< Previous John Boylan of Lakeside Service, Brigh- ton, MI Cody Novini, SoCal Airflow Pros, Lake Forest, CA. Each contractor takes a slightly different ap- proach to dealing with customer IAQ issues. Still, all agree that airflow is the key to preventing problems upfront or solving issues at the back. THE ROLE OF AIRFLOW Mitch Baileysays, “It is crucial with high-per- formance systems to have adequate airflow and proper air distribution throughout the building. Improper air mixing can develop into comfort is- sues and IAQ problems. This means that the de- sign and installation of the system needs to consider airflow, from proper sizing to fit the space, equipment selection, ductwork sizing, reg- ister placement, and register selection.” He adds that contractors should always con- sider IAQ needs when designing a system. He says no HVAC system should be designed and in- stalled without considering humidity, tempera- ture, client allergies, indoor odors, VOCs (Volitile Organic Compounds), the building envelope, and customers’ wishes and goals. “You should also con- sider ease of servic- ing and the potential for monitoring customers’ indoor air.” Will Horner agrees. He says Canco Climate- Care looks at IAQ issues on an individual basis. “We take the time to ask questions about what the home or business occupants need. The questions A ddressing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) issues has become more crucial over the past four years than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic made that abundantly clear by forcing people to work from home and really pay attention to their home com- fort systems. In fact, today, more than 90% of Americans spend their time indoors, according to U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA says that the number one concern for IAQ is combustion by- products such as carbon monoxide (CO), particu- late matter, and tobacco smoke. HVAC contractors play a crucial role in address- ing IAQ issues for their customers. Poor indoor air quality can have significant health implica- tions, so HVAC contractors need to approach the problem systematically and effectively. With October being National IAQ Month, we thought it prudent to ask several High-Perfor- mance HVAC contractors from around the coun- try and Canada to talk about how important IAQ is in their business and whether they address it with product-based solutions or based on finding root causes. We spoke to the following contractors: Mitch Bailey of Bailey’s Heating and Air, Modesto, CA Will Horner of Canco ClimateCare, New- market, Ontario, Canada Dawn Mroczek of GV’s Heating, Glen- view, IL How Important is IAQ in High-Performance HVAC Contracting? By Mike Weil MANAGEMENT Mitch Bailey Will Horner OCTOBER 2023 11HVACTODAY.COMand other problems. “Typically, we don’t tell the client they must replace all their equipment and add this high-filtration system. That is just so overwhelming to them. So, we look at their airflow first,” No- vini explains. “We ask about uncom- fortable rooms, then conduct an air- flow evaluation through testing and diagnostics.” PRODUCT SOLUTIONS AND ROOT CAUSES John Boylan says that at his com- pany, Lakeside Service, they also do system performance testing and di- agnostics focused on airflow and will address IAQ issues they encounter. He says humidity is a big issue in the Michigan marketplace. “By looking at building perfor- mance, we look for duct leakage, air infiltration, and approach solutions from a testing and diagnostic stand- point,” Boylan says. “Regarding IAQ, Lakeside provides customers with product solutions based on those test results and diagnostics. “Let’s face it,” he adds. “You can sell a dehumidifi- cation system, but if you don’t stop the source of high humid- ity, you’ll wind up with a me- diocre result. It’s like taking an aspirin because you have headaches, but the cause is that you’re not drinking enough water. The aspirin will reduce the headache, but it will keep coming back.” However, today, John is thinking about reassessing their IAQ approach. “It’s recently become apparent that our customers don’t know about all our services.” He says he feels they can do a bet- ter job finding root IAQ causes, which requires recommitting to training and working IAQ into their service and new installation routines. SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO IAQ All the con- tractors we spoke with say they system- atically ap- proach their work in cus- tomer homes and buildings. They all do static pressure testing and check the system fans, filters, ductwork, and mechanical equipment. Mitch Bailey adds that his com- pany also looks at the building enve- lope by inspecting attics and crawl- spaces and conducting room pressure testing. Cody