< Previouswho decides to start their own HVAC company. What do they usually do? What would you do? You might interview some of the more prominent owners in your area, look at their operations, and get some ideas about what a successful HVAC company should look like. It might even seem to make sense that starting a business should look like successful competitors. Right? In the article, Falke wrote something very pro- found: “Current conditions position our industry to deliver a custom product…” What is that cus- tom product? He writes, “… installed HVAC sys- tems documented to be far superior to the level the industry now offers.” Falke wasn’t talking about technological ad- vances in HVAC equipment. He was saying it’s time to GET OUT of “commodity selling.” What does that mean? A commodity is an es- sential good used in commerce that is inter- changeable with other commodities of the same type.” If the product is “interchangeable,” why should the price be higher? If you are dedicated to High-Performance HVAC Contracting, as NCI says, “If you’re not measuring, you’re just guessing™” and “The power is in the proof.” The suggested solution is not revolutionary, but a fundamental principle that solid faith (trust) is based on accurate knowledge. IN A CLASS BY OURSELVES At Crossway Mechanical, we believe in the High-Performance HVAC approach. The prin- ciples that Rob “Doc” Falke and NCI prescribe kept us healthy before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Those same principles put us in a unique, highly desirable position – with no real competition. High-performance T his article is not about whiskey or rum. But, hey … isn’t it obvious (even when it comes to distilled spirits) that MORE PROOF = MORE POWER? In producing alcohol, “proof” is the Alcohol Content by Volume (ABV) times two. What is “proof” when it comes to High-Per- formance HVAC™ contracting? In this case, evi- dence is sufficient to establish that measurements are accurate which produce belief in its truth. The “power” of alcohol works in the mind. It al- ters a person’s mood, relaxes them, and perhaps even makes them more receptive. What is “pow- er” when it comes to High-Performance HVAC contracting? The standard definition is that pow- er is the ability, capacity, influence, or authority to cause something to happen. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Let’s relate this to something meaningful in life. What I am talking about is spirituality. Somebody once suggested that I don’t have to understand when it comes to questions about where I came from, why I am here, and what lies ahead. I need to believe. Well, my response to that is, “Uh … NO! Show me your facts, show me your data, show me the research.” In an article in Contracting Business maga- zine titled, What Is the Current State of the HVAC Industry, the late Rob Falke of Nation- al Comfort Institute (NCI) highlighted that doing things the right way should be the norm, but it seems to be the exception. This can be especially true if your HVAC busi- ness is in a highly competitive and price-driven market. Why is it so? Think about the “ace” technician 10 JUNE 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY The Power of High Performance is in the Proof By David Small MANAGEMENTand the system is balanced, you can provide your customer with a side-by- side comparison report showing that you delivered what was promised. THE RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES The power is in the proof, and the evidence is seen in the types of online reviews that Crossway Mechanical re- ceives. Just look at what some custom- ers have said about the results of our High-Performance HVAC Contracting yields: “We’ve worked with Crossway several times, and they always ex- ceed our expectations. They do exact- ly what they say they will, and their team is trustworthy and honest. Brian has put together a great team and is always available when we have an AC question. Luis and his crew did our in- stall, and we were so pleased with our new unit. They cut NO corners and of- fered solutions that other AC compa- nies hadn’t even mentioned.” “Professionalism, honesty, man- ners, and friendliness: there are not enough adjectives for this company and its employees. They know what they are doing. They understand the needs of your home. The employees are knowledgeable and professional. By looking at them (dress code and overall manners), you can tell they are the real deal and the right com- pany to care for your AC/Heating needs. Extremely happy and satisfied customer here. Thank you, Crossway, for taking care of our home and our family’s comfort needs. God bless you and your employees. P.S. - David was just at our house. His professionalism and manners were off the chart. I would use Cross- way again and recommend it to friends, family, and neighbors. Excel- lent work, Crossway!!!” “We recently completed our new construction project to create a mold- free home. Brian’s expertise and input were invaluable throughout the pro- cess. I don’t know how I would have made it through the process with- out Brian’s consulting. I