Cracking the Home Health Comfort Code: IAQ’s Illusory Ideals

Oct 12, 2023

Kevin Hart, founder and CEO of HAVEN IAQ, discusses the challenges in implementing IAQ solutions on a large scale. Many HVAC technicians wait for homeowners to ask about IAQ instead of proactively offering solutions. Duct and building envelope leakage contribute to IAQ issues, but not all customers are willing to pay for diagnostic tests. The effectiveness of comfort consults remains in question, but including diagnostic tests in quotes may lead to positive changes. The podcast also explores the importance of IAQ in quotes and contractor misconceptions, as well as addressing comfort and health issues in homes and frustrations with the industry.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

The Importance of Indoor Air Quality and Comfort in Homes

02:24 • 4min

Challenges in Implementing Recommended Practices

06:06 • 10min

Addressing Ductwork Problems and Diagnostic Solutions for HVAC Systems

16:14 • 4min

The Importance of Including IAQ in Quotes and Addressing Contractor Misconceptions

20:32 • 4min

Addressing Comfort and Health Issues in Homes

24:05 • 6min

Implementing an Approach to Address Home Comfort and Air Quality Issues

29:41 • 5min

Fixing Sick Homes and Frustrations with the Industry

34:17 • 4min

HAVEN IAQ founder and CEO Kevin Hart returns to the podcast to discuss cracking the home health comfort code, diving into IAQ’s illusory ideals.

Even though the industry has been generating well-thought solutions to common problems, it’s difficult to put those solutions into practice on a large scale. As a result, it’s common to rely on selling “bolt-on” IAQ products, which don’t actually solve systemic IAQ problems. HAVEN’s recent work has also shown that only a few HVAC technicians are proactively offering IAQ solutions to homeowners; the vast majority wait for the owner to ask about a solution instead.

Some IAQ issues stem from duct and building envelope leakage, meaning technicians could offer to perform diagnostic tests (like blower door testing) and address the solution holistically with building envelope and duct sealing. However, not all customers are willing to pay for these, which is one of the biggest challenges of comfort consultations. The question about the real long-term, widespread effectiveness of comfort consults remains to be answered.

Right now, we only have the illusion that IAQ problems are being solved. We might see positive changes to the state of IAQ if there is more forethought on the technician’s part to include diagnostic tests in their quotes when it makes sense to do so. Our industry may also see more proactivity in the quest to solve IAQ problems holistically by establishing sales goals and approaches.

Kevin and Bryan also cover:

Latest HAVEN IAQ developments
The IAQ status quo
Technicians and sales
Evolution of evacuation best practices in the field
Proactivity vs. reactivity when addressing IAQ problems
IAQ solution goals and approaches
The value of commissioning reports
DIY and consumer-based IAQ solutions
“Getting in the reps” when using diagnostic tools to solve problems
The benefits and challenges of selling diagnostic services

Learn more about HAVEN at https://haveniaq.com/ or become a HAVEN Pro today at https://pro.haveniaq.com/. You can also contact Kevin directly at kevin@haveniaq.com.

Learn more about the 5th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/Symposium24.

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