Building HVAC Science

Bill & Eric had a great time digging into the details of all things IAQ with John Ellis.   Our conversation covered a new air filtration product developed by John in collaboration with Dustfree.    Eric queried John on the applications for and design of the product. John with his 43 years of field experience, describes the collaboration with Dustfree's engineers and the development of this novel filtration system that employs all five filtration methods and has received ASHRAE 52.2 credentials with a MERV 16 rating.   John elaborates on the technical aspects of the filtration system, explaining the static pressure drops for different unit sizes and emphasizes the filter's long life of 2 to 5 years.    He also discusses how the product effectively addresses PM 2.5 and maintains its efficiency through a robust electrostatic component. He distinguishes this product from competitors, noting their shortcomings, and focuses on the unique features of their filtration system, such as even loading and a comprehensive approach to capturing various particle sizes.   A we wrap up, the conversation shifts to the practical applications and installation aspects of the filtration system. John shares insights into the design considerations for different furnace sizes and the simplicity of the filter box design, which requires either four or three filters, depending on the unit. He also mentions the flexibility of installation in various settings like attics, basements, and commercial spaces.    Ellis covers his distribution strategy, emphasizing the product's ease of transport and assembly, which makes it convenient for contractors and distributors alike.    Our conversation concludes with a discussion on building forensics and the importance of proper investigation and diagnosis in indoor air quality solutions, highlighting John’s extensive experience in the field.   John’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-sme-b13b0411/   John is also very active in HVAC Facebook groups. This episode was recorded in November 2023  

Eric and I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dominick Guarino the Chairman & CEO of the National Comfort Institute (NCI) about its mission to improve the HVAC industry through education and training. Here are the key points: NCI's origin and mission: Founded in 1998 by Dominick Guarino and the late Rob Falke. Driven by the desire to improve comfort, energy efficiency, safety, and health in homes and buildings. Focusing on high-performance HVAC and the importance of measuring delivered performance. NCI's activities: Offers technical training classes on airflow, combustion balancing, refrigerant side performance testing, and more. Develops and provides certifications, such as the only CO and combustion certification in the industry. Emphasizes the importance of communication and customer service for HVAC professionals. Helps contractors monetize their services by demonstrating the value they provide. NCI's team: Composed of passionate individuals with industry experience and a commitment to high-performance HVAC. Key members include David Richardson (VP of training), Casey Contreras (trainer), John Perer (trainer), Al D’Ambola (trainer), Jim Ball (trainer), and Jim Davis ("Captain Combustion"). NCI's impact: Trained thousands of technicians and contractors over the years. Helped raise awareness about the importance of CO safety and proper combustion testing. Contributed to the development of modern CO and combustion analyzers. Additional information: NCI has membership program with member benefits and a summit event every year. Eric Kaiser's first HVAC industry class was NCI's CO and combustion class with Jim Davis, which significantly impacted his career. Dom’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominickguarino/ Learn more about NCI at https://nationalcomfortinstitute.com/ This episode was recorded in December 2023  

