As a Service Technician and later an Estimator, I always believed in the value of offering service agreements. I wanted to share this article with you that covers just three of the benefits to selling them.
- Attract and keep good coworkers. HVAC residential service agreements mean year-round work that your coworkers can depend on. Further, their jobs will be pleasant, because they’ll be handling clean, well-maintained equipment. They’ll have the opportunity to inform and educate your customers, instead of dealing with frantic homeowners faced with large emergency repair bills. Workers may also boost their pay through service-agreement commissions and may have access to more and better sales leads. Most important, your coworkers will be working for a company that offers stability and growth. And that’s key to keeping good HVAC coworkers.
- Provide steady cash flow — even during mild weather. HVAC residential service agreements make your revenue predictable. Profits come not only from sales of the service agreements, but also from increased sales of high-efficiency equipment and air-quality products. HVAC contractors who commit to service-agreement programs ultimately see significantly improved sales-closure rates.
- Make it easier to compete with low-priced rivals. No one knows better than your customers that HVAC systems are expensive and important investments. Your customers have every reason to keep their systems tuned up to run as efficiently as possible — for as long as possible. HVAC-system service agreements allow you to establish and maintain good relationships with your customers, solidifying your position as the honest, quality HVAC contractor in your community. That’s how residential service agreements help you overcome your competitors’ low-ball tactics. Good customers make the smart choice, which doesn’t necessarily mean the least-expensive choice.”
Excerpt from an article written by Ron Smith of www.ronsmithhvac.com
For the complete article go to http://tinyurl.com/79vwua3
For the latest news from APR Supply Co. check out www.aprsupply.com
St*ff No Contractor Says by NordyneU
Dirty Sock Syndrome…no gym required
Dirty Sock Syndrome…it sounds like something I should be familiar with as the father of four boys, however it isn’t anything found in a hamper. As heat pumps become more and more efficient, evaporator coils become larger. More surface area means less washdown during the defrost cycle and that leads to higher risk of bacterial growth in areas of the country, such as here in Pennsylvania. This was less common in the past but now the industry is receiving complaints and homeowners are demanding a fix.
Bacterial growth is not the only cause of odors but once the cause is pinpointed as Dirty Sock Syndrome the obvious first line of attack is to treat the coil with a biocide such as Nu-Calgon’s Bio-Fresh. While this is a great starting point it will not keep the smell away for the long term.
For the best solution I want to share excerpts of this article with you,
The condition became so widely recognized that it was no longer limited to just heat pumps or the Southeast.
Generally, the early cleaners like chlorine have been banned for use in a/c systems. As a result, service contractors are using EPA-registered biocidal agents on coils, drain pans, air filters, and insulation to suppress the problem.
Like the earlier remedies, though, these agents do not provide a permanent solution. The problems eventually return in just a few months or less.
What causes the odor?
In order to find a permanent solution to the Dirty Sock Syndrome, it was first necessary to understand how the odor was generated. Curiously, the cause of the problem all along was the simple growth of mold and bacteria on the coil, as indicated by the effect of early cleaners.
Heat pumps were particularly susceptible because, unlike conventional heat exchangers, their heating cycles were not hot enough to kill the microbes that thrived on their wet coils during the cooling season. Instead, the temperature was just warm enough to slowly “cook off” their organic odors, producing that gym sock odor.
Adding to the problem were the water and organic debris in the drain pan, which formed a fertile garden of microorganisms. The slow warming of this contaminated water released a plethora of spores and toxins into the air that served the conditioned space.
Why the problem appeared during the heating season was linked to the “reverse mode” operation for defrosting the outdoor coil. This process generated moisture on the indoor coil, giving dormant microorganisms and residual organic matter new life, and providing a simple but effective odor release and carrier mechanism.
In today’s high-efficiency units, the old problem is exacerbated. Larger coils and more closely spaced fins create an expanded surface area to retain even more organic material.
In addition, they retain more moisture, stay wet longer, and their drain pans hold more water and organic debris. All of these factors contribute to a longer and more productive cycle of microbial activity.
This greater activity equates to more spores, toxins, and odors for a longer period of time.
Mold: A survivor
Why is mold so difficult to control?
Mold is at the bottom of the food chain. It thrives on very little, grows rapidly, and produces spores, volatile organic compounds, and other toxins. One organism can multiply to trillions in less than three weeks.
And mold occurs everywhere — in hvac systems in homes, schools, workplaces, entertainment centers, vehicles, etc. They all are mold reservoirs.
As noted above, a/c equipment interiors provide an ideal environment for mold growth — it’s dark, damp, and filled with nutrients. The result can be like blowing air over a swamp or through a sewer and then into our homes, vehicles, and workplaces.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60% of IAQ problems and allergies may be mold-related. Some IAQ diagnosticians and practitioners today say the figure may be as high as 80%. The increased usage of air conditioning systems (installed base) almost directly parallels the increase of allergies and IAQ problems.
As mold and bacteria grow on coils and in drain pans, they are disseminated through the ducts to occupied spaces. Some mold products (toxins) produce serious and sometimes life-threatening reactions, including allergy, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and even bleeding lung disease.
Additionally, mold creates a troublesome maintenance problem. Its activity results in dirty coils, an increase in pressure drop, loss of heat exchange efficiency, dirty and sometimes plugged drain pans, and excessive energy use.”