Novini says they also check registers and look for tell-tale signs that something is amiss – dust build-up on furniture, using too many portable fans, etc. To do this work, these contractors all use specific tools and instruments. For example, At GV’s Heating, Dawn Mroczek says they use particle scan- ners to see the air quality in customer homes. They use infrared cameras, Field- piece psychrometers, sensors, and combustion analyzers to help them find IAQ root causes. They also mea- sure humidity levels. She says they are generally pertain to personal wellness issues like headaches, allergies, respi- ratory conditions like asthma, etc. “We look at the home or business as a system,” he adds. “As High-Perfor- mance HVAC contractors, we consid- er the building part of the duct system. Our techs test CO and static pres- sure on every call, and if warrant- ed, they’ll sell a deeper investigation to find root causes of problems they discover.” At Canco, Will says they don’t usu- ally charge for initial testing and can often find the cause of the customer’s problems and offer a solution. Other times, they need to do more work. At GV’s Heating, Dawn Mroczek says they focus on ensuring the HVAC sys- tem operates optimally. She says they in- vestigate high and low static pressure situ- ations, blower speeds, tem- peratures, and humidity issues. “All of these things can relate to IAQ problems within a home. If we are not measuring, collecting, and evaluating the data, how can we come up with a solution? How can all system compo- nents operate efficiently if the airflow is incorrect?” “At SoCal Airflow Pros,” says Cody Novini, “the name says it all. Airflow is the core of our business. Our big- gest push is toward proper airflow and static pressure in any system we en- counter. We are not product-focused, though certain products can help us prescribe solutions for customer IAQ Dawn Mroczek John Boylan Cody Novini MANAGEMENT 12 OCTOBER 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYMANAGEMENT HVAC contractors work on airflow and deal with the air in the building space. We are well positioned to do IAQ work properly and ethically, so we can find problem sources and resolve them to our customer’s satisfaction.” “We have biweekly training on all kinds of subjects, and IAQ is involved in most of it,” says Mitch Bailey. “Our training happens each week,” adds Will Horner. “Every training session has some aspect of static pressure included. We use NCI’s static pressure budgets as the standard baseline and can eval- uate and sell filtration, system clean- ings, and maintenance,” says Horner. Cody Novini says that his com- pany holds service training two or three days per week, and “our install- ers get spring and fall refreshers on the importance of proper airflow and ductwork. “They all go through the program of- fered through National Comfort Insti- tute (NCI), including residential air balancing and ductsystem opti- mization. We use airflow to tie all the different types of training together.” Dawn Mroczek says they use the Daikin/Amana IAQ class to keep their techs up to speed on the latest tech- niques and products. That training is held annually. KEY TRENDS TO WATCH “There is a danger today for con- tractors to seek easy answers to IAQ Mroczek of GV’s. She says, “We absolutely offer this service and take before and after photos to show cus- tomers what we did.” The two California contractors say that much of the duct used in their state is flex duct, which is not suitable for duct cleaning services. John Boy- lan used to sell duct cleaning and is considering getting back into it with a dedicated crew. TRAINING CONTINUES TO BE VITAL “My feeling is that our industry should take a hard look at how to train our people to find IAQ source prob- lems, then prescribe solutions that may or may not involve selling new products,” says John Boylan. “We need to educate ourselves bet- ter to do the right thing for the client,” Boylan adds. “The key, again, in my opinion, is airflow. High-Performance currently looking into purchasing an air monitoring system. On the other hand, Cody Novini doesn’t test for humidity or conduct air monitoring. He says, “In our locale, humidity issues are very rare. Lake Forest, which is southeast of Irvine, is never too humid or dry. Every sev- en years or so, we may get a request to install a humidifier during winter be- cause the indoor air is too dry, but we normally don’t sell humidifiers.” Will Horner says they use humidi- ty-sensing instruments and particulate counters to find and solve IAQ issues. Interestingly, none of the contrac- tors here currently use IAQ monitor- ing tools. John Boylan and Mitch Bailey say they used to but stopped for different reasons. In John Boy- lan’s case, he says