June 1, 2010
Cover Story
2010 Residential HVAC Contractor's Guide to Total Comfort
This special section is designed to help keep you abreast of the latest ideas and advancements that enable you to provide your customers with the most comfortable and safe indoor environment possible....
Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing: Keys to Total Comfort & Efficiency
Contractors striving to provide total comfort to customers without including testing and balancing are missing a big piece of the comfort equation....
How to Properly Seal Ducts
Duct leakage associated with forced air HVAC systems has proven to be one of the largest energy wasters in our industry. Just like many things in the HVAC business, the devil is in the details in regards to duct sealing. Depending on who you talk to, you could get a number of different answers on the proper way to seal a duct system. There are a lot of different tools, materials, methods, and testing that contractors are using to seal ducts. ...
Filters: Prevent Air Side Issues at the Source
Filter maintenance is often maligned and thought of as minor when looking at the overall maintenance program. It is, however, important to the efficient operation of the equipment, and will reduce the amount of labor that will be needed when the annual cleaning is performed. ...
Columns
Home Star: Welcome to Reality 101
Contractors can all contribute to making the Homestar Act into a real, work¬ing law that benefits all its stakeholders ...
Running Service Step Nine: Closing on Service Calls
Editor’s Note: Charlie Greer is in the midst of a year-long primer designed to teach you what to do when running service calls, and how to maximize each call in an honest and professional manner. Here is installment number 9....
Prospecting in a Challenging Economy
There are always situations where we have little control. One example is the swing of the economic pendulum. In the past 40 years, I've endured several recessions, but never to the magnitude of this one. As I've mentioned, when the going gets tough (financially), building owners and managers look for budget cuts....
Homestar: There’s Still Time To Improve It
There's a good chance you’ve heard about Homestar, the $6 billion Federal energy efficiency program created by the proposed legislation, H.R. 5019, and S.3177 Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010. ...
Articles
You Need the Right Fuel to Turbocharge Profits
Every contractor will tell you that he or she would like more customers, more sales, and more profits. The trouble is, those things are outputs. You can’t control them; they’re the result of other things. Fortunately, the things that lead to those outputs are under your control. Five inputs — leads, closes, deals, average sale, and upsells — will lead to the three outputs you desire....
Ice Machine Preventive Maintenance
Know the proper steps to performing a general PM check on a commercial ice machine....
LEED® and the Sheet Metal Contractor
he Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system has quickly become the industry benchmark for a building’s sustainability and energy performance. More and more owners, corporations and developers are choosing to register their buildings under one of the various LEED rating systems. Governmental agencies are beginning to mandate LEED certification for all of their new buildings as well as their existing portfolio of buildings. ...
NATE Top Techs
At HVAC Comfortech 2009, North American Technician Excellence (NATE) recognized five "Top Techs" from across the country. This month, Contracting Business is pleased to introduce you to Keith Kane, commercial service technician, Thermal Services Inc., Omaha, NE....
Tools of the Trade
To provide excellent service, a successful HVAC contractor needs reliable tools and equipment. Tools of the Trade offers a look at the tools, equipment, and services these contractors use to help them run their businesses....
Alllied Air Impresses Distributors With New Heating, Cooling Products
Allied Air unveiled a series of innovative marketing initiatives to benefit its distributors, dealers and consumers....
Rheem-Ruud Hybrid Heat Pump Promo: Cash, Free Water Heater
Rheem Water Heating recently launched a special spring and summer sales promotion to encourage HVAC/plumbing contractors to buy and install the new Rheem or Ruud HP series of hybrid electric water heaters with energy-saving heat pump technology. ...
Noritz Opens Tankless Heating Showroom and Training Facility
Noritz America Corporation recently opened a new showroom and contractor-training facility in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta. The facility will be used to provide practical instruction on the benefits of tankless water heating for HVAC, plumbing, and mechanical professionals and their customers....
Lennox Names Michael Blatz President/COO of Service Experts
Lennox International, Inc. has appointed Michael J. Blatz as president and chief operating officer of its Service Experts business segment.Blatz succeeds Scott Boxer, who announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2010....
Danfoss Wins Ingersoll-Rand Supplier of the Year Award
Danfoss, Baltimore, MD, was presented the Ingersoll-Rand "Go Green" Supplier of the Year Award, for its efforts in reducing and recycling materials at the Ingersoll-Rand/Trane facility in Lexington, KY....
Distributor, Suppliers Help Contractors Shake the Blues
Engel HVAC Supply, a division of Trane distributor Air Purchases, Inc., recently hosted an "Open House of Blues" for area HVAC contractors, complete with its very own "Blues Brothers," gig. ...
Icor International Launches Icor Mobile Website
Icor International, Indianapolis, IN, has launched a new website, Icor Mobile (icor.mobi.). The website delivers content available on the company's main site, but is designed for easier navigation on a mobile device....
Honeywell, Oil Heat Cares Volunteer at YMCA Camp
Honeywell and Rebuilding Together Providence marshalled an all-day revitalization project at the YMCA Shepard Reservation Day Camp for underprivileged children. ...
Rinnai Products Featured In HGTV Green Home
Rinnai Corporation reports that three products from its energy-efficient product line are featured in the HGTV Green Home 2010, located in Plymouth, MA....
Advanced Telemetry Names Watkins VP Commercial Sales
Advanced Telemetry, San Diego, CA, developer of the EcoView™ smart energy management system for light commercial and residential applications, has named Davis Watkins as its vice president of commercial sales. ...
National Comfort Institute Hosts 7th Annual Summit Meeting
This year’s NCI meeting focused on many changes the HVAC industry has undergone in the legislative, financial, and technology areas, ...
Clockwork Home Services Brings
Expert Advice to Contractors
Clockwork Home Services, Inc.® recently hosted an event for contractors interested in growing their companies. The event, called “Focus on Your Future,” was held on May 7th in Dallas, TX. ...
Women in HVACR Meeting to Focus on Team Building
Women in HVACR www.womeninhvacr.org will host their 7th Annual Meeting on September 22, during HVACR Week in conjunction with HVAC Comfortech. ...