highly rec- ommend him to anyone wanting a High-Performance HVAC system.” These results prove our power to provide our customers with the best services. If you are not currently in- volved in the high-performance ap- proach to contracting, maybe it’s time to consider a change. contractors in our market are in a class by ourselves. Does this sound like bragging? “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.” The path to high performance is an investment in your future. Learning to test, measure, and diagnose system (including ductwork) issues will set you apart, enabling you to provide ser- vices your customers need, want, and deserve. With that in mind, check out the ComfortMaxx™ Verify program. Position yourselves to confidently say to your customers, “We not only stand behind our promise to deliver a com- fortable, efficient, safe, and healthy in- door environment; we can prove it!” zGenerate leads for system renova- tions and improvements zDifferentiates you from competitors zEasy-to-read visual reports for your customers zIt takes less than 10 minutes on a service call zAdds credibility to your testing zSimplifies air diagnostic testing z Improves tech testing accuracy zConsistent testing process across all your field people zProvides baseline data to compare to test-out z Monitor your techs’ test results zPerform ComfortMaxx Air or Veri- fy tests zCreate multiple detailed printable PDF reports, including side-by-side test-in and test-out comparisons zShare in-depth visual reports with your customers. ComfortMaxx Verify is the ultimate in total HVAC system performance measurement. By performing a test- in before you begin renovation work and a test-out after the job is complete JUNE 2024 11HVACTODAY.COM David Small is Quality Assurance and Techni- cal Excellence manager at Houston-based Crossway Mechanical LLC. He is also a NATE senior analyst. Small’s background includes careers at both Carrier Enterprise and Trane. He can be reached at ncilink.com/ContactMe.12 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYJULY 2024 13HVACTODAY.COM By John Boylan MANAGEMENT training here and bringing in third party training organizations to help has many more benefits and is ultimately more cost-effective than sending my techs out to external training (though we do some of that as well). BUILDING A TRAINING CENTER Though this is not a requirement, it’s been something I have always wanted to do. We ex- panded our facility several years ago after a tenant moved out. We used that space to build a working training room with live-fire equipment for hands-on testing. In 2014, one of my goals was to have all my techs certified in air balancing and CO. Today, I can say that we’ve accomplished that and more. Training and certification are just some of the ingredients that make the cake. The outcome is using training and certification to build up our techs and create careers at Lakeside. OUR OVERALL TRAINING PROGRAM TODAY Our in-house training program typically ad- dresses four areas: zNATE certification z Factory/manufacturer updates and products zInstallation and service best practices z Specific topics that directly affect our recall percentages. Our program starts with setting consistent dates and times. For example, we hold classes on installation techniques and practices on Mon- day mornings. Those classes might include how to correctly pull a vacuum and charge a system, how to commission equipment and set up air- flow, brazing, or duct fabrication. On Thursday mornings, we have service class- es. Those include how to diagnose low voltage A t Lakeside Service, we have been doing structured and consistent in-house training for the past three years. However, it took us years to cre- ate the structure of our program and a lot of effort to keep things as simple as possible. Don’t get me wrong, we have always been strong proponents of training our team – but un- til three years ago, our training was not organized or necessarily focused on creating career paths to help employees better themselves, earn more money, and have targeted goals to help them do those things. Why make the career path change? Frankly, it was not only to create a technician corps that was unsurpassed in our marketplace, but it was also a way to help us keep techs happy and loyal to Lakeside Service. In-house training became the centerpiece of our approach. I have found that doing as much Why We Consider In-House Training to be Essential14 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY MANAGEMENT that provide incremental opportuni- ties for our technicians — installers and service techs — to advance. That meant developing “Lakeside” stan- dards based on High-Performance HVAC™ standards. That led to creating a career path self-assessment, which illustrates each type of service, guiding each apprentice to becoming a craftsman. Every career path opportunity has specific bench- marks to help our team achieve their desired pay or skill levels. We offer the specific training associated with each skill and pay level. As I said earlier, NATE certification is an entry-level