< Previous20 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY TECHNICAL wall installation, Donovan noticed the snow slightly melting in two spots on the roof’s front side of the home. The walls of the third floor are angled be- cause they are part of the roof assem- bly. The rafter cavities are inaccessi- ble since the third floor is finished and drywalled. The roof assembly is second to none, very similar to the recommendations made by Joseph Lstiburek, found- er of the Building Science Cor- poration. He is considered one of the godfathers of building science. To prevent thermal bridging, Joe recom- mends adding a layer of 2-in. foam on top of the plywood roof deck. He then suggests adding wood sleeper strips and then another layer of plywood on top of the sleepers. This method provides insulation below the rafters with the closed cell foam and above them with the 2-in. foam board. This construction method also provides an air gap, which acts as a mini channel for air to cool the shin- gles in the summer. It also slightly increases the roof as- sembly’s R-value due to the air film on However, Donovan thought preserv- ing the original walls in one of the bed- rooms was essential to maintaining a crucial part of the home’s history. With the second floor now insulat- ed, we could reduce the heating re- quirements, effectively reducing the required length of the cast iron base- boards throughout. We seamlessly integrated these baseboards into custom cabinetry in each room, a testament to the team’s creativity and problem-solving skills. Heating a home without seeing or hearing the system is truly magical. The solution also became a big prob- lem. By insulating the exterior wall, we reduced the heat loss of the second floor, but the foam also reduced the heat gain. This means that the existing heat pump and air handler (used for cool- ing) were now oversized. The ground source heat pump was a two-stage, three-ton unit. After running a load calculation, we determined that a two- ton, two-stage unit would be the cor- rect sizing for the new load. We also scrutinized the existing Unico duct design. We could delete a handful of supply ducts from the sec- ond floor since we were now installing a smaller-sized heat pump. I replaced the existing 16 x 25 x 4-in. media air cleaner with an Aprilaire model 1210. The 1210 is Aprilaire’s 20 x 25 x 4-in. model. Although we didn’t need the larger filter as a means to reduce the pres- sure drop, I wanted to take advantage of being able to reduce the filter face velocity. By doing so, we increased the filter’s efficiency and effective duty cy- cle, allowing more time for loading. Two days before scheduling the dry- 2023, Mark Donovan and his family moved out of the home, and Bosi Con- struction started the demo work on the second floor. At this time, my company drained the heating system and removed the large cast iron radiators. The project scope included installing new heating pipes under the subfloor and routing them to the new cast iron baseboards. I analyzed the plans and noticed that the specified cast iron baseboards were alarmingly short, mainly because the plan was not to open the exterior walls and insulate them. To verify that the heat loss and emit- ter sizing were correct, I ran a Manu- al J load calculation and modeled the home with the “As-is” exterior wall assemblies. I found that the cast iron baseboards were extremely undersized—most by half of the required length. SOLUTIONS AND PROBLEMS In the face of this challenge, we de- vised an innovative solution. We pro- posed using closed-cell foam to reduce the heat requirements, a decision that led to the removal of the plaster on the exterior walls for insulation. A-Team checked the pressures inside the home using a blower door test. Dozens of low and high-temperature zone valves are meticulously mounted to a rack on the wall.JULY 2024 21HVACTODAY.COM TECHNICAL the large shade overhangs, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision to the next level. Mark and his wife, Mary Ludgin, will go down in history for graciously mak- ing this home their life’s work. Future generations can now enjoy their beautiful home. Being part of the 534 N. East Ave. historical renovation was an honor. air-sealing the home’s second floor. We ran the blower door at 75 Pascals to make identifying air leaks easier. We worked until we found no more air leaks using a smoke pen and an infra- red camera. The finishing details are going into the second floor. In the 11th hour, we decided to right-size and replace the first-floor heat pump and air handler to match the new load of the struc- ture (since we finished the first floor and basement). The zone systems are being removed from both systems to increase overall runtime and gain a slight efficiency boost. Mark Donovan has made his “mark” on this irreplaceable historic home, taking a house that boasts its origi- nal high-performance details, such as the top of the foam board and the un- derside of the plywood, not to mention the air gap itself. A HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOME Considering the incredible detail put into the roof assembly, anyone can see why the Goodrich house was des- tined to be a high-performance home. Donovan put the brakes on the dry- wall and said he needed to understand why the snow melted in the two spots. The day before the scheduled dry- wall installation, I showed up with my Energy Conservatory blower door, a case of caulk, and another case of spray foam. I made sure to find every leakage point that could have a con- nection to the roof. A coworker and I spent nine hours Adam Mufich is an instructor for National Comfort Institute (NCI) and an HVAC contrac- tor who recently sold his business, A-Team Heating and Cooling, Ypsilanti, MI. He is a third-generation HVAC contractor who shares his time as a co-host for the HVAC Overtime and Cooler Heads podcasts. Adam also works with the social media team at HVAC School. You can contact him at ncilink.com/ContactMe with any questions.22 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYPlus, we can cus- tomize your Onsite by combining classroom and hands-on field training. NCI instruc- tors can even ride with your technical team to a customer’s home. Each Onsite is unique. You’ll work with Nick Guarino , NCI’s Direc- tor of Operations and Sales, to create a pro- gram that meets your goals. There is no cost for a consultation and no obligation. Oh, by the way: you can earn NATE, BPI, and state CEUs (where applicable). Onsite training can minimize down- time and reduce expenses by bringing a trainer directly to you. Get a leg-up over your competition using your NCI training to take your company to the next level of High-Per- formance HVAC Contracting. Call 800-633-6017 or email to get started! Available dates are limited, and Onsites are offered on a first-come- first-served basis. Don’t miss out on this game-changing training! Bryan Orr to Keynote NCI’s Summit 2024 National Comfort Institute (NCI) is pleased to announce that HVAC School Podcaster and