it was expensive and feels Lakeside didn’t capitalize on its benefits. “Ten years ago, we were doing a lot of air monitoring testing but weren’t turning it into solutions for people. I don’t think we invested enough into air quality training to make it worth it. Long story short, nobody was driv- ing it, and air monitoring never took off for us. “However, I am looking into the idea of making monitoring part of our service agreement package,” he says. “We also are considering air mon- itoring services as a next step,” adds Dawn Mroczek. IS DUCT CLEANING IMPORTANT? For Canco ClimateCare, Will Horner says they do not offer duct cleaning services but recommend hav- ing that work done if necessary. In fact, the only contractor in our group who does duct cleaning is Dawn “High-Performance HVAC Contractors are well-positioned to do IAQ work properly and ethically, so we can find problem sources and resolve them to our customer’s satisfaction.” – John Boylan OCTOBER 2023 13HVACTODAY.COMMANAGEMENT providing the proper airflow balanced with the cleanest air.” For these contractors and the hun- dreds of others trained and practicing High-Performance HVAC con- tracting, indoor air quality is essen- tial every day, not just during Octo- ber’s IAQ month. uct-based IAQ solutions,” concludes Dawn Mroczek. “We have local com- petitors who sell consumers every- thing from UV lights to whole house filtration systems and more, without testing and measuring system perfor- mance. This can create more problems for consumers who continue paying for poor system performance, uncom- fortable rooms, and products that may not help.” Will Horner concurs. “We are in the life support business,” he says. “IAQ is a keen part of that. The only way to prove real solutions is by en- suring each consumer’s HVAC system performs as designed to provide the most comfortable, energy-efficient, healthy, and safe indoor environment possible. That can only be done by issues,” says Cody Novini. “It seems like more consumer product manufac- turers than ever are building and sell- ing IAQ products through online and brick-and-mortar stores. Anyone can buy these products and plug them in with promises that they will solve air quality problems. “I see these as band-aid solutions at best, and many can be more danger- ous than helpful. Properly fixing IAQ requires finding the root sources of the problem. As HVAC professionals, that is our job, our mission.” Mitch Bailey says, “As homes are being built tighter, IAQ becomes criti- cal. Every HVAC system must be able to provide clean, fresh air along with comfort.” “It can’t only be about selling prod- Mike Weil is the editor-in- chief of High-Perfor- mance HVAC Today magazine as well as the director of communica- tions for National Comfort Institute. He has covered the HVAC Industry in the trade press for 37 years. He is focused on a contractor-first approach to editorial, specifi- cally targeted to the High-Performance HVAC Contracting community. Weil can be reached at ncilink.com/Contactme . 14 OCTOBER 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYfound that there wasn’t much available in the way of instructions. Not one to give up, Jim Davis started to teach himself how to use analyzers. He sought out and began reading books, some of which were hun- dreds of years old! Jim also started digging into the concepts behind combustion engineering. He started researching. And his reoccurring question was always to ask ‘Why.’ In fact, Jim asked ‘why’ and ‘what if’ questions about everything. He then followed up those questions with testing and more why questions. For example, when he discovered rising car- bon monoxide, it was purely by accident. In- stead of doing what everybody told him, he broke traditional testing practices and left the analyzer probe in the flue. Back then, CO measurement wasn’t digital. In- stead, it was an analog tube-style indicator with a length of stain that changed when CO went up. In this case, the indicator went from showing no CO to filling up the whole tube. Jim wanted to know why that happened. So, he changed out the tube, and the length of stain instantly filled the tube again. Jim called the test instrument manufacturer to find out why this happened. Unfortunately, they didn’t know. Fortunately for the entire HVAC in- dustry, Jim wanted an answer. He started deep diving into his research until he discovered what was happening: the combustion process was de- teriorating inside the equipment, leading to ex- cessive CO production. More than 40 years later, most of our industry still fails to recognize this phenomenon and con- tinues to stress single-point CO measurements after 10 minutes of equipment operation. In my opinion, this is one of Jim Davis’s most F or decades, one