< Previoussomething known as “ghosting.” This is when your tech discovers black streaks on baseboards, carpets, and walls near electrical sockets. Tem- perature differentials and duct leak- age cause it. Customers often say, “Every time I clean, these streaks show back up.” In this case, a homeowner was so frustrated by the continual re-appear- ance of ghost streaks that she wasn’t sure she believed we could make them disappear by sealing all the ductwork. We couldn’t have told her that if we didn’t measure and test the airflow, find the leaks, and know the right course of action. We had the numbers to back that course of action up. She was amazed because once done, she never again got the discoloration on her baseboards and walls. CURRENT TRENDS, CURRENT ISSUES Despite having a solid, identifiable brand as a high-performance contrac- tor in my market area, I would be re- miss if I didn’t mention how the in- dustry’s current state is throwing up more roadblocks than I’ve seen in all my 18 years of business. In the last 12 months alone, massive changes have shaken the HVAC In- dustry and the overall U.S. economy, and we are feeling every shock wave as they race over us. From the last remnants of the pan- demic that still impact our supply chains – both commercial and residen- tial – to the mandated changes in re- frigerants that began on January 1st, to the impact of high inflation, inter- est rates, and other costs of doing busi- ness, I find contractors throughout my market area are fighting for every nick- el. Many typically well-balanced com- panies are dropping their prices by 25 to 30 % just to get some business. Customers are struggling on both sides of our business: commercial com- panies face empty buildings, higher costs, and strict budget constraints, that into all our heads. If you’re charging correctly off their charts, using superheat or subcool- ing, that is only a small part of doing things right. What happens if a system moves only 3.5 tons of conditioned air with a five-ton system? If you don’t know why this is happening, you’ll change your design to an incorrect airflow reading. If you fix that airflow, you’ve got to adjust and certainly retest your refrigerant circuit. Your field service and installation teams need to understand the re- lationship of airflow to refrigerant charge. BRANDING WITH MEASURED RESULTS Even if everyone is following the processes of High-Performance HVAC Contracting, you must still find a way to explain what it all means to the cus- tomer. Providing that explanation can be the most challenging part of under- standing the ‘Why.’ We work on helping our team show customers the meaning of measured results. When a customer has a real comfort or efficiency problem that typically results from airflow prob- lems, they will decide to fix it. They want to act. They need information. When we follow the high-perfor- mance process, the results are usual- ly on the money. It’s incredible what you hear from customers afterward. They often tell us that they never thought that one room could ever be comfortable. Plus, they can see how their system per- formed before and after our work and know their investment was worth it. On a recent job, we encountered 20 SEPTEMBER 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYMANAGEMENT at DiMarco, the key is facing the hard truths of today’s environment and set- ting the groundwork for tomorrow. There will always be opportunities. Our job, as I see it, is to pivot when necessary to accommodate customer needs now, then refocus on processes and approaches that built our reputa- tion in the first place. ness is the high cost of interest on lines of credit, supplier strictness regarding on-time payments, workforce issues, and more make it more difficult than ever to be in this business today. Make no mistake. Current trends create current issues for all of us. THE GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW The good news is that though these issues create cash flow and other prob- lems in the short term, they also open doors to other opportunities if you con- tinue offering high-performance ser- vices and solving customer problems. Our brand and reputation are helping us weather these current storms and are setting the stage for tomorrow’s op- portunities. At least for the team here forcing them to make decisions based only on price and product availability. Residential consumers don’t have the discretionary funds to replace equip- ment with properly sized products onto working duct systems. They, too, want fast, inexpensive repairs that may cost them more money in the long run. Even without doing the testing and measuring that our high-performance approach requires, residential re- placement equipment costs have sky- rocketed. Air conditioning units that once cost $10,000 to replace now cost between $13,000 and $15,000. If we perform testing and measurements followed up with air upgrades and duct renovations, those costs go up by more than $3,000! Other issues that impact our busi- Ben DiMarco owns DiMarco and Associates , a $5 million+ commercial and residential con- tracting firm operating in the Northeastern Ohio marketing area. DiMarco is a longtime practitioner of High-Performance HVAC contracting who sees the training and practice as a return to craftsmanship and a servant leader dedicated to customers. He can be reached at ncilink.com/ContactMe . SEPTEMBER 2023 21HVACTODAY.COMregistration. NCI members and premium members receive additional discounts, and can use NCI Bucks to pay down the cost AND earn NCI Bucks on the dollars they spend (saving even more). Discounted Hotel room reservations within the NCI block open in Septem- ber, 2023. If you have questions, call your Custom- er Care Representative at 800-633-7058 . THE VALUE OF ONSITE TRAINING Many HVAC contractors are discover- ing the value of bringing NCI training on- site to their facilities. The same NCI Certi- fication training we offer all year can be delivered right to your doorstep. This flexible and cost effective option is ideal for training a group or launching a company-wide implementation of new services. Plus, because we come to you, there are virtually no travel expenses and your employees spend more time train- ing with NCI instructors. You’ll also save on productivity costs as field work and large projects won’t be put on hold. NCI training can be delivered as our standard curriculum or complete- ly customized to match the training goals for your team. Think about setting up onsite training for your team this fall. