phvac Dec 2006.qxd - Plumbing & HVAC

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Industry News Letters Giving away our expertise Are requirements for HVAC contractors too onerous? Dear Editor: Our HVAC industry sector within the construction industry is just one of the trades conducting work in homes and buildings and yet somehow the responsibility for equipment sizing, duct design and ventilation design has been placed upon our backs. When did it happen that a contractor rather than a designer became responsible for these things? No other trade has been pushed by government, regulatory authorities, consumers, etc. more that the HVAC sector to perform these tasks. In fact, it’s so bad that it is expected both in new construction and retrofit that it’s our responsibility to conduct inhome heat loss/gain calculations, duct design, and ventilation design. I would like to once again challenge this because it is not our responsibility, nor should it be. Why should we be required to provide this service at no cost to clients who may or may not accept our proposal? If contractors want to offer design-build services clients should pay for it. Why should the government, regulatory authorities, consumers and others tell us that it is our responsibility and further that we should do this for free? Telephone frustration Let’s face it, all of us get calls every day from consumers asking how much to install a two-ton air conditioner or 60,000 Btu/h two-stage high efficient gas furnace or a similar product. To make matters worse, they want a price now within three minutes over the phone. We spend hundreds of hours each year trying to educate consumers why we cannot provide them with a price. We explain the need to have a home energy audit done along with the need for a heat loss/gain calculation and, depending on the scale of the renovation, maybe even a new duct design. Many of you know that callers get angry, so much so that they shout vulgarities at us, telling us we’ve lost their business as they proceed to slam the phone down. What these consumers don’t understand is that their actions actually saved us money and we lost nothing other than the time wasted on the phone. Further, they will likely wind up with a company that will give them what they want and they will never fully realize the true energy savings and life expectancy from a new system. For most of us, this client was never our target client anyway because they displayed so little respect for us. Fee for services Let’s be clear, I am all for conducting heat loss/gain calculations, duct designs and ventilation designs, but for a fee. After all, we are providing a service and it will take considerable time. We already have to take responsibility for matching components to ARI standards for air conditioning, sizing chimneys and venting, gas piping, sizing water heaters (tankless or storage), etc. These are all components within the systems that we install, maintain and service. Let’s look at the other trades: Carpenter: The approved plans tell the carpenter exactly what needs to be done as far as how the home or building will be built with all the information they need on the plans except the duct design, sizing and placement. Why? There are a few areas that need to be discussed that affect the cost of the project, such as window types, doors, maybe roofing materials, flooring, etc. Once this has been discussed with the client, a comprehensive proposal and cost can be presented. Even with these plans the carpenter expends a lot of time and work in hopes of getting the job. This cost is even greater if this is a general contractor since they will be dealing with the entire project. Having said this, more often than not, even the general contractor places the responsibility of equipment size and duct design on the backs of the HVAC contractor. We even have to tell the carpenter where the registers and grilles will go and what sizes they will be. Electrical: The electrical contractor also has information on the plans with regards to switch locations, lighting locations, etc. They still need to meet with the clients to discuss the type and or style of lighting fixtures and confirm the size of equipment being installed from the HVAC contractor because it’s not on the A commercial plumbing system that offers time and plans. You see, as HVAC contractors, it cost-savings without sacrificing strength and performance. somehow becomes our responsibility to inform the electrician about the size and wattage of the water heater, furnace, air 1-866-473-9462 www.ipexinc.com conditioner, HEPA air filter, etc. Why? Once all this is known, the electrical contractor provides the client with a comprehensive proposal. Circle Number 109 for More Information 8 Plumbing & HVAC Product News – April 2009 www.plumbingandhvac.ca
Another major problem is that too many homeowners act as their own general contractor. The issue is that they have no knowledge or understanding of their role or responsibility as a general contractor. Further, when many consumers encounter poor quality workmanship or jobs that have gone bad they scream that they have been taken advantage of and look to (TV home improvement show hosts) Mike Holmes and Shell Bussy to help bail them out, even though they did not do their homework. Of course this not always the case because there will always be bad contractors in any industry, including ours. “Guesstimates” don’t work The final piece that I would like the trade to think about is that even if we take the time to conduct an in-home Installation photo questioned heat loss/gain calculation in the retrofit marketplace we still find ourselves having to guess insulation values, wall construction and, most of all, air leakage. The air leakage number could make up 60 percent of the total heat or cooling required for the home. During my 34-years in this great industry (I have come to believe) that kind of in-home sizing is archaic and has no place in our high-efficiency world when we have in-home energy audits being performed that can more accurately determine the heat loss/gain of the home. Why are we not using their services? Why should we be required to provide this service at no cost to clients who may or may not accept our proposal? As far as duct designers go, we need young people within our industry to take up the business of offering these specialty services to HVAC contractors because there is a demand and a market given the vast majority of HVAC contractors are small and simply do not have the resources today. I would even argue that many large companies do not have the workforce, given the demand for skilled labour. Further, many of the companies that are providing these services are not able to charge for the service or do so at a reduced cost, thereby affecting their bottom line that is reflected in reduced profits. By no means am I suggesting that I have all the answers, but we as an industry are long overdue to have this discussion and debate the issue. Time has come to stop beating ourselves up and accepting responsibility for everything under the building envelope. D. Brian Baker President Custom Vac Limited Winnipeg Dear Editor: I enjoyed reading your article titled “ECR launches green residential systems” (P&HVAC, Jan./Feb., 2009). However, in looking at the picture of the installation, I noticed a ground clamp and wiring ground attached to the gas piping. This (appears to be) a violation of the CSA B149.1-00 Gas Code, Section 5.14.6 which states: “Piping or tubing shall not be used for an electrical ground… etc.” Am I misinterpreting the picture? Please clarify. Yours truly, Rowland Bristol, Grimsby, Ont. Is that a ground clamp attached to a gas line? The manufacturer responds Dear editor: picture is the bonding of the metal gas Your reader is correct in that it is in violation pipe to an earth ground, and it is in of the B149 Gas code to use gas compliance. pipe as a ground for a structure. The Thank you for your inquiry. picture in the article does indeed show a grounding clamp and wire connected to Michael Breault the gas pipe, and on the surface seems New Product Specialist to be in violation. However, the reason Technical Services/Training for this clamp is that the Canadian ECR International Electrical Code requires all metal pipe Wallaceburg, Ont. to be bonded to an earth ground reference Circle Number 110 for More Information (i.e. water pipe or electrical panel) in a home. The core of the issue that is causing Wireless Field Service Improve customer service and increases profits with Mobilio the confusion here is that while the Software B149 states that gas pipe cannot be the Dispatching ground, it must be connected to a Mobilio connects Time Sheets grounding source. your technicians in the field Work Orders I checked with Owen Kennedy, tech- to the office with the use of Invoicing nical advisor with the Technical wirelessly enabled devices and Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) in Ontario and he has confirmed that hosted software. mobilio inc. 866-756-5050 this is indeed the correct interpretation www.myMobilio.com of the code. email: sales @ mymobilio.com mobilio What your reader is viewing in the Circle Number 111 for More Information www.plumbingandhvac.ca April 2009 – Plumbing & HVAC Product News 9
Page 1 and 2: These innovative sinks appear to be
Page 3 and 4: Kitchen & Bath Issue In This Issue
Page 5 and 6: Hot Seat April 2009 Volume 19, Numb
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