< Previousprinciples. This is a follow up to the part of that article that discussed installing takeoffs 18 to 24 inches On Center when using an extended or reducing trunk line. Let’s assume that as a high-performance con- tractor, you have a process/protocol you follow when you receive an airflow or comfort complaint from a client. NCI has produced several “Tech Tips” to help with this process. First, let’s look at NCI’s “Guide to Enhanced Duct Installation.” This is a check- list you can use to train your installation crews as well as an evaluation tool after completing a project. MAKE BETTER CHOICES Things to consider so you can make better choices when renovating a duct system: Return Side of the HVAC System: Verify re- turn grille/filter sizing. (Remember 1 CFM In = 1 CFM Out). Review NCI Filter Sizing Proce- dure which states Required Airflow (CFM) ÷ Field Rated Velocity (FPM) = Required Area in Sq.Ft. for the air filter (Review NCI Tech Tip: Determining Maximum Allowable Ve- locity for a Return Filter). z Size all return duct components for the re- quired airflow using NCI Duct Sizing Tables. Seal the joints with duct mastic and insulate appropriately. If using flex, pull tight (less than 4% compression) hang with less than ½-in. sag every 4 ft. (review Air Duct Council Green Book, Flex Duct Standard) and the NCI Tech Tip: Another Way to Hang Flexible Duct). The components for a return upgrade include: Return Grille, Return Box/Can, two duct col- lars, flex/pipe, return plenum sized to handle no A s a High-Performance HVAC™ Con- tractor, you go the extra mile when a client calls about comfort issues in their home. At first, you think it’s a return issue since that is the number one repair when renovating a duct system. You then think about doing a TESP (Total Ex- ternal Static Pressure) test to check fan airflow and establish a baseline of how the HVAC system currently operates. Once you’ve done the necessary initial test- ing, visually inspected and checked the existing duct system sizing, you can discuss how an Air Upgrade would increase fan airflow and decrease TESP in terms the customer understands. On July 1, 2019, this magazine published an ar- ticle named “Improve System Performance Using the Two-Foot Rule.” I wrote it because it was something I was taught in my early career by a grizzled old sheet metal mechanic who want- ed me out of his hair. I have tested it and prov- en it works because it’s based on basic airflow 10 MAY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY Make Better Choices When Renovating a Duct System By John Puryear TECHNICALSupply Side of the HVAC System: Are all the supply duct components sized correctly? Let’s start with the first supply fitting off the air-handling equipment. Depending on the layout; upflow, horizontal or downflow, here are some suggestions (See Figure 1). z All Figure 1 fittings may be used in- terchangeably, in most situations. Another reference to consider using is NCI’s Duct Fitting for Measure- ments Worksheet. It’s designed to help contractors who need fittings but do not have sheet metal shops and outsource to a sheet metal fab- rication shop. zUpgrade the trunk duct as need- ed. In many cases, upsizing the first four to six ft. to handle all required airflow, then re-attaching or adding branches, can decrease static pres- sure significantly. Reseal ductwork with mastic and verify the duct wrap insulation is rated at a minimum R-8 or meets local building codes. NOTE:ACCA Manual D suggests not to run any given size of trunk duct more than 24 ft. Then reduce to avoid friction rate and static pressure issues due to effective length. z There is a SMACNA fabrication note about when to transition. Be care- ful not to decrease the transition/ reducer size by more than 4-in. This lowers the pressure drop of the fit- ting and allows the required air to drop by at least 200 CFM. Review Tech Tip: Sizing for Low Pressure Drop Duct Fittings. zMake sure all branches have volume dampers installed. This is necessary once you completed the renova- tion and need to balance the HVAC system. zWhen re-attaching branch runs, fol- low the Two-Foot Rule. NCI rec- ommends upsizing the takeoffs by at least an inch if using round collars or saddle airtites. When installing takeoffs on a rectangular trunk, al- ways use side or top takeoffs. NOTE: Air pressure is always high- est on the sides. z We have discussed flex duct on the return side, but I would like to point out the supply is a little different. The flex duct should be attached se- curely to the boot with the inner core pulled tight. The shorter the branch run, the better. Try to keep it to 15 ft. or less. There will be less chance for the compression to go over 4% (based on a 2004 Flex Duct Study pub- lished by Texas A&M). The study