hvactoday.comJULY 2023 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM If You Don’t Measure, You’re Just Guessing! ™ Your Company and Your People ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Develop Your Next-Generation Leadership Now • How to Balance a Commercial Hydronic System • A2L Refrigerant Service TipsJULY 2023 VOLUME 7 NUMBER 7 HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM DEPARTMENTS JULY 2023 3HVACTODAY.COM Today’s Word .........................................................................................4 High-Performance Product Review ...............................................5 Partner Spotlight: The Energy Conservatory ............................6 NCI Update .........................................................................................23 HVAC Smart Mart ...............................................................................24 Ad Index ................................................................................................25 One More Thing ................................................................................26 TECHNICAL: Commercial Hydronics TAB Process Kevin Heikkila of Integrity Balance, Inc. shares a TAB process you can use to ensure a solid start-up and happy customers. 10 COVER STORY: Develop Your Next Generation Leadership Team Now! None of us are getting younger. All High-Performance HVAC contractors should be looking at developing next- generation leadership in their firms. 18 TECHNICAL: A2L Refrigerants: Contractor Knowledge is Power With the sun setting on R-410A refrigerants and rising on propane-based replacements, contractor Roman Baugh explains the facts your service team should know. 144 JULY 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY significant financial hardships for that manufac- turer and open the door for foreign manufactur- ers to dominate the American marketplace. The HVAC organizations that sued EPA felt the agency never considered these issues. They nev- er responded to offers by the manufacturer to re- design their non-refillable cylinders so they were wholly recyclable, prevent potential leaks, and use scannable QR codes or RFID chips to help ward off any black-market activities (which was a huge con- cern of the EPA). Here’s the Rub. By being non-responsive, the EPA ignored legitimate industry concerns and ex- pertise. In my opinion, this is another example of a government entity ignoring facts and making more harmful rules than good. The AIM Act is geared to phasing out the use of HFC refrigerants which this industry is diligently working to accommodate (see the A2L Refriger- ant Tips story elsewhere in this issue). But the EPA took it too far. Like so many ac- tions by our federal government, rulings start with good intentions and then tend to spiral down the rabbit hole, becoming hurtful to the interests of American people and industries. And It May Not be Over. The EPA’s response to the District Court’s over-turning of their ban is to say they are “reviewing the decision.” They could request something called an en banc hear- ing at the D.C. Circuit Court or directly petition the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the District Court’s ruling. My questions are: is this in the best interest of the HVAC Industry? Is it in the best interest of the American people? I know our industry trade associations are and will continue to stay on top of this. So celebrate for now, but let’s not take our collective eyes off the ball. B ack in 2020, Congress passed something called the AIM (American Innovation and Manufacturing) Act, which gave the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) authority to phase down the use of HFC refriger- ants in its effort to fight climate change. The EPA then created a rule prohibiting using disposable refrigerant cylinders by 2025. They intended this rule to help battle illegal imports of HFC (usually transported in non-refillable cylin- ders). They also called for mandated use of QR codes to keep tabs on cylinders containing HFC refrigerants. A coalition of HVAC Industry members that in- cluded ACCA, HARDI, PHCC, and others, along with a manufacturer of American-made refriger- ant cylinders, filed suit in federal court to chal- lenge this ruling as being harmful to the entire HVAC supply chain. The good news is that the industry won. A U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the EPA ban be- cause the majority of judges felt EPA overstepped its authority. Why is this Good? If the EPA’s rule had stood, HVAC contractors would have had to deal with heavier, refillable cylinders that could cause safety issues and increase costs, which would then pass on to consumers. Here’s why: the HVAC In- dustry’s standard 30-lb. refillable cylinder weighs around 21 lbs. while the most widely used non-re- fillable versions only weigh five pounds. Imagine carrying a 30-lb. refrigerant cylinder up ladders and around job sites. The overturning of the ban also removes the po- tential need for contractors to retrofit service vehi- cles to accommodate the bigger, heavier cylinders. Last but not least, there is currently only one U.S.