Eric and I had a great time learning about Classset, a platform that connects skilled trades workers with potential employers. Here's a 3-paragraph summary: Classset was founded by Cooper Newby and his co-founder Nick Jones, who were inspired by their previous experience recruiting blue-collar workers and their belief in the potential of the skilled trades. They saw a need for a platform that would help people learn about and access skilled trades careers, and Classset was born. Classset offers a variety of resources for both job seekers and employers. Job seekers can find information about different trades, compare salaries and training requirements, and even build profiles showcasing their skills and experience. Employers can post job openings, screen candidates, and connect with qualified workers. Classset also has a focus on mentorship and apprenticeship programs, recognizing the importance of hands-on learning in the skilled trades. Classset is still a relatively new platform, but it is growing rapidly. The company has developed a number of innovative features, such as the "Periodic Table of Skilled Trades" and a free applicant tracking system, to help connect job seekers and employers. With its focus on making skilled trades careers more accessible and attractive, Classset has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of many people. AI prescreening and recruiter screening for candidates weeds out the 40% of candidates who are unresponsive so you only interview people who fit your 'must have criteria'. Companies simply funnel the marketing spend that they would put into other job boards and we manage all the ads and screening for companies. At the end of the day, trades companies and candidates are only getting busier so we want to make it as easy for people to connect and advance their careers. Cooper’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coopernewby/ Other links we mention: Classet Job Search, Apprenticeship search and trades school ratings: https://www.classet.org/jobs Periodic Table of skilled trades - short tik tok videos and salary/career exploration to help people explore the different trades: https://www.classet.org/skilled-trades-careers Video Skilled Trades Quiz to find your trades fit: https://www.classet.org/skilled-trades-quiz Classet handy helper - AI text bot - answer your trades questions via text: https://www.classet.org/land/classet-handy-helper?utm_source=blog Example of our pages answering questions about certifications requirements in each state https://www.classet.org/license/HVAC%20Tech/Texas 'Baseball Card' Portfolios for trades candidates - view pictures of trades projects and tradesman portfolios to stand out more: https://www.classet.org/projects?s=popularity https://www.classet.org/profile/11a599b9.   They have a free tier of our Applicant tracking system for companies. https://www.classet.org/for-companies    This episode was recorded in November 2023  

Eric and I had the pleasure of interviewing Shawna Henderson, as self-proclaimed building science wonk: who works to keep it real in the field and make it real with online training for builders and renovators. A unique thought she shares were her remarks on building science haiku: how structure, components and requirements can create thousands of variations. Shawna, with 30 years of experience since 1992, is dedicated to energy-efficiency and housing. Her passion lies in building science, energy efficiency, and fostering collaboration for a sustainable residential construction industry. As Blue House Energy's CEO, she focuses on online training for building science and energy efficiency. Their mission is to create quality online training for home renovation and construction pros, delivered through regional and national partners. Under her Bfreehomes role, Shawna works on sustainable and accessible design projects, including deep energy retrofits and net zero energy homes. She's an experienced presenter at conferences, with expertise in deep energy retrofits, solar thermal systems, and authorship of sustainable housing books. Shawna's involvement extends to organizations like the NZE Coalition's Education Action Team, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's Green Building Task Force, and CHBA's NZE Retrofit Working Group. Specialties: residential energy analysis, barrier-free home design, solar home design, deep energy retrofits, plain language writing, and e-learning production.   Shawna’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnahenderson/ Shawna’s online courses: https://bluehouseenergy.com/   This episode was recorded in November 2023  

We’ve kept Eric Kaiser, our Industry Engagement Manager, busy for the last couple years and especially in 2023. Part of his busy-ness was related to traveling to various conferences, meetings and events. In this episode, Bill and Eric chat about these experiences and how they help us better serve customers and the industry. This episode was recorded in December 2023  

Niek-Jan’s Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/niek-jan-bink-18b6203/ ACIN Products: http://www.acin.nl/ RETROTEC and ACIN at TruTech Tools: https://trutechtools.com/retrotec   Eric and I had the pleasure of interviewing Niek Jan Bink, a Dutch national who has been working in the HVAC industry for over 20 years.  He is the founder of Acin, a company that manufactures airflow measurement products.    PostScript after recording: Niek-Jan noted his personal friendship with Ben Walker and his colleagues at Retrotec and thanks Sam Myers for being a great ambassador for ACIN!   Over the years, Bink has traveled extensively to the United States for both business and pleasure. Key trips included attended the HVAC Symposium in Florida and has also visited his daughter, who played field hockey for the Champions at University of Delaware. (2016 NCAA National Championship.) Niek-Jan shared with us how he is impressed by the open and friendly culture of the HVAC industry in the United States. He finds that people are more willing to give feedback, both positive and negative. Bink is also interested in the use of social media in the HVAC industry. He believes that platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook can be valuable tools for connecting with potential customers and colleagues.  Bink is particularly interested in the use of social media to share knowledge and information. He believes that this can help to improve the overall quality of the HVAC industry.  Overall, Bink is a positive and enthusiastic advocate for the HVAC industry. He is excited about the future of the industry and believes that it has a lot to offer the world. Here are some key takeaways from the interview: The HVAC industry in the United States is open and friendly. Social media can be a valuable tool for connecting with potential customers and colleagues. Sharing knowledge and information on social media can help to improve the overall quality of the HVAC industry. This episode was recorded in October 2023.  