found that if the compres- sion increased to 15%, the friction rate more than 300 to 400 feet per minute (FPM) in return velocity. Also, NCI has Generic Return Grille CFM Recommendations. Please note that NCI recommends you use met- al adjustable elbows or Flex Duct Saddles instead of bending the flex- ible duct. If a media filter is attached; NCI recommends you use a minimum size cabinet — 25-in. x 20-in. x 4/5-in. (good up to 1200 CFM per three-ton condensing unit. If bigger, add anoth- er filter cabinet) Make sure there is a six to 12-in. transition from the media cabinet to the air-handling equipment. Return velocity should be between 300 to 400 FPM. NCI suggests using a max- imum filter pressure drop budget for Gas Furnaces of .10-in. w.c., for Air Handlers, .15-in. w.c. z If you have multiple returns Do Not Forget to add Air Volume Control Dampers to balance the return air duct upon completion. These will be needed to balance the HVAC system. MAY 2024 11HVACTODAY.COMTECHNICAL don’t speak your language, but they live with the issues and called you be- cause they want it fixed. If you decide you would like a bet- ter understanding of what I covered, I suggest you schedule a date with NCI’s Duct System Optimization Class and get certified. I am always available to answer questions. zFinally, don’t forget the Terminal Device, which is called the supply register. Check the throw, spread, face velocity, noise criteria, and CFM. Registers are not ornaments; they are a component of a sophisti- cated, well-designed HVAC system. I have tried to give you enough infor- mation to improve static pressure and airflow, so go out and fix something! Each one of these components will decrease the TESP a little but togeth- er can extend equipment life and im- prove how the whole system works. One more word of caution, please do a room-by-room load calculation to verify equipment size and required airflow for each room. Also, ask lots of questions and lis- ten to the customer’s response. They doubled causing decreased airflow to the register. NOTE: If the flex is over 15 ft., NCI suggests adding the appropriate amount of round pipe to complete the outlet run. zBoot selection can be critical. Re- member that the Equivalent Length (EL) of a 90° boot is 80 ft. According to ACCA Manual D - Group 4: ceiling/diffuser boxes could be EL = 35 - 60 ft. Choose carefully. Maybe look at straight boots (EL = 10 ft.) and an off-the- shelf (supply house) four-segment/ gore adjustable elbow (EL = 20 ft.), if you can make it fit in the space. This probably won’t work in a fin- ished basement because most joists are 7½-in. deep. John Puryear has a back- ground in duct design, sheet metal fabrication, and installation in both commercial and residen- tial HVAC. He currently serves the industry as an instructor for the Na- tional Comfort Institute (NCI). If you’re a contractor or technician wanting to learn more about duct airflow, design, or renovation, contact John at ncil- ink.com/ContactMe. 12 MAY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYpressure and airflow readings when diagnosing a problem in the field. Just as you test and measure in the field and an- alyze those readings to help inform your diagnos- tic process, you can look at statistics and analyze them to forge a marketing strategy that brings ac- tual results. That’s called “marketing analytics.” WHAT IS MARKETING ANALYTICS? Broadly speaking, marketing analytics is how we convert measured numbers into insights we can use to make decisions. It’s a skill HVAC technicians already use in the field. When they go to a customer’s home and measure static pressures, the numbers read on the gauges or apps might not mean much to the av- erage person. But your technicians can tell if the HVAC system has high, low, or normal pressure. We attach a meaning to those numbers by compar- ing them to what’s normal, which informs our diagnostic processes. Let’s say you measure a to- tal external static pressure of 0.9-in. w.c. when the maxi- mum rated pressure drop is 0.5-in. w.c. Your average Joe won’t know what a pressure drop of 0.9-in. w.c. means, but professional HVAC tech- nicians will know that it’s high! The high static pressure will inform the technician’s next move as they attempt to diagnose the problem—and, eventually, fix it. The same principle applies in the digital world. B eing an HVAC contractor in the digital age means you likely have some online presence. Maybe you have a company website. Or perhaps you dove headfirst into the world of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or all the above. In any case, having a digital presence puts your business on customers’ radar when they need an HVAC contractor to repair, upgrade, or replace their system. Having a strong, deliberate online presence