requirement. All our technicians must earn that certifica- tion. We also require and provide train- ing from National Comfort Institute (NCI) in airflow and combustion and carbon monoxide (CO) safety training and certification. These are required to be on our install or service teams. Our written self-assessment allows techs to rate themselves. We use a 1-to-5 rating process where one means zero experience, and five means expert enough to teach somebody else. Each tech rates themselves and their peers. The managers also use this system to assess the techs. Then, they sit down together, review their strengths and weaknesses, and develop training pro- tocols to help them improve and grow. Each career level has required mile- stones necessary for the technician to advance. We use the assessments to create goals for each technician based on what they need to “level up,” and this also creates a template for our performance review process. The key is that we never “complete” training for our team. There is always a next step. However, once a tech meets a specific pre-determined goal with measurably proven proficiency, the team member receives a pay ad- justment connected to that goal. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Our in-house training depends on clear communication. Team leaders communicate during our weekly man- ager meetings, and we pick training content based on the needs identified in those meetings. Usually, training content focuses on skills needed to get technicians to the next level in their career path, which includes maintaining CEUs for Lake- side’s required certifications. Content is also in response to customer service standards or company objectives like reducing callbacks. Training content requires constant monitoring and communication about what is happening in the field to best use training budgets and time. Our service and installation manag- ers are responsible for developing and updating training materials. Some- times, there’s a crossover event, such as when NCI comes in. All our depart- ments participate in that. Our distributors and manufacturers provide a lot of product and equipment training. We update guys on new Wi-Fi smart technology, new equipment that communicates via an app, etc. We are mindful of how we approach coaching callbacks. Suppose a callback issues and verify compressor failures or heat exchanger failures. We also cov- er department issues that are causing recalls. If we notice a trend in recalls, the leadership team discusses what we think are the causes, and design a class to teach processes that reduce unbill- able calls. We recently did this for installation because we experienced more than normal refrigerant leaks on our win- ter air conditioning installations this spring. We discovered that the team was pulling a vacuum using their gauges and hoses, which were not rat- ed to pull a vacuum. We realized the readings weren’t al- ways accurate. In response, we creat- ed a tool package for pulling a vacuum with the proper hoses, a valve-pulling tool, and a Bluetooth micron gauge to record the readings and take screen- shots. All that data gets uploaded to Service Titan. By implementing this simple pro- cess, we no longer have those recalls. Other training happens on Satur- days. That’s when we offer NATE-spe- cific training to prepare techs and in- stallers for NATE certification. At Lakeside, all field personnel have 90 days to become NATE certified. This requirement is essential to new technicians if they want to evolve into someone who can work independently in their own truck. We found that the only way to get this done was to create classes to help them. CAREER DEVELOPMENT This is structured to create levels JULY 2024 15HVACTODAY.COM a few times a year is vital. Typically, it is National Comfort Institute on the technical side. Why? We focus on the High-Performance HVAC™ approach, and I find that when I bring in multi- ple source technical trainers, my tech- nicians start to get mixed messages. Our philosophy and focus are on system performance, as taught by NCI. That is the message we want our team to receive. So, we typically don’t bring in other outside technical train- ing organizations. We budget to bring in NCI twice a year. In spring, they teach airflow; in the fall, before the start of the heating season, they teach combustion. On the sales and business side of our training approach, we use BDR. Un- like NCI, we meet their coaches virtu- ally twice per month. We also work with the John Max- well group on leadership train- ing once a year. Again, these programs are virtual, helping us to develop the next generation of leaders. When we hire, we look for young peo- ple with leadership potential. Leader- ship potential means they have a good attitude, are helpful, coachable, and have some charisma. We look for peo- ple who also care and have integrity. We go through assessments not only on technical and sales abilities but also on leadership. We even look at appren- tices in this way. How enthusiastic are they? Do they work smart and hard? I ask my leadership team to think about these things