Using UVC
“Ultraviolet light in the “C” band (UVC) has been used for more than 65 years to kill microorganisms in hospitals, laboratories, food processing, and pharmaceutical plants, and even at the nation’s Center for Disease Control.”
“The UVC energy attacks the organism’s DNA and either kills it immediately or prevents it from reproducing. Continuing exposure degrades the carcasses and any other organic material through vaporization (without heat), cleaning the coil to “as-new” specifications.
Emitter tubes typically last more than 7,500 hrs (“on” time), or slightly over one year. The lights pose no danger to equipment, individuals, or furnishings, and there is no risk of secondary contaminants such as particles, ozone, or chemicals being released into the system or space.”
All this and IAQ
“UVC technology also does what it was originally designed to do: enhance IAQ and reduce the incidence of allergy and illness.”
“An average installation of UVC Emitters will kill up to 90% of the “fly-by” bacteria and viruses passing through the system. This reduces the recirculation of colds and flu virus or any other airborne disease through the hvac system. If used to control infectious diseases such as TB, the UVC system can be designed to eliminate more than 99% of the bacteria for the greatest level of protection possible.
Given their multiple benefits, UVC devices are one of the most innovative maintenance and control items to hit the hvac market in years.
A properly designed and installed UVC system will provide your customer with healthier, more energy-efficient and productive environments, while removing those dirty socks from their air conditioners.”
-excerpted from an article on www.achrnews.com, September 19, 2000.
———————————————–
Well, that sounds like an easy enough solution for a frustrating problem. Installation of these units can be as simple as drilling a hole to mount the unit where it bathes both sides of the A-coil in light and plugging it in.
One note from Nordyne I should mention. Nordyne recommends that the technician protect older evaporator coil drain pans from UV Light exposure by applying reflective tape to all surfaces that will be exposed to the light. The C6 and newer pans that are black in color are naturally UV protected and will actually become more resistant with exposure.
APR Supply Co stocks a full line of Field Controls UV-Aire lights to take care of your IAQ needs. For more information, or to order, contact your local APR Branch.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SPECIAL OFFER TO SUBSCRIBERS OF THE APR HVAC BLOG!!
The first (3) APR Customers to:
Subscribe to the APR HVAC Blog and
Purchase a Field Control UV-Aire Light System from APR Supply Co by March 24, 2012
will receive a FREE NATE TEST, a $100 value*!
*while supplies last, recipients will be notified by mail
Nordyne’s IQ Drive Featured On Lifetime’s “Designing Spaces”
Here’s a show you won’t want to miss! Nordyne is being featured on the Lifetime network’s show “Designing Spaces”. Thanks to the IQ Drive’s amazing efficiency, Lifetime has decided to spotlight the heat pump and a/c units during the show’s “Think Green” segment.
The airing will be on April 6, 2012 at 7:30 am on the Lifetime Channel. If you miss it, Nordyne will have it available on their YouTube channel, youtube.com/nordyneu.
For more information about the episode, the show or the IQ Drive equipment, click HERE.
If you are an HVAC Contractor in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland or Delaware, contact
APR Supply Co to learn more about becoming a Tappan or Maytag Dealer.
New Go Green! Save Green! 12 Months Low Payment/Deferred Interest Finance Promotion for ecoLogic™ Systems
Great news for contractors enrolled in the ComfortPlus™ financing program! For the month of December 2011, Nordyne will buy down the normal Dealer Discount Fee of 6.7% to a low 3% fee on 12 months financing with payment/deferred interest. Simply use special plan number 376 on all GE paperwork, if you don’t they will charge the normal 6.7%. If you are interested in the special promoti0n but aren’t yet signed up for the ComfortPlus™ financing program send me an email at ttrexler@aprsupply.com and I’ll be happy to send you the sign-up info.
Eligible Models
Greetings!
Kids are heading back to school, the morning air is getting crisp and department stores are starting to display Christmas merchandise. It can only mean one thing…Fall is arriving! Nordyne has just announced their Fall Maytag/Tappan Go Green, Save Green! instant rebate promotion which will run from September 1st to November 30th 2011. If you participated in the Spring, you are already signed up for the Fall…simply contact your APR Supply salesperson for the new rebate forms. If you did not participate in the Spring, then contact your salesperson or Tim Trexler in the Corporate Office (717-274-5999 x 1033) to register for this program.
Week of 5.2.11
Week of 4.18.11
Maytag Dealer Meeting
APR Supply is hosting NATE Certified Class!
Week of 4.4.2011
| NordyneU | |
|
Week of 3.7.11
Tappan Dealer Meeting |
| iQ Drive Heat Pumps vs. Geothermal SystemsJoin us for a comparison of NORDYNE’s iQ Drive Heat pumps to Geothemal systems. The pros and cons of each system will be discussed.
Instructor: Matt Lattanzi Time: 12:00 p.m. CST Details: This live broadcast will last no longer than one hour and will feature a live Q&A session with Matt Lattanzi. Instructions: To attend the event, visit the NORDYNE Interactive Network and select the following from the navigation: Broadcast –> Live Broadcast. NOTE: If you have not registered for this session, it’s not too late! |