can bring additional sales to your company. However, getting customers to engage with your company online isn’t as simple as creating a social media page or website and writing posts to your heart’s content. You need to look at numbers and draw conclu- sions about your marketing strategies to get cus- tomers’ attention. It’s a lot like gathering static Marketing Analytics for HVAC: Turning Numbers into Insights By Emily Gutowski DIGITAL MARKETING Buffer (screenshot above) and Hootsuite are examples of social media management software that can provide analytics reports. MAY 2024 13HVACTODAY.COMstrategies, and using them to decide future steps. That sounds like what we’d do to diagnose an HVAC system or prepare a duct upgrade, doesn’t it? BASIC METRICS There are a few metrics you’ll likely come across in the world of marketing analytics: z Bounce – In Google Analytics [GA4], the bounce rate refers to ses- sions that are not engaged (see En- gagement below). In email marketing, bounces are failed deliveries. z Click – An instance where some- one clicks on a link in your social me- dia posts, emails, or websites. z Engagement – A measure of in- teractivity with your content. If some- one likes or comments on a social media post, that counts as engage- ment. On websites, specific criteria may signify if a user is engaging with the content (for example, spending 10 seconds on a page, scrolling down 90% of a page, or viewing at least two pages on a website). zFans, Followers, or Subscrib- ers – People who receive updates from your social media page, blog, or newsletter. z Impressions – In social media an- alytics, impressions are the number of times a post appears on someone’s feed; it does NOT necessarily measure engagement. (It’s like the number of cars that pass a “Garage Sale” sign, regardless of how many people pass it We can see how many people liked our posts or subscribed to a news- letter. Still, those numbers don’t help educate and reach potential customers unless we understand what they mean. Now, if we notice trends where be- fore-and-after photos get more likes and comments than sales infograph- ics, we’ll know to post more be- fore-and-after photos to interest more customers. Generally, marketing analytics could be as simple as watching trends in how many likes, comments, clicks, etc. we receive per post on our website or social media outlets. We’re taking numbers, understand- ing what sorts of insight they give us about the health of our marketing DIGITAL MARKETING 14 MAY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYon Google or a Facebook link). COLLECTING DATA FOR ANALYTICS While marketing analytics can be daunting at first glance, you can start simply. You don’t need software to collect basic data about user engage- ment on your website or social media platforms. You can see how certain social me- dia or blog posts performed by look- ing at how many likes or comments each post received. You may notice that posts of a specific format, length, or topic tend to receive more attention than others. It would stand to reason that something you’re doing in those posts resonates more with potential customers. However, keep in mind that the data can mean different things; a post may have gotten more attention because it was posted at a different time of day when more of your followers or sub- scribers were active. For that reason, it’s a lot easier to have software that tracks and com- piles this information into reports; Buffer and Hootsuite are examples of social media management software that can provide analytics reports. Such software shows things like en- gagement statistics, but they can also show you the best days and times to post social media content, as well as how often you should post, based on historical data. When you have all the data in front of you, you can see which post times are most likely to result in the broad- est reach and which post topics or formats get more engagement than others. With the numbers—and the insights—at your disposal, you can develop your marketing strategy. MARKETING ANALYTICS FOR COMPANY WEBSITES The same principles apply to web- sites. You can use software like Google Analytics [GA4] or a plugin from your website host (like WordPress). We use WordPress for HVAC School and receive data about how people interact with the website via their JetPack plugin. This feature is basic by comparison to Google Analytics [GA4], but it allows us to see how people use our site, what pages they’re viewing, and how they found the site (e.g., from search engines like Google or links on other websites), among other things. This information can tell you what people want to see on your site and what they typed into a search engine (like Google) to find your site. Both things are great pieces of data to