Eric and I had a great conversation with Louise Kellar, the National Training Manager for UEi Test instruments. We share a lot of common ground with Louise on education and proper application in test and measurement. And in this interview Eric and Louise literally shared the common ground they were standing on during the interview which was conducted in the TruTech west studio in Indianapolis, IN. We learn how Lousie’s work experience has perfectly tailored for her current role at UEi and what it is like to work for a large family business. We also discuss how women are still underrepresented in the HVAC industry, making up only about 2% of the workforce. And we settle in on a number of things that can be done to encourage more women to enter the HVAC industry, such as: Providing more opportunities for women to learn about the industry Creating more mentorship programs for women in the industry Promoting the HVAC industry as a viable career option for women The HVAC industry is changing and becoming more inclusive, and there are more opportunities than ever for women to succeed in this field. We also reference Jennifer Manzo and HVAChicks – who came on in EP 129 Women should not be afraid to pursue careers in the HVAC industry, and they should know that there is a supportive community of women who are there to help them succeed.   Louise’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-kellar-bbb659101/ UEi Test Products: https://www.ueitest.com/ECommerce/Default.aspx UEi at TruTechTools: https://trutechtools.com/uei Women in HVACR group: https://www.womeninhvacr.org/   This episode was recorded in October 2023  

Eric and I agree: Tersh Blissett would win the best-dressed in HVAC award if there was one. But beyond his dashing apparel, Tersh is a person of many talents. As a visionary creator of the Service Business Mastery podcast (now with co-host Josh Crouch), he is a font of wisdom and inspiration that has been flowing since 2017 when he became part of Bryan Orr’s Blue Collar Roots Network with me (and this podcast) and others. While the Blue Collar Roots Network is now defunct, the spirit still lives on. Tersh has a great entrepreneurial mind, building multiple profitable home service businesses that thrive in the small-town market of Savannah, GA. He is a constant learner, in both the technical and businesses aspects of his work, but more than that he is a great communicator of what he learns as he keeps a crazy schedule between his business, his podcast, his community work and most importantly his family.   He truly puts people over profits and teaches everyone from his office staff to his technicians to do the same. Tersh excels in bringing the very best technology to everything he does in the HVAC  Tersh’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tershblissett/ Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/c/servicebusinessmasterypodcast   This episode was recorded in October 2023  

Listen in as Eric and I interview two of the leaders of Malco products and learn how they have become the nation’s leading solution developers and manufacturers of “tools of the trade” for HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning), exterior remodeling, and more. Joining us is Rich Benninghoff, President & CEO, along with Rebecca Talbot, Malco’s VP of Marketing. They share with us the rich history and promising future of a successful and well-run manufacturer. In fact, Rich helped our team at TruTech better understand the principles and benefits of EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System which he uses at Malco- you learn more about EOS in Episode 137 of this podcast. Post recording note: In the trade show part of our discussion, we mention Metalcon as upcoming, but it has already taken place in Oct 2023. Rich and Rebecca share closing thoughts that illustrate how they keep an eye on the past, remembering how they got here, along with an eye on the future, for growth.  Rich’s Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-benninghoff Rebecca’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccajtalbot/ Product Idea submission: https://www.malcoproducts.com/ideas/ Distributor resources: https://www.malcoproducts.com/distributors/ Educator programs: https://www.malcoproducts.com/educators-resources/ Catalogs: https://www.malcoproducts.com/catalogs/ Video Gallery: https://www.malcoproducts.com/videos/ Head of the Class program for HVAC and Building Construction: https://www.malcoproducts.com/educators-resources/ For information on the annual Trade Pro of the Year and Counterperson of the Year programs, be sure to sign up for the Malco Newsletter for the latest news. https://www.malcoproducts.com/mailing-list/   Want to connect in person, Malco will be at booth S7744 in Chicago, IL for the AHR trade show. You can always stay in touch with Malco on their socials, be sure to follow them on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok. This episode was recorded in October 2023  