person has searched for the truth about combustion and its impact on safety, health, and efficiency. His natural curiosity and analytical mind founded the modern age of combustion testing, analysis, and carbon monoxide (CO) safety. His name is Jim Davis, and, in my opinion, it’s time we recognize him for all his contributions to the HVAC Industry. Initially, Jim started working for an HVAC distributor in Cin- cinnati, OH. In 1978, he was a counter guy who sold a new test in- strument to his com- mercial and industri- al customers. It was a combustion analyzer, which cost about as much as a car. His early days in the industry were humble ones. As a counter guy, Jim found that the cus- tomers he sold analyzers to had no idea how to use them. So started the journey of Captain CO. Jim Davis didn’t come into this industry with an engineering degree. However, he brought his strongest skill set – his curiosity. This trait be- came the foundation of legends. So much so that, back in 2015, National Comfort Institute Pres- ident Rob Falke wrote an article for Contract- ing Business magazine called “The Curious Captain CO.” CHALLENGING TIMES For Jim to succeed, he had to teach his custom- ers how to use the analyzers. So, he looked for re- sources where he could learn about their use but 16 OCTOBER 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Jim Davis: The Living Legend of Captain CO By David Richardson LEADERSHIP Jim “Captain CO” Davishis findings included equipment man- ufacturers, utility providers, code agen- cies, and other industry professionals. For 100 years, the combustion air compliance rules haven’t worked. Jim has proven this time and time again. Despite these codes defying fundamen- tal physics, code authorities still tell people they must follow these rules to be compliant. Anyone properly trained can prove through measurement that these rules haven’t worked for years. Traditions are hard to break, so things continue to go as they always have. Jim challenged the status quo by questioning traditions for a bet- ter, smarter way that could be proven through measurement. And when he found answers, others in the industry often didn’t believe them. “Despite so many challenges, for more than 45 years, Jim Davis has in- fluenced national standards. Wheth- er people in this industry will admit it or not, he has influenced how they look at equipment and its installed environment. STANDING OUT TO DRAW ATTENTION Besides having such a curious mind, Jim Davis is a character, too. In addi- tion to the trademarked haircut, he seeks ways to grab people’s attention. Many students have experienced com- bustion analyzers flying across a train- ing room, books tossed discus style, or jokes told in his classes. Some peo- ple think he is a trainwreck. Others are drawn to his antics so they can watch the trainwreck. He does things to cre- ate controversy so people will pay at- tention. He likes to create that environ- ment. A lot of that was in response to how he was treated. The industry consid- ered him controversial. So, he became controversial. He had to fight for every square inch to advance the measure- ment method. His students came up with a nickname for him over the years that stuck: Captain CO. They saw him as a crusader. Some of his more artis- tic students began sending drawings of Jim Davis in a cape or holding twin tablets, like Moses on Mount Sinai, with the Captain’s “Commandments of Combustion” on them. He influenced people so, so much. Many people in the industry, includ- ing me, found our purpose through his teaching. He showed us that there is much more than just installing ducts or fixing equipment. Now, we are saving lives. We find things that oth- ers overlook, and the result is that HVAC technicians help people stay safe and healthy in their homes. If CO significant contributions to the HVAC industry. He accidentally found something because he was curious and broke the rules. He then took it upon himself to teach his customers how to work the instruments. EDUCATION LEADS TO OPPORTUNITY From then on, the Captain used ev- ery opportunity to educate HVAC tech- nicians and company owners. He’d even go out and help them in the field. One of his primary roles was assisting the contractors he served. And when he did that, he took every opportunity to learn more. That includ- ed finding the right ways to measure combustion, among other things. The cool thing is that Jim admits he didn’t have all the answers. He often didn’t even know what questions to ask. Jim viewed every new job as a unique opportunity and adventure. If he wait- ed for all the answers, he would never have advanced our understanding of combustion and CO measurement. He was willing to expose his ignorance to learn and share with others. Was