help generate sales leads down the line. The data can help you identify poten- tial customer pain points that you can help alleviate with your services. For example, prospective customers will likely search for “HVAC contrac- tor near me” or “AC repair near me.” However, some prospective custom- ers actively seek home solutions and might use more specific queries, like “duct renovation near me.” If your business provides the services the cus- tomers are searching for, you can use this data to shape your messaging by ensuring your web content contains the keywords customers search for. Google Analytics [GA4] also allows you to configure your reports to collect data from specific locations. You can use this to your advantage by collect- ing data only from your service area. If multiple times or end up going to the garage sale.) z Likes (or Reactions) – The num- ber of people that interacted with the “Like” function on a social media site (or all reactions, including “Love” and “Angry” for Facebook). z Reach – In social media analytics, reach is the number of unique people who saw a post or page. (Unlike im- pressions, reach would be the number of unique license plates of cars that drove by a “Garage Sale” sign.) zSession – In some analytics soft- ware, a session is a collection of user behavior across their experience on a website, including the number of page views and engagement statistics. zUsers – This term is broad in Goo- gle Analytics [GA4] and refers to any- one who visits your site; Google Ana- lytics sorts users into a few different categories based on their behavior, including: Total (all users) New (first-time users as indicated in the code) Active (engaging with the site within a specified date range in the report) Returning (involved in at least one previous web session on your site, regardless of engagement). zViews – In terms of website analyt- ics, views refer to the number of times a page is loaded on your site, whether it’s from an internal referral (another page on the site) or an external refer- ral (such as a search result on Google). Regarding social media or YouTube videos, a view is any time someone watches a video, reel, or short. z Visitors – The number of times your website is reached from an exter- nal source (e.g., from a search result DIGITAL MARKETING MAY 2024 15HVACTODAY.COMusers opened the email or clicked on something. That way, a handful of us- ers who click on things repeatedly won’t skew the data. Let’s say you send an informative email about the importance of good static pressure and provide and in- clude a link to a service request form, contact form, or FAQs on your web- site. When you look at those clicks in your analytics panel, you can easily gauge existing customers’ interest in that service by seeing how many peo- ple click on the form. On the other hand, many people could unsubscribe from an email that seems like an aggressive sales pitch. You might not know to change your approach unless you see many unsub- scribes in your analytics panel. WHAT TO DO WITH ANALYTICS IN THE LONG RUN We know what analytics are and how to get the data we need—great! Now, what do we do with that data? In some of our previous examples, you can see what’s working and not working in the short term to make quick fixes or explore a formula that seems to work so far. In the long term, you can use ana- lytics to appeal to people you want to work with. As you figure out what your company can offer to interest prospective customers who would be a good fit, you can attract more of those customers and solidify your compa- ny’s identity in the process. Using analytics to drive your online marketing lets you deliberately devel- op your company’s image by refer- ring to specific insights—not by post- ing haphazardly. You get to see which messages gain traction online. Then, you can decide how to attract custom- ers who are a good fit for you with the insights you receive. In addition, online messaging about your services, pricing, service processes, etc., lets customers know if your HVAC business is right for them and will address their specific pain points. That said, your business won’t address the pain points of every single prospective customer. BIG MISTAKE: TARGETING EVERYONE It’s normal to want to cast a wide net to get as much business as pos- sible. However, some customers just want someone who can get their A/C unit running; these customers will likely not be interested in advanced diagnostics or upgrades, even if those items would improve their comfort and their systems’ longevity. Some customers won’t be willing to pay the prices you ask for a thorough you’re a contractor in Seattle, the web activity of a user in Miami isn’t going to generate sales leads. You can filter their data out and analyze the data that will