-made cylinder manufacturer, and forcing the industry to use refillable models only would cause EPA Refrigerant Cylinder Ban is Banned: What this Means to You TODAY’S WORD By Mike Weil Mike Weil is editor- in-chief and director of communications and publications at National Comfort Institute, Inc. Contact him at ncilink. com/ContactMe.HVACTODAY.COMJULY 2023 5 increase the display size. Did I mention it also has a color touchscreen? The Si-CA 130 uses a rechargeable bat- tery, so don’t forget to plug it in to charge when it’s not in use. Sauermann has cre- ated an app to connect via Bluetooth to the analyzer. In addition to the app, it comes with PC-based management software. The app is excellent for mea- suring draft while making changes to pressure zones as it allows you to stay connected and keep an eye on those combustion and draft readings. The analyzer probe and tubing are just as robust as the meter itself. The Si-CA 130 will display a lot of measurements, including CO, O2, and stack temperature. Plus the custom NCI Si-CA 130 kit Sau- ermann built just for NCI Analysts has a built-in draft gauge and a separate draft probe so you can measure draft in the right location while simultaneously measuring CO and O2. This makes it the perfect all-in-one instrument that will be a great addition to your tool bag. For more information, go to ncilink. com/si-CA130 . — by Casey Contreras, NCI Instructor SAUERMANN SI-CA-130 COM- BUSTION ANALYZER I met a couple of the Sauermann repre- sentatives at a Goodman event in Texas a few years ago, and we spoke about their combustion analyzers. Though skeptical about their instrument, I figured I should try it out. Since then, NCI trainers have taken the Si-CA 130 to combustion classes and used them in the field when time per- mits. The consensus is that the Si-CA 130 is an awesome addition to our tool bags. The Si-CA 130 seems to be very ro- bust. Its protective rubber cover protects it from those “oops” moments when the device decides to jump out of our hands. The screen is large for those who know our eyesight is degrading but refuse to get glasses. By the way, you also can HIGH-PERFORMANCE PRODUCT Written by HVAC Contractors for HVAC ContractorsTEC started in a garage where the two partners strove to create a blower door design that would be more practical for mainstream contractors. That meant it had to be less expen- sive, lighter, and easier to use. An- derson and Nelson worked to make blower door testing more friendly, ac- curate, and efficient. They helped de- velop protocols for weatherization programs to prioritize air sealing. Their efforts paid off and helped pro- pel advances in construction and air sealing techniques that have become mainstream elements in both new con- struction and retrofit applications. THE MOVE TO UNDERSTAND DUCT AIRFLOW LEAKAGE Over the years, TEC developed many industry-leading products, including the first high-precision two-channel digital pressure gauge and the first au- tomated blower door testing system. In the late 1980s, TEC was at the forefront of research that led to the understanding that duct leakage is a big problem. The problem was not just energy waste but also pressure imbal- ances caused by the duct system that can result in back-drafting and indoor air quality problems. This realization led to the development of the Minne- apolis Duct Blaster ® system. In the summer of 1999, the company moved into its current location in the Greenway Building in Minneapolis, MN. Here the tradition of innovation continues with advances in perfor- mance testing equipment to measure air handler flows quickly and accu- rately, register and ventilation system flows, and air-tightness levels in large commercial buildings. TEC TODAY Today TEC em- ploys 25 people in Minneapolis and sev- eral programmers in Madison, WI, and Houston, TX. “The company mis- sion set by Gary Nel- son when he started was to help the industry deliver bet- ter built environments. This not only meant more energy efficiency, but also more comfortable, healthy, safe, and durable homes,” says Steve Rogers. He adds, “Our primary customers in the U.S. are weatherization profes- sionals and energy raters. However, we see serving the HVAC Industry as a big and growing market for us — con- sistent with our core mission.” Rogers, who bought TEC from Gary Nelson in 2017, now serves as its T he early 1980s was a time of significant energy efficien- cy and technology change. There was an intense inter- est in finding renewable energy sourc- es, including solar energy for heating. Sure, there was nuclear power. But after the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island in the U.S., the