and allow these young people to go into the field, which will make them better field people. as maintenance technicians. This train- ing helps them progress faster into the more advanced roles, gets them into demand service when maintenance is not busy, and eventually, the call rota- tion. This approach is a less intimidat- ing progression for them. Any person who trains technicians must have certifications and experi- ence in the topic they will teach. The team leader chooses them based on demonstrated competency. Internal trainers must keep their certifications current and must attend factory train- ing along with all in-house training. We post all the available classes and hold them accountable for attending them. Mentoring is a requirement. Our pods are really a “Leadership School.” Again, we assign four techs to a senior tech (the field mentor). The mentors report to the department (service or in- stallation) manager and work with that manager to help the techs in their pod. THE THIRD-PARTY ONSITE COMPONENT Finally, hosting professional training occurs around a specific tech or team, – that requires one-on-one training with the tech involved. “PODS” KEEP THINGS SIMPLE At Lakeside, we also enable lead technicians (two in the service de- partment, one in the installation de- partment) to help a small group of less-experienced techs. We call this a pod. It works like this: Our service manager has two great senior technicians. One is good at sell- ing agreements, add-ons, other acces- sories, and customer service. The other is amazing at technical things like test- ing and diagnosing invisible problems. Each of these two senior techs has four technicians who they mentor. The sales-focused senior tech may teach his pod how to offer accessories. The senior technical tech can focus on teaching his pod how to take measure- ments, how to interpret them, where to take them, etc. We measure how well the training works using our KPIs (key performance indicators). We look for improvements on specific things every week. Then, there are meetings between the service manager and those senior team leaders. The service manager dis- cusses how the pods are doing, asks to see training demos the senior tech used with their pod, and asks how he can help them be better trainers. This program works the same way on the installation side. In both cases, we have measurable improvements. It really helps guys who are fresh out of school — specifically those starting they’re proud of what they are doing. It’s very gratifying. I never dreamed that training would be so much a part of what I do each day. It’s become one of the most re- warding parts of my business because it’s one of the things that always re- turns on its investment. the right direction, focus, and orga- nize. But now that we’ve gotten into a rhythm — training happens consis- tently at consistent points in time in a technician’s career — my life has got- ten so much easier. It gives me more time to work on the business, not just in it. It gives me time to focus on what lies ahead regarding changes in the industry, technology, and regulations. And it allows me to see where we need improvement. Our in-house training and career program require continuous improvement. Plus, my technicians love it. We fre- quently get feedback, and thanks for the training. It’s our culture, and it builds morale. It’s made everyone’s life better. I have technicians now who teach other technicians because I aim to get those guys the right books to read to help them create the right mindset for leadership early on. The bottom line is that anyone can be- come a pod leader, given their talent, drive, and willingness to serve. For these reasons, we focus on three third-party in-house training programs: people, sales, and leadership. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT As I have said, training never ends. Putting together career paths and training that coincide with those is hard. It required a lot of work to get it going. But as the training programs gain momentum, they take on a life of their own. They become a tradition and are vital to our culture. It’s a lot of work to get it moving in John Boylan is the general manager of Lakeside Service Com- pany in Brighton, MI. The company specializes in designing, engineering, and installing complete comfort systems in new and existing homes. He strongly believes in the high-performance approach to HVAC contracting and is a champion for using KPIs as a management tool. To contact John, go to ncilink.com/ ContactMe. 