help you generate sales leads. DATA ANALYTICS FOR NEWSLET- TERS AND EMAIL CAMPAIGNS You can manage newsletters and email campaigns in bulk with software like Mailchimp or Hubspot. We use Mailchimp at HVAC School to auto- mate tech tip notifications and send emails for specific events (like upcom- ing webinars and the HVACR Training Symposium). Some plans allow you to see the an- alytics of your most recent campaigns, including how many people opened your email, clicked on links in the email (and which links they clicked), and un- subscribed upon receiving the email. In cases with clicks and opens, you may also see unique clicks and opens, representing how many individual DIGITAL MARKETING Here is a screenshot of HVAC School’s MailChimp email campaign software. We use this to auto- mate certain campaigns, to announce upcoming events, and to track the subsequent data. 16 MAY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYcontent have the highest reach possible. However, we’ve put that into prac- tice on our YouTube channel with successful results. When explaining scientific concepts and detailed ser- vice procedures, we’ve noticed that our 3D videos outperform our other content regarding views and likes. Those analytics tell us that people love these videos (or maybe they’re more likely to share them with ap- prentices), and more people find them helpful. After we saw that this new video format made a positive difference for our audience and our overall reach, we started creating more 3D vid- eos to show detailed installation and service procedures. WHAT ABOUT ME, A HIGH-PER- FORMANCE HVAC CONTRACTOR? Just as zeroing in on A2L train- ing isn’t HVAC School’s “what,” the $59 duct cleaning special isn’t your company’s “what.” Will an email ad- vertisement for that $59 duct cleaning get more clicks? Probably, but clicks aren’t the most important thing. You’re offering advanced diagnos- tics—and possibly some radical de- sign solutions—to help homeowners. Your work helps them address why their HVAC equipment is reaching only about half its potential. Focus on that messaging, but pay atten- tion to the content delivery to attract customers willing to pay for your services. Do your customers click on links to your company’s request for service form through Facebook posts with be- fore-and-after photos? Do you have videos of technicians performing tests in the field or of se- nior techs explaining the science be- hind the service? That’s the informa- tion you can get from analytics, and you can embrace it to drive your on- line messaging. system diagnosis. That’s okay — cus- tomers have different goals, and you, the contractor, don’t have to try to please everyone. Keep that in mind when you craft the messages you want the public to see. Sure, an email or post about a $59 duct cleaning special might get more clicks than an informative piece about how poor ductwork can keep an HVAC system from living up to its full potential, but is the $59 duct cleaning special really the service you want to provide? Instead, focus on the messages that resonate with the people you are best equipped to serve. Then, nail down the online habits that get people to pay attention to your business. ANALYTICS FOR THE HOW , NOT THE WHAT More web traffic, clicks, and engage- ment on your site or social media is good. However, it shouldn’t entire- ly dictate your business model or the content you post. For example, the HVAC School website analytics consistently show that A2L training is among our most highly sought-after content. At least one A2L-related tech tip consistently ranks in our site’s top 10 most-visited pages on any given week. If web traffic was the most import- ant thing to us, we may as well go all in and change our name to A2L School. But getting clicks by itself is not what we set out to do. We aim to share field-applicable training about several aspects of the HVACR trade. That is our “what.” The results of that goal aren’t tangible since HVAC School is a free source, but we still focus on making our Sample screen of HVAC School’s analytics showing their website data. This information can then be used to fine-tune content delivery to satisfy reader’s interests. MAY 2024 17HVACTODAY.COM DIGITAL MARKETING18 MAY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY analytics from several sources simul- taneously: your website, mailing list, and social media. But just like when you start testing for static pressure more often, looking at your marketing analytics will help you start seeing trends. By the way, just as Bluetooth-compatible HVAC measurement apps hint at whether your readings are high or low, many analytics platforms will show you in- creases and decreases in the strength of your marketing efforts over time. Once you get familiar with your