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call 800- 633-7058 and learn more how onsite training can help you and your team. DID YOU KNOW ... ABOUT AIRMAXX LITE™? Are you aware that National Comfort Institute (NCI) has developed a mobile app called AirMaxx Lite™? This app does not require a data plan but allows you to enter your HVAC system test measure- ments and then calculate and “grade” the system. AirMaxx Lite™ is a free-version of Air- Maxx™, a full service mobile app avail- able to National Comfort Institute members. AirMaxx Lite doesn’t do ev- erything that the full version does, but can still help your field team calculate TESP (Total External Static Pressure) and communicate HVAC equipment delivery performance relative to its rated static pressure. By the way, your raw measurement in- puts and resulting calculation values are displayed on screen for verification. AirMaxx Lite is available for both An- droid-based and iOS mobile devices. Its interface allows easy data entry and easy-to-display reports for you to share with homeowners. If you are an NCI member, you automat- ically have access to the AirMaxx app. Air- maxx does everything that AirMaxx Lite does, plus it helps you calculate pressure drop across coils and air filters. It also helps calculate supply and return duct static pressure, and much more. Learn more about AirMaxx Lite at air- maxxlite.com . Questions? We have the answers. Call your Customer Care Representative at 800-633-7058 . SUMMIT 2024 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN Ladies and Gentlemen – The High-Per- formance HVAC Summit 2024 regis- tration site is now open. So many good things are coming down the pike, but you need to register to hold your spot. First, the details: Summit 2024 will be held at the Crowne Plaza Asheville in Asheville, NC, from September 10-13, 2024 . This hotel is nestled between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is a pet-friendly property near downtown Asheville. Besides being a premier spot for our event, it is also a destination city offering you, your team, and your families access to many great things to do, including walkable neighborhoods with an array of independent shops, craft breweries, and some of the best dining options in the southeast. Register Today! Click this link to start: gotosummit.com/summit-registra- tion . Early registrants get several bonus- es, including access to the FULL 2023 SUMMIT RECORDINGS. If you missed the 2023 event, these recordings will provide you with many hours of great ideas from the breakout sessions, the general sessions, and more. But you must register for 2024 by De- cember 31, 2023, to get this access. Also, if you register before the dead- line, you will receive the Early Bird dis- count and save hundreds off your team’s NCI UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2023 23HVACTODAY.COMHVAC SMART MART 24 SEPTEMBER 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYAD INDEX HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TM 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 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. Go to ncilink.com/ContactMe with your comments and questions. SEPTEMBER 2023 25HVACTODAY.COM Advertiser Index Arzel Zoning Technology, Inc. | www.ArzelZoning.com ...................................................... 5 Baker Distributing Company | www.BakerDist.com ........................................................... 24 Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc. | www.northamerica-daikin.com 25 Duct Saddles | www.DuctSaddles.com ..................................................................................... 18 Evergreen Telemetry | www.EvergreenTelemetry.com ........................................................ 2 Lazco Corporation | www.Lazcocorp.com ............................................................................... 9 R.E. Michel Company | www.REMichel.com .......................................................................... 21 Sauermann | www.sauermanngroup.com ............................................................................ 13 Southern California Edison | www.on.sce.com/hvac.com ............................................... 10 TEC (The Energy Conservatory) | www.energyconservatory.com ............................... 14 To Your Success | www.ToYourSuccess.com .......................................................................... 24 Tru Tech Tools | www.TruTechTools.com ............................................................................18, 24and using another bedroom as our “closet.” We won’t be able to use the master suite for months. In addition, we can’t turn on the upstairs air conditioning until it is replaced as it turns out the paper-thin drain pan leaks like a sieve, so the sys- tem needs to be repaired or more likely, replaced. In the meantime, the entire upstairs has also been unlivable with the soaring August tempera- tures. Needless to say, things got pretty stressful, pretty quick. The key was staying calm and re- membering that “this too shall pass.” DISASTER #2 At the same time, we were moving the entire contents of NCI’s headquarters and training cen- ter buildings to Tennessee. Things seemed to be going along pretty well. We set up our new video studio for our first online class in mid-August - live from Tennessee! David Richardson was com- ing in to teach our online recertification class with more than 50 students. All was good. Then disaster hit again! The morning of the on- line training we entered our new building to the sound of what I can only describe as a waterfall. In a panic we headed downstairs to the training center only to step into 3 inches of water! The en- tire 5,000 sq. ft. floor was flooded! The main wa- ter line had broken directly over our main class- room and was shooting out water at 100 lbs of pressure over the drop ceiling which had mostly collapsed from the weight. We eventually got the water shut off and began to assess the extensive damage to our training room, hands-on lab, and video studio. Once we got over the initial shock, we realized our online class was to start in a little over an hour. What happened next is where the team re- ally shined. Go to ncilink.com/Strength2 to continue. E very business leader and their team con- stantly face putting out fires every day. No matter how organized or prepared we are, challenges will always pop up. Certainly, having systems and processes in place help your people navigate the many unknowns of your business. The true test however, is when something out of left field blindsides you and your team. If you read “One More Thing” last month, you’ll know that NCI recently moved its head- quarters from Northeast Ohio to Morristown, Tennessee. During this process we’ve had several blindsiding experiences that tested both me per- sonally and our team. DISASTER #1 Besides the usual challenges associated with moving both my home and NCI headquarters to Tennessee, my first blindsiding challenge was caused by the upstairs HVAC system of my new home. We were in the middle of moving and it got pretty hot here in late June. I decided it was time to turn on the upstairs unit (which is located in the attic above the first floor) to help cool things down. I left the unit running and headed back to Ohio to load up for the final move. When my wife and I drove back, we were wel- comed home to a soaked master bathroom and closet ceiling (which eventually caved in). Apparently, the previous homeowner had someone “work” on the condensate drainage sys- tem. They left a dead condensate pump discon- nected, and low and behold no one ever installed a shutoff sensor in the drain pan - nor did the pan have a secondary drain on it. Long story short, both rooms need to be completely gutted and renovated, and are unusable. We are currently living in a secondary bedroom 26 SEPTEMBER 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY ONE MORE THING... By Dom Guarino Fortitude: Strength in the Face of Adversity Dominick Guarino is publisher of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and CEO of National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at ncilink.com/ ContactMeNext >