16 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYI quickly realized that the home had geother- mal heating and air conditioning. The system uses hot water heat. I was trying to make mental notes as Donovan introduced me to the dozens of low and high-tem- perature zone valves meticulously mounted to a rack on the wall. A Water Furnace water-to- water heat pump provides heat to an Ergomax reverse indirect buffer tank. The home’s domestic hot water is preheated through a heat exchanger in the Ergomax tank. The water returns to full temperature by run- ning through a brazed plate heat exchanger fed by a condensing wall-hung boiler. Two more wa- ter-to-water split heat pumps are mounted to a custom rack. One of the heat pumps connects to a Unico high-velocity system, which serves the basement and first floor. The second split has a similar set- up, which serves the second and third floors. Zoning for both forced air systems uses an Arzel pneumatic zone system. The home’s IAQ is on point, with two Re- newAire ERVs providing ventilation and effi- cient bathroom exhaust. Both high-velocity air handlers have media filters and a bypass HEPA installed for advanced filtration. The home also has two Nortec (now Condair) steam humidi- fiers installed to help maintain the proper humid- ity in the dry winter months. Another wall-hung boiler is across from the me- chanical room, which provides heat for the snow melt system. Around the corner is a tiny closet with thermostats mounted to a hinged panel. This control room was later hidden behind a se- cret hinged bookshelf like the ones you would ex- pect to see in a James Bond movie. The thermostats in the control room are S ometime at the end of 2018, I bid on a job at the historic “Harry Goodrich House,” one of the first architectural treasures built in Oak Park, Illinois, by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. My first memory of the property was walking towards the front porch, overwhelmed by the home’s magnificent exterior detail. A gray-haired gentleman with a charismatic smile greeted me. He reached out to shake my hand and said, “Hi, my name is Mark Donovan. I will be the best and worst customer you have ever had.” Little did I know that he wasn’t joking. We stood at the front door for a few minutes ex- changing formalities and then headed down to the basement for my first glimpse of the engineer- ing masterpiece. MECHANICAL PERFECTION We walked into a small mechanical room, and I was immediately in awe and, at the same time, overwhelmed by the sheer mechanical perfection that filled every square inch of the room. 18 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY High-Performance HVAC™ Design Helps Attain Historic Efficiency By Adam Mufich TECHNICAL Keeping the house historically relevant while moderniz- ing the comfort system required careful design and plan- ning. On the right side of the photo is a “punch list” that A-Team followed to ensure the project was done right.carpenters look like mere apprentices. Mark had one complaint about his system during the heating season: he always heard circulator pumps run- ning in the basement. We discovered the sound came from the many small zones in his home, plus several circulators to accomplish different tasks within the system. I am embarrassed to say how long it took me to understand the idea that there is thermal comfort and over- all comfort. Sound plays into people’s overall comfort and is almost as im- portant as thermal comfort in some circumstances. Another related complaint was the watt draw of the heating system while it was operating. Donovan identified the usage with an Emporia Vue en- ergy monitor system. This watt draw wasn’t surprising be- cause the system had four B&G PL- 36 circulators installed on the heat- ing side and another Taco circulator on the domestic recirculation loop. Since the zones were so small, they also had B&G differential bypass valves installed on low- and high-tem- perature circuits. One by one, we replaced the origi- nal circulators with Grundfos ECM circulators. By doing so, we could re- move the differential bypass valves be- cause the new circulators could ramp down when only one or two zones were calling, matching their speed to the system’s demand. This fix will be a long-term solution for system watt draw and a drastic re- duction in overall sound. THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE PROJECT After completing work in the base- ment, the second floor was the only thing left to do. At the beginning of adjusted wirelessly by either a phone or tablet via an app by Tekmar. OUR EARLY CONTRIBUTIONS When we became the new HVAC contractor, the general contractor, Bosi Construction, started to finish the basement. They were building cus- tom benches around the game room, and Mark Donovan wanted to ensure that people sitting on the benches didn’t feel the cool temperature of the stone foundation. We added copper fin tubes inside of the benches. Each bench was cus- tom-made with an air slot along the floor and another along the back. When this zone is on, it trickles heat along the back wall as the guests enjoy a comfortable game of pool. Around the same time, we were con- tracted to cool a wine cellar that Don- ovan wanted to build. We installed a small refrigeration condenser in one of the laundry room cabinets. We also installed a Daikin mini- split high-wall evaporator altered to work with the condenser. The design hid every part of the system with cus- tom cabinetry that would make most JULY 2024 19HVACTODAY.COM The mechanical room pictured here was as much a work of art as the Frank Lloyd Wright design for the house itself (top of page).Next >