Another post on LinkedIn is what got this conversation/episode started. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7104814299386171392/ Perhaps it was the architectural rendering of a piece of cake that caught my eye – well done Steven! (FYI as of this writing this post has 564 reactions, 59 comments and 45 reposts- that’s influence!) Meet Steven Biersteker, architect by day and content creator by night. Here is his LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-biersteker/ We explore a lot of topics in this episode including why Steven entered this field and how he got to where he is today. (My favorite part of every episode.) Other notions we discuss: Getting to low operational carbon is simple ... in theory. We are running highly efficient buildings on high carbon fuels. Citizens need to demand better and use energy smarter. Designing highly efficient buildings is critical, but so is low-carbon electricity and smart users. We learned that he’s writing a book (ABCs of Carbon + Architecture) because he sees a big problem: There is a huge gap between the know-it-alls and the know-it-nots. His book will be simple to read, digestible, and most importantly brief (see the book outline below). And also see below for 10 important questions about low carbon design for every architect and builder to ask themselves/their client. It’s on all of us to work together, you can make a difference. Be willing to ask questions. This episode was recorded in October 2023. Here is a sneak peak of the key topics in his book: CARBON LINGO - The Key terms you need to know GLOBAL WARMING 101 - The basics, nothing more SCOPING OUT CARBON - Who's scope are carbon emissions? MEASURING CARBON - How we measure this stuff WHOLE LIFE CARBON - Embodied & Operational Carbon LIFE-CYCLE STAGES - EN15978 - A1 - C EMBODIED CARBON - What's accounted for? MATERIALS - Emissions & carbon sequestering ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS - The intro to Epd's OPERATIONAL CARBON - The basics of emissions ENERGY USE - How does energy impact GHG REFRIGERANTS - What's the issue with refrigerants? CARBON COMPARISON - So what is a ton of carbon anyway? BONUS: 10 simple questions to achieve a low-carbon design.  1. Does this building need to be built?  No - Great, you just saved the planet. Yes - Move on to question 2.    2. Does this building need to be built this big?  No - Build what you need and nothing more.  Yes - Move to question 3.    3. Is there an existing building we could use instead?  No - Let's try and build the best new building we can.  Yes - Renovated buildings reduce embodied carbon by up to 70%    4. Can we use a biogenic material as our structure?  No - Focus on less material and lower impact materials.  Yes - Stick frame and mass timber are great structural options    5. Can the building be designed to come apart?  No - Concrete is the worst material for disassembly.  Yes - Steel and Mass Timber should be bolted for disassembly    6. Can we fully electrify the heating & cooling systems?  No - Maximize energy efficiency through passive system design  Yes - Heat pumps will reduce your energy use by 3x's    7. Can we reduce our mechanical system size?  No - Large mechanical systems are expensive to operate long-term  Yes - Use south-facing glazing and passive ventilation    8. Can we specify biogenic insulation and cladding materials  No - Find the lowest impact insulation materials. Try EPS over XPS  Yes - Cellulose, hemp, denim, and wool are great insulators    9. Do the users know how to best operate the building?  No - Make sure users are aware of the passive systems that reduce energy use  Yes - A great building that isn't operated well destroys the design    10. Can we minimize the impervious site materials?  No - Large parking and sidewalk areas have a large impact  Yes - Grasses and natural areas create carbon sinks    Sustainable building design is complex, but there are some basic questions that will help make the most important decisions.