numbers and understand what they’re trying to tell you, you can see them as valuable indicators for your marketing strategy. As with anything we measure in the field, the idea is to convert numbers into insights that help determine the next step. You can get them from various sources, each with different pricing and options, but they can help you pin down what’s grabbing your audience’s attention so you can generate more leads and share your solutions with more customers. If the analytics show that customers in your market like time-lapse videos of jobs well done more than other con- tent, and leads to an uptick in request forms being filled out, then you’ll know to share more of those time-lapses on your social media! If your newsletter subscribers aren’t opening emails with a lot of text, you know to change to something more di- gestible or visual. IF YOU DON’T MEASURE ... Just as it can be a bit overwhelming to think about all the readings you need to take as an HVAC technician, all the numbers involved in market- ing analytics can be daunting at first. Clicks, views, visitors—it really can be overwhelming. You may collect data Emily Gutowski is the technical writer and content editor for HVAC School (founded by Bryan Orr), in Clermont, FL. She has occupied this role since 2020, the same year she graduated from the Uni- versity of Florida with her Bachelor of Arts in English, and a minor in mass communica- tion. Emily can be reached at ncilink.com/ ContactMe . DIGITAL MARKETINGMAY 2024 19HVACTODAY.COM to customers for remedies. Our two installation crews will also be using this app to verify that we deliver what we sell, which is safety, health, com- fort, and efficiency. As a salesperson, first I explain how these tools help us determine the health of their ductwork and why that is important. Then I explain how we use national guidelines to compare our measure- ments and testing results. This is how I can better help them understand how their system is oper- ating now and what we can do to improve it. Only then do I move into the importance of air- flow and why air upgrades and duct renovations are a solid way to get their systems to peak oper- ating efficiency and comfort. We call this approach the Canco Air System Performance Verification, and this process helps us to sell more air system renovations. SELLING STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING, NOT TALKING Selling heating and cooling solutions to con- sumers can be like speaking an entirely differ- ent language. And many HVAC contractors often struggle with effectively communicating informa- tion and expectations to their customers on sales visits. The gap between the deep technical knowl- edge of those who sell HVAC services and prod- ucts and the average consumer is huge. This gap can create some unique communication obstacles working to close on sales. NCI taught us to always start by discovering customer needs. That means asking them ques- tions. The customer can tell you more in a few minutes than you could ever find out from the basement looking at a piece of duct. The customer can tell you what they’re experi- encing, what they want, and what they need. At W hile often overlooked, HVAC sys- tems play a crucial role in ensur- ing the well-being of occupants in residential, commercial, and industrial spaces. From maintaining a comfort- able temperature to improving indoor air quality, HVAC systems offer many benefits that enhance our daily lives. Over the years, I’ve learned that the world of HVAC is confusing from a consumer’s perspec- tive. That is a given. But it can be very unclear to those involved in it, too. From how equipment actually works to the science behind heat trans- fer, there is so much technical language. As we become better at discussing HVAC systems, that jargon can and often does become part of our ev- eryday speech. At Canco, we try to eliminate confusion by show- ing rather than explaining. Our National Comfort Institute (NCI) mentors always discuss systems and processes. That includes creating and sharing documentation with customers to help explain what we are doing. So, we made our own forms, which NCI’s late Rob Falke helped us build. SHOW NOT (NECESSARILY) TELL Furthermore, we always look for other tools that can help simplify the technical aspects of testing, diagnosing, and solving HVAC comfort issues. One recent tool we started working with is the measureQuick mobile app. With this tool, we can more efficiently do re- al-time field testing, and the reports mea- sureQuick produces will help us better explain what we found and what those findings mean to our customers. That’s bumped up my level of system field di- agnostics and my ability to provide prescriptions Tech Talk Doesn’t Close More Sales By Will Horner SALESNext >