public grew afraid of this as a source of energy. That fear solidified in the 1980s after the meltdown at the Chernobyl reac- tor in Russia. Cutting down on fuel consumption became the battle cry, but no matter how efficiently manufacturers built their mechanical systems, energy costs in commercial and residential buildings continued inching upward. THERE HAD TO BE A BETTER WAY It was apparent there needed to be a way to better measure and manage energy use. The idea for The Ener- gy Conservatory (TEC) was born in 1980 from conversations between two men interested in the latest discover- ies in residential energy efficiencies. The two men were Gary Anderson, then an auditor in St. Paul, and Gary Nelson, an engineer at the Minnesota Energy Agency. The blower door was one test instrument advance that cap- tured their imaginations. They wanted to design, build, and sell blower door test instruments to help builders, contractors, and researchers better understand and manage energy. 6 JULY 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT By Mike Weil Bridging the Gap Between Energy and HVAC Steven RogersRoger’s words, is “one of the foremost experts in measuring small pressures in the country.” He adds, “That’s important because you must measure small pressures for a blower test. The com- pany developed a product called the TrueFlow® Grid to do just that: measure small pressures. “That knowledge and knowing what instruments to use is a key part of our reputation. Technology nerds ap- preciate this about us. They also ap- preciate our reliable equipment and customer service when something doesn’t go the way they want.” He also adds that in the early days, the propensity to be nerdy made TEC products intimidating to many ener- gy raters and HVAC contractors. The company needed ways to simplify things to broaden its appeal. TEC developed the new Digital TrueFlow grid to be easier to use – and at a lower price! They also re- leased a free mobile app to work with the updated TrueFlow. Now users can not only make better measurements, Rogers says that they also get insight into how the HVAC system is performing and potential actions that should be taken based on the measurements. “Now, the app not only helps when you measure airflow, but it interprets the data and gives you visual rang- es: green, yellow, or red flags that tell the contractor the airflow quality,” he adds. “Is it too low or too high? Or is it red, and the contractor needs to fix something?” CONNECTING TO THE HVAC COMMUNITY Rogers adds that the need to build reputation in the HVAC Industry came after product development. “We were known for being a bit too nerdy, too esoteric, and for not always focusing on the practical things,” he explains. “We need more street credibility among HVAC contractors and techni- cians,” he says. A key step in building a connection to the HVAC community was hiring Chris Hughes to the TEC Team, according to Rogers. Hughes began his carer as an HVAC contractor, having started Hughes Mechanical in Louisiana many years ago. Rogers says Chris’ in- terest eventually became focused on the building science side of things. “Chris is passionate about learn- ing more about how building science and HVAC work together to make the house the system. When he decided to leave the family business and join TEC, he brought the experience and knowledge we needed to truly under- stand the daily life of HVAC contrac- tors and technicians. “Chris has helped TEC connect with the HVAC community. Our goal is to help contractors do better busi- ness, win more jobs, and make it eas- ier for them to justify the work that is needed. And that community is a key president. He and co-owner/business partner Bill Graber split the manage- ment between them. Steve’s background is in instrumentation for process controls, and he runs the engi- neering side of the business. Graber is the sales and marketing leader. “I’m fairly new to HVAC and build- ing science,” Rogers adds. “With my background, I already had cut my teeth measuring airflow and pres- sure. That knowledge became very useful when I came to The Energy Conservatory. I started working here in 2015 as the engineering and opera- tions manager.” According to Rogers, the most sig- nificant change for TEC is the big push into HVAC. He attributes the beginning of that push to a conver- sation with TEC Marketing Director Frank Spevak a few weeks after com- ing to work for TEC. “Spevak showed me all the prod- ucts TEC offered, including the True- Flow ® Grid. He told me that if TEC could make this product less expen- sive and more intuitive, many more HVAC contractors would use them. “I later learned what the TrueFlow was about and how many HVAC su- per nerds really liked the product.” TECHNOLOGY NERDS The one thing Rogers emphasized during our conversations was the very deep knowledge of building sci- ence and blower testing that hails back to the company’s