. This provides a higher level of accura- cy. Now the salesperson can not only discuss airflow, but also they can iden- tify areas of concern that are causing problems. The Duct System Analysis test can generate leads for further airflow diag- nostic testing with a balancing hood or as a differentiator when selling equip- ment and duct upgrades. IMPLEMENTATION AND THIRD-PARTY REPORTING Being a High-Performance HVAC contractor isn’t easy. If it were, every- one would be one. These profession- als face some re-occurring challenges. David Richardson serves the HVAC industry as Director of Technical Curriculum/ Instructor for National Comfort Institute, Inc. (NCI). NCI specializes in training focused on improving, measuring, and verifying HVAC and Building Performance. If you’re interested in learning more about duct testing tools and instruments, contact David at ncilink.com/ ContactMe or call 800-633-7058. TEC DG-8 digital pressure gauge 8 MAY 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYMAY 2023 9HVACTODAY.COMNext >