HVAC Contrac- tor Bryan Orr of Kalos Services will provide the keynote address for the High-Per- formance HVAC Summit . His key note, titled “How to Attract and Keep Great People on Your Team,” will ex- plain how to recruit people who have the strengths (or “points”) your team needs to succeed. Then, he’ll dive into the prin- ciples needed to keep them engaged in the tasks they do best and make them feel fulfilled enough to stick with your team for the long haul. Bryan Orr is co-founder and president of Kalos Services, a commercial/residen- tial HVACR company in Central Florida with more than 250 employees. Bryan has been involved in HVAC train- ing for over 13 years. He started HVAC School to provide free HVACR training across many mediums, For Techs, By Techs. If you want to learn more about High-Performance HVAC Summit 2024, which will be held September 10-13 in Asheville, NC, be sure to visit the gotosummit. com website. Register today and don’t forget to grab your hotel reservations with the special, low NCI rate. If you have any questions, contact your NCI Customer Care Specialist at 800-633-7058. It’s not too late to take advantage of NCI’s special summer savings when you bring NCI to your location for training! Save thousands of dollars if you hold on- site training before August 15th. These onsite sessions include NCI advanced training and certification classes in: z Duct System Optimization z Residential HVAC System Performance z Air Balancing z Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Combus- tion Testing. In addition, you can arrange for extra hands-on training, customize the event, and much more. Why do this? Our unique “ Onsite Train- ing” program, enables you to bring one of our experienced, professional trainers to your location – to get your whole team certified and working together. NCI UPDATE Sizzling Summer Savings Are Still Cooking: Schedule Onsite Training Today Bryan Orr HVAC SUMMIT 2024 HIGH-PERFORMANCE JULY 2024 23HVACTODAY.COMHVAC SMART MART 24 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAYJULY 2024 25HVACTODAY.COM AD INDEX Publisher Dominick Guarino Editor-in-Chief 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 2053, Morristown,TN 37816. Phone toll free: 800-633-7058; or visit HVACTo- day.com/subscribe to order online. Go to ncilink.com/ContactMe with your comments and questions. 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 .. 9 Duct Saddles | www.DuctSaddles.com ..................................................................................... 25 Evergreen Telemetry | www.EvergreenTelemetry.com ........................................................ 2 Lazco Corporation | www.Lazcocorp.com ............................................................................. 21 R.E. Michel Company | www.REMichel.com .......................................................................... 27 Sauermann | www.sauermanngroup.com ............................................................................ 12 TEC (The Energy Conservatory) | www.energyconservatory.com ............................... 22 To Your Success | www.ToYourSuccess.com .......................................................................... 24 Tru Tech Tools | www.TruTechTools.com ............................................................................16, 24maintain balance and keep the line between confidence and arrogance from being crossed. We are truly blessed with one of the most amaz- ing training teams. Their caring, drive, and ex- citement to help people learn new concepts and become immersed in the high-performance ap- proach is off the charts. Having said that, our team is ever-vigilant of slipping into complacency, or worse, arrogance when we have the privilege to be in front of a group of students in an NCI class. We strive to keep each other in check, not just in formal training, but in any interactions, publi- cations, presentations, podcasts, etc. Of course, none of us are perfect, but our team works hard to maintain humility and an attitude of service. We constantly remind ourselves that we have a significant responsibility to those we serve. While you may not be involved in the business of education (although, in some ways we all are), think about how learning impacts your team. Do you provide opportunities for constant learning, both formal and informal? Have you become complacent, perhaps believing that your team and organization is good enough? Do you see your organizations as average or typical? If you see your company as average, are you happy with “good enough?” If not, maybe it’s time to look for ways to make continuous learning and improvement a bigger part of your culture. On a more personal note, if you haven’t al- ready, I encourage you to personally make con- stant learning part of your daily routine. Look for learning opportunities in your human interac- tions, and in your daily tasks and projects. You’ll be amazed at the difference it will make, not just in terms of reaching your business goals, but in how it makes you feel about yourself and your personal growth. R eflecting recently on my work life revealed a common factor that helped me grow and become successful over the past, almost five decades: Learning. Over the years I’ve had several careers, includ- ing electronic engineering, and technical service and education in the medical equipment indus- try. I’ve been an editor and publisher of several magazines. I have sold HVAC and managed in- stallation crews. And for the last three decades I’ve been immersed in HVAC education. Looking back, what I find most fascinating is how much the experience and learning from each of these roles helped me in the successive one. Today, I am honored to lead National Com- fort Institute (NCI), a great organization with a mission to teach and edify all those we touch in our industry. We get to impact so many lives in a pos- itive way. And while NCI has grown significantly over the years, we constantly remind ourselves of three important tenets: 1. We must always remain in learning mode.None of us knows as much as all of us. If anyone on our team thinks they don’t need to learn anything else, we are in big trouble. 2. When we are teaching others we must always be open to new ideas.The best ideas tend to come from challenging “common knowl- edge.” Rules of thumb, and lack of fact-based, measurable information in our industry have been a major impetus for the original creation and continuous improvement of NCI’s training. 3. We must remain humble – always.While our instructors must be confident in their knowl- edge and ability to convey information in an in- teresting and engaging way, they must always be careful to not slip into arrogance. Humility is the most important trait that helps 26 JULY 2024HIGH-PERFORMANCE HVAC TODAY ONE MORE THING... By Dom Guarino Dominick Guarino is publisher of High-Performance HVAC Today magazine and President & CEO of National Comfort Institute, Inc. He can be reached at ncilink. com/ContactMe . Make Learning a Lifelong PursuitJULY 2024 27HVACTODAY.COMNext >