this easy? No. It became hard- er because many in our industry were unwilling to challenge the accepted norms. Some of those who questioned OCTOBER 2023 17HVACTODAY.COM18 OCTOBER 2023HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY LEADERSHIP many other people wanting to do the same thing. And, like them, I couldn’t. The first time I tested equipment and found the rising CO that Jim talk- ed about, I finally believed in him. I be- gan to implement combustion testing in our company’s routines slowly. Any- time I ran into trouble, Jim was always there to help me. He would answer my questions, steer me in the right direc- tion, and help me better explain what I was doing. At the end of the conver- sation, there was usually a joke. Some- times, it was hilarious, other times not. Jim can prove everything he teach- es through precise measurements re- garding the combustion side. He does not share opinions. Instead, he shares indisputable facts based on physics and measurement. He focuses on what is essential and always explains our responsibility as HVAC professionals. Over the decades, Jim has empowered at least four gen- erations of technicians to do the right thing. As a result, he either directly or indirectly helped save untold lives. In the process, he took all the bullets and arrows. Most people would have just quit. Jim didn’t because he knew it was the right thing to do. That is the living legend of Captain CO. I’m thankful for the day I met him because, without his influence, I prob- ably wouldn’t be at NCI. within 30 minutes, tested Dominick’s boiler, and discovered and fixed what was wrong. He potentially saved Dominick’s whole family. That’s when Dominick realized that everything he’d heard about Jim Davis’s approach to com- bustion testing might be true. Instead of thinking Jim was a nut, Dominick became the biggest proponent of com- bustion testing and CO safety because it affected him personally. After Dominick and Rob Falke start- ed NCI, Jim joined them part-time, eventually becoming a full-time senior instructor. FIRST IMPRESSIONS I worked as a technician for my family’s HVAC business in those days and first met Jim by attending his first NCI CO class in May 2001 in Louisville, KY. My first impression of him was that he was crazy. I’d read his articles since 1995 and tried to get him to sched- ule classes through our local distribu- tors. The distributors kept telling me I shouldn’t have anything to do with that guy. But after reading his articles, I thought he was really onto something. And then, once I finally got into the class, he talked about things I’d never seen in print. I felt I understood some of these things, but I thought he was nuts on some other stuff. Then, when I went home, I tried to do the tests Jim taught. He chal- lenged us during class. He said, ‘Don’t take my word for this stuff. Go out and start testing. Try to prove me wrong or prove me right.’ I was all fired up to prove him wrong. I didn’t realize I had joined problems arise, Jim’s students can determine what is happening and cor- rect it based on what he taught them. One of his students, Eric Kjelshus of Eric Kjelshus Energy Heating and Cooling, Greenwood, MO, tells how he had sooting problems in the 1990s that he couldn’t resolve. “I met Jim at an HVAC Comfortech event in Cleveland, OH. We talked about sooting issues, and he asked me how I tested to discover what was happening. I was using a flue gas me- ter and a cartridge-type CO meter that only estimated where the CO level was. “Jim showed me the benefits of us- ing better technology, and I was one of his first customers to buy a bat- tery-type flue gas meter. It was fast and reliable and helped me determine why the sooting was happening and solve the problem. He gave me knowl- edge that I still use to this day.” THE NCI CONNECTION One story of how Jim saved lives in- volves the CEO of National Comfort Institute (NCI). Dominick Guarino and his family had just moved to Cin- cinnati, OH. Dominick had recently left his position as chief editor of Con- tracting Business magazine and joined Excellence Alliance, headquartered in Cincinnati. Dominick and his family moved into the home they bought in North- ern Kentucky, and shortly after mov- ing in, his wife and kids passed out. He almost did as well. Dominick had enough wits about him to shut every- thing down and open windows. Dominick knew about Jim Davis from his former role with the maga- zine. So, he called Jim on a Sunday morning. Jim arrived at Dom’s house David Richardson serves the HVAC industry as Vice President of Training 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 Jim Davis or want to swap stories, contact David at ncilink.com/ ContactMe or call 800-633-7058.OCTOBER 2023 19HVACTODAY.COMNext >