A service manager reviewing the week’s service records called me to report a tell-tale pattern he discovered. He found most technicians consistently repeat the same 10 to 15 repairs. Let’s take a look at the impact on your customers and company when technicians slip into autopilot and fail to search for performance-based solutions. Performance-Based Service …
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With the end of the heating season there’s a tendency to forget the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO). As you transition to the cooling season, be sure to keep your awareness for CO high even though it’s likely to be the last thing on your mind. Let’s look at five summer CO issues you should …
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A question I’m frequently asked is, where do you start when improving a poorly performing duct system? Do you tear it out and start over again, or is there an easier way? The good news is, there is a simple way and a logical pattern you can follow to optimize a duct system. Let’s look …
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One of the most effective ways to measure airflow is through a method known as a traverse. While a traverse offers an accurate means of determining airflow, HVAC professionals rarely use it due to its intimidating nature. Let’s look at this time-proven measurement technique and see if we can remove some of the mystery surrounding …
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For five decades air balancing has been specified by mechanical engineers on nearly every commercial project. In recent years, air balancing has moved into the energy efficiency market as a method of verifying the operating performance of both residential and commercial HVAC systems. Let’s take a look at how new air balancing reports are placing …
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It’s unfortunate there are still some in our industry who don’t see static pressure measurement as an opportunity. Instead, they view it as smoke and mirrors, hocus pocus, and something extra to do on each call. The readings aren’t valuable to them. What if I could show you four ways that static pressure testing expands your …
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Chances are high that you’ve encountered disastrous equipment replacement jobs you’d love to forget. Whether it’s the customer who now has high humidity issues, or the system that can’t maintain temperature anymore — we’ve all experienced them. In many of these occurrences, attention to detail and avoiding bad industry habits helps prevent the occasional catastrophic …
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If you talk to anyone experienced in measuring static pressure, they will admit they’ve dealt with inconclusive and goofy readings that didn’t make sense. This typically results in a frustrating, but rewarding day, because they learned something they won’t forget. Most questionable readings start with overlooking and/or ignoring static pressure measurement basics. To refresh your …
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One of my favorite fictional characters growing up was Sherlock Holmes. Holmes was an extraordinary detective with a gift for finding clues of a mystery others completely missed. His confidence, observational skills, and attention to detail added an extra appeal to the stories. Little did I know the qualities of Sherlock Holmes would apply to …
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4 Obstacles

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of those scary issues that most HVAC professionals hope to never encounter. As with many frightening things we want to avoid, this doesn’t make those issues go away. The threat is very real even though a blind eye is often turned to it. With all the stories and reports …
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