beginning. He says that deep understanding came from founder Gary Nelson who, in JULY 2023 7HVACTODAY.COM Steve Rogers of TEC shares his desire to educate the industry. He recently teamed up with HVAC School to do a podcast on the importance of measuring total system airflow. Gary Nelson8 JULY 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT He adds that TEC brings their deep knowledge of building science to the partnership table. “Let’s face it,” he adds. “It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ but of ‘when’ a contractor gets in over their head. Building science questions can get tricky and complicated. That’s when you need experts like Gary Nel- son, Collin Olson, and Jake McAlpine with the deep expertise and experience to help contractors resolve building sci- ence issues.” Rogers also says that his team has known for a long time that NCI is the expert group when it comes to testing, measuring, and diagnosing HVAC sys- tems. “They are the experts on the air side of HVAC. “Lots of organizations will train based around the refrigerant. Some may get into combustion and furnace trouble- shooting. But NCI has a well-deserved reputation for really focusing on the air side, including combustion analysis,” Rogers continues. “There’s a natural partnership be- tween our two companies because we have the best tools for understanding the airside, and NCI has the best train- ing. Let’s face it: Air side problems are hard to fix without measurements. Without measurements, you can’t get a complete picture of what’s happening.” TOP ISSUES FACING THE HVAC INDUSTRY TODAY When asked what two key issues HVAC contractors face today, Steve Rogers is emphatic. “The biggest problems in HVAC in- volve duct leakage and airflow,” he says. “What’s interesting is both are understood, particularly the impact of duct leakage when it leaks outside of the building, based on research papers written in the mid-1990s. “But the knowledge of what that means and how that impacts the HVAC system has not spread. If you asked 100 HVAC contractors across the south, where ducts are not in con- ditioned space, to explain what goes wrong when ducts aren’t tight, less than half would have a good grasp. Maybe only 20 or 30% of them would.” He also says total system airflow is a concept that is understood. The problem is that most contractors don’t know why they need to get airflow right. One reason for that, according to Rogers, is that proper measurement tools haven’t existed for very long. “These two issues are challenges TEC has been working on for 30 years. With our NCI partnership, we can bet- ter tackle both challenges.” FINAL THOUGHTS Rogers says that in the end, wheth- er you are an energy rater, home per- formance pro, or an HVAC contractor, the mission should focus on airflow. “The AC part of HVAC is all about air conditioning, but so many energy rat- ers and HVAC contractors don’t under- stand the air. Armed with the proper training and tools, however, they can set themselves apart from competitors by solving comfort and energy prob- lems that nobody else can solve. “When a consumer buys a new sys- tem with the same comfort problems as the old one, that is a huge problem. If you are a company that can solve those problems, you’ll develop a reputation, and consumers will turn to you.” For these and other reasons, the High-Performance HVAC Today magazine’s team shines their spotlight on The Energy Conservatory. part of delivering better built environ- ments and to the future of TEC.” TRAINING IS CRITICAL In Roger’s opinion, testing and mea- suring are central to building science and HVAC. Teaching people how to test and measure and what tools are best for doing that is essential. “Our product is not one where peo- ple know what they need and choose brand A or B. Our sales are largely driven by helping customers under- stand why they need to make these measurements. That’s where the training comes in.” TEC has always used a ‘train-the- trainer’ approach to the marketplace. Rogers explains that the organization lacks direct contractor or energy rat- er training. “We train educators,” he says. “In other words, we’ll train HVAC instruc- tors. We will work with larger HVAC service organizations on their inter- nal training. Sometimes, these com- panies may send their instructors to our train-the-trainer events, which we hold once a year.” A PARTNERSHIP WITH PROMISE “Our partnership with National Comfort Institute (NCI) is one of great promise,” Rogers continues. “NCI has excellent reach and recognition among HVAC companies. Again, this partner- ship helps TEC because we don’t have the resources to train the number of people NCI reaches. “They have relationships with the High-Performance HVAC community, which is everything to us. We are mis- sion-driven, but if we don’t have cus- tomers and the products to serve them best, that mission is null and void.”JULY 